The Kansas City Chiefs have suffered numerous injuries along the offensive line which is a significant reason for offense slowing down.
The Kansas City Chiefs offense has struggled the last two weeks against the Baltimore Ravens and division rival Los Angeles Chargers. Most of the blame for the offense slowing down are going to head coach Andy Reid for his conservative playcalling and the loss of running back Kareem Hunt and wide receiver Sammy Watkins being injured. While those might play a role, they are not the primary reason for the Chiefs offense not being as explosive as the early season results.
Over the last two weeks, Kansas City has faced back-to-back elite pass rushing defenses. Baltimore stacked the line of scrimmage with robust blitz packages to throw quarterback Patrick Mahomes off of his game. Last Thursday, the Chargers had edge rusher Joey Bosa back to pair with Melvin Ingram as one of the best tandems in the league. One thing that both of these teams have done is create a blueprint on how to slow down the Chiefs offense which takes advantage of the injuries along the Kansas City offensive line and bring pressure consistently.
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The Chiefs lost right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who was sent to Injured Reserve earlier this season. The team remains hopeful he will be the second designated to return player for the team this season. Center Mitch Morse also missed a stretch of games but has finally returned to the lineup. Against the Ravens, left guard Cam Erving suffered an injury which led to Jeff Allen playing in his place against the Chargers this past week.
If we have learned one thing about the left side of the offensive line, left tackle Eric Fisher needs to trust the left guard position for him to play a good game. The last couple of seasons he has struggled for stretches as the position has been a revolving door. He has looked good in 2018 with Erving next to him but struggled once Jeff Allen stepped in to take that spot.
Guard Andrew Wylie has been the replacement for LDT at the right guard position this season and for the most part, has done a good job. He’s not been the mauler that LDT brings, but Wylie has been better than what could have been expected. Unfortunately, Wylie had his worst game of the season against the Chargers which actively hurt right tackle, Mitchell Schwartz.
Schwartz is one of the best right tackles in the league, and his level of performance doesn’t get enough recognition. Against Los Angeles, not only was he dealing with one of the best pass rushers in the league in Joey Bosa, but he was also trying to overcompensate for the struggles of Wylie on the inside. While Mahomes wasn’t hit nearly as many times as he was against the Ravens, most of that had to do with his escaping the pass rush and quickly designed throwing plays including screens and slants for most of the game.
With the Chiefs not making as many downfield explosive plays, most fans have been calling out Andy Reid. Let’s not forget that Mahomes has been under significant pressure the last two games which means less time for plays to develop. Let’s also not forget the downfield throws that were dropped like the Tyreek Hill almost touchdown or brought back due to offensive holding. While I had my fair share of issues with the gameplan, especially not running the ball more considering how well Damien Williams and Darrell Williams looked at times, I think that most of the reason for short passing concepts is because of the injuries along the offensive line.
We also have to remember that it’s December and those games of 400 passing yards are going to slow down around the league in the cold weather. I’m comfortable with the Williams backs to take on a more significant load with what we saw against the Chargers, but whether Reid will change to allow for them to carry the ball more is something we will have to wait and see.
Another thing to remember about December is that the Chiefs are already in the one seed and just a couple of games away from the playoffs. With Mahomes being under consistent pressure, it’s not favorable to have your quarterback taking hit after hit this late in the season and risking an injury.
Going up against playoff caliber teams the last two weeks that bring significant pressure against a battered Chiefs offensive line, the offense is going to struggle. Mahomes has been known for making the best out of nothing, but when he has been forced to leave the pocket and escape the pressure almost every play, only so many good things can happen. Not only are each one of those plays a risky move, but when avoiding the pressure, it’s no longer the big play that quarterbacks are looking for. Instead, they are looking for the check down.
As I mentioned earlier, Kansas City’s offensive line has also been the culprit of holding penalties consistently. Mahomes and the Chiefs offense have faced third down and long way too many times which is a major reason for the lack of explosion and success while combining that with the consistent pressure.
If Kansas City wants to get it’s explosive offense back, they will have to get healthier along the offensive line. The Chiefs have running backs that can be explosive, and Reid is able to use them in every part of the game plan. Watkins will return likely in time for the playoffs which will give Mahomes another reliable weapon. None of that matters, however, unless the offensive line can improve their pass protection.
The elite pressure from defensive fronts will only continue in the playoffs. Looking at the teams that the Chiefs could face, Baltimore and Los Angeles are both possible rematches. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans are also both likely to be in the playoffs and possible matchups which both bring elite pass rushers. It’s vital for the Chiefs postseason that the offensive line returns to full strength—or at least muster what they can.