I think we can all agree that the Chiefs offense was to blame for most of their woes this season. While there is a lot to like about the “we win and lose as a team” mindset, the bottom line here is that it was the offense that didn’t get the job done. What everyone may not agree on is what the main problem with the offense is.
There are many who will point the finger at quarterback Alex Smith. They will tell you that he is THE problem with the offense and that until the Chiefs get a better quarterback they will never be a true Super Bowl contender.
There are others who will place the majority of the blame on Andy Reid. It is his play calling and game management that is coming up short time after time. Some are so extreme that they would advocate getting a new head coach all together but most will simply contend that Reid needs to give up the play calling duties.
There are certainly other things that people complain about when it comes to the offense like the offensive line play or lack of weapons after Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, and Jeremy Maclin, but I think the bulk of the blame falls on Reid and Smith.
Here’s my take.
The Chiefs play caller (Reid), quarterback (Smith), and offensive line/run game are a bad fit for each other. I believe you can win a Super Bowl with Andy Reid calling plays. I believe you can win a Super Bowl with Alex Smith as your starting quarterback. I believe you can win a Super Bowl with the Chiefs offensive line and limited running game.
I do not believe you can win a Super Bowl with the combination of all three. We’ve seen it fail too many times over the past several years. The Chiefs are a good and talented football team but they are just too limited on offense to compete with the truly elite teams come playoff time. Something has to change.
If KC enters the 2017 season with those three things unchanged I don’t see them as likely to be a true Super Bowl contender. I have a solution for next year but I don’t think many of you will like it.