KC Chiefs Have Left Zero Margin for Error for Their Hall of Fame Talents

If the Chiefs want to win back-to-back Super Bowls, they must acknowledge that their offense has an unfixable problem and that it will be up to their three future first-ballot Hall of Famers to overcome it.

It’s time for the Kansas City Chiefs to own up to something after losing to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. If the three future first-ballot Hall of Famers of their offense are to win back-to-back Super Bowls, they must find a solution to their intractable offensive problem.

The wide receivers are a complete failure. Although Kansas City is reluctant to acknowledge it, we will call them what they are: a serious problem. Although Rashee Rice has shown flashes of brilliance, most of them have been staged. He still has to demonstrate that he can be a reliable threat in a dropback passing attack. Though based on our observations over the course of 12 games, it doesn’t appear that he will get there. Each receiver in the group has experienced highs and lows. The majority have been difficult to watch each week because they either have trouble making catches or commit other mental mistakes while playing. Over the first 13 weeks of the season, the Chiefs have attempted to exercise patience with the wideout room.

Andy Reid’s resume would support him as a legendary playwright and caller, to start at the top. If at all possible, he might need to step it up this year. Given the problems at wide receiver, Reid will need to plan as many simple downfield completions as he can. The Chiefs have reduced their passing attack in recent weeks by using a lot of screens and quick-hitters. Defenses will eventually catch up to that and begin to compress the line of scrimmage. It will be up to the offensive wizard to set up advantageous looks because Kansas City will need a counterpunch, particularly in the playoffs.

The offensive cast having as many issues as it does leaves Patrick Mahomes in an interesting spot. Even with past Chiefs defenses that were less reliable than the ones they currently field, Mahomes probably has less room for error than he ever has. A missed throw or wrong decision is more difficult to overcome with the current support he’s getting. The interception from Sunday night is a good example. While the turnover wasn’t all his fault, trusting a receiver who has been unreliable all season to make a play in that spot is tricky. It was also first down, so it wasn’t a “got to have it” play. The Chiefs would have had second down if the ball was incomplete or Mahomes handed off to Isiah Pacheco. After that unfortunate interception, the Chiefs went down eight and couldn’t recover.