 Unlike other NFL defensive coordinators, Sutton was distinguished by his "cordial and cerebral demeanor" which was the "calming and refreshing opposite of the drill sergeant caricature".The Chiefs finished in the top seven in scoring defense in each of Sutton’s first four seasons, ranking second in 2014.Despite the gradual year-over-year improvement in the Chiefs' win-loss record, Sutton drew growing criticism as the defense cost them playoff games, starting when the team blew the 38-10 lead to lose 44-45 to the Indianapolis Colts in 2014, and then suffered eliminations at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and New England Patriots in the 2016-2018 postseason; in these latter three losses the Chiefs had home advantage and surrendered a considerable amount of rushing yards.