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Chiefs are undefeated, but red zone failures are holding back the offense

17 October 2024Last Update :
Chiefs are undefeated, but red zone failures are holding back the offense

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Through five games, the Kansas City Chiefs have two distinct statistics that rarely go together.

Yes, the Chiefs have a 5-0 record as one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the NFL. But unlike the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City also has one of the league’s worst red zone offenses.

Scoring a touchdown inside the red zone — the condensed stretch of field between the 20-yard line and the goal line — can be critical for an offense whenever the opposing team is playing bend-but-don’t-break defense. Most of the Chiefs’ opponents this season have tried that strategy, and it’s worked an overwhelming amount.

The Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have had no problems moving the ball down the field. But in 18 trips inside the 20-yard line, they have scored a touchdown just seven times (38.9 percent), ranking 29th in the league.

“If we score in some of these red zone situations, there (aren’t) as many questions about the offense because we’re scoring more points,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “Eliminating turnovers and scoring in the red zone are the two things that I think we need to work on as the season goes on.”

For the Chiefs to remain undefeated, their offense must fix its issues before Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII.

Coming off a bye week, Mahomes, coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy have had more than a week to prepare for the 49ers defense and identify how the Chiefs can be more effective when they are close to the goal line. When they rewatched the Chiefs’ last game, a win over the New Orleans Saints, Mahomes and Reid noticed more unforced errors than exceptional defense from the opposing defense.

Early in the second quarter, right tackle Jawaan Taylor committed a holding penalty that nullified an 8-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to tight end Noah Gray. Two plays later, the Chiefs had to settle for a field goal. A similar sequence happened in the fourth quarter. With the ball at the Saints’ 11-yard line, two players — center Creed Humphrey and rookie tight end Jared Wiley — committed a holding penalty. The Chiefs settled for another field goal, the fifth attempt by kicker Harrison Butker.

“We have to be sure we’re a little bit more sound,” Reid said Monday. “We can do a better job of not stopping ourselves, whether it’s penalties or dropped balls or schematically.”

The most significant drop in the red zone also came against the Saints. Late in the third quarter, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster dropped a pass near the goal line that would’ve given the Chiefs a commanding 16-point lead. Smith-Schuster ran a slant from the Saints’ 2-yard line, and Mahomes’ pass bounced off his hands and into those of former Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who returned the interception 37 yards.

“I have to just trust throwing into some of those tighter windows and make those plays,” said Mahomes, who has thrown only one tight-window attempt in the red zone, according to Next Gen Stats. “That window might be the only opportunity you have to score a touchdown.”

A perfect example occurred in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons. In the third quarter, Mahomes rolled to his left on a third-and-goal snap from the 3-yard line. For a moment, he could’ve attempted a pass to receiver Rashee Rice between two defenders. But Mahomes declined and threw the ball away.

“We didn’t get another opportunity to score (a touchdown),” Mahomes said. “You’ve got to pick and choose when to take those chances. Obviously, with our defense and how they’re playing, you don’t want to necessarily put the ball in harm’s way.”

The Chiefs defense has held opponents to 17 points per game, the sixth fewest in the league. But one reason the Chiefs won their first four games by a touchdown or less is that Mahomes hasn’t passed the ball much in the red zone. In the Chiefs’ 18 trips inside the 20-yard line, Mahomes has attempted just 25 passes.

Reid and Nagy have opted for several misdirection plays in hopes of creating an advantage near the goal line. The play calls have included direct snaps to rookie fullback Carson Steele and tight end Travis Kelce. One of Mahomes’ six touchdown passes this season was a 1-yard toss to left tackle Wanya Morris.

“We have to be able to run the ball down there,” Mahomes said.

One could argue the Chiefs should run the ball more inside the red zone, especially after running back Kareem Hunt made his first start of the season against the Saints. Entering Sunday’s game, the Chiefs lead the league in rushing success rate, producing positive expected points added on 52 percent of their rushing snaps.

Although Steele has yet to score a touchdown, Hunt has shown he can gain yards between the tackles even when the opposing defense expects it. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on their opening drive when Hunt ran through a Saints defender from the 5-yard line.

When the Chiefs do call for Mahomes to pass the ball, he explained that his receivers — without Rice (right knee) and Marquise Brown (left shoulder) — will have to do better at adjusting their routes when the opposing defense alters its coverage tactics.

“We get different coverages than a lot of other teams,” Mahomes said. “You don’t want to necessarily go in with a certain mindset because this is how this team has played in the red zone. We have to go in with more good versus all (coverages) plays.

“If you look at some of these teams, they’ll play man (coverage) all season, and then they play us and it’s Cover 2 or Cover 4, and vice versa. We have to go in knowing teams are going to play us a little differently, and we have to execute and accept that challenge.”

 (Photo of Khalen Saunders and JuJu Smith-Schuster: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)

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