From a pure talent perspective, the Kansas City Chiefs have one of the more gifted offenses in the NFL.
The problem is, as it has been in the past, the conservative play-calling and the risk-averse nature of Alex Smith seem to be holding this offense back. I look at the Chiefs offense as a loaded gun, full of firepower with dynamic players such as Jeremy Maclin, Chris Conley, Travis Kelce and the speedy rookie, Tyreek Hill. These guys earn their paychecks on catching the football and making plays, so get the football in their hands and let them do the rest.
Andy Reid has been one of the best and most successful coaches in the NFL for a long time now. During his tenure with the Eagles, he reached five NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he took an abysmal 2-14 Chiefs team to the playoffs with an 11-5 record in his first year at the helm.
Reid is one of the better offensive minds in the league and can show his brilliance in the form of scheming. His bread and butter is using the aggressive nature of a defense against it with screens, misdirection plays, etc. Though brilliant, he can be inconsistent at times, often scripting a series of similar plays that leaves the offense in a fourth and long situation and us fans scratching our heads in confusion.
While Reid has been hot and cold with his play-calling, Smith has done a poor job of executing as of late. Yes, the offensive line has been rather lackluster to start the season and he isn’t always given a clean pocket to operate in, but there have been instances in which he has had ample time, but appears to get happy feet. Smith is at his best when the offense is in rhythm. He needs a few completions to get his mojo going. When he falls into a slump he seems to get jittery and doesn’t seem to go through his progressions.