Chiefs show tremendous courage and other lessons learned vs Browns
By Jake Kokoris
Chiefs could need better execution next week
One of the many advantages of having Patrick Mahomes at QB is that the Chiefs’ margin for error is much wider. False start? Not ideal, but Mahomes will probably hit Kelce for 13 yards on the next play. Holding call? Annoying, but hey, Mahomes can just find Tyreek Hill for 15 to make up for it.
This is a simplistic breakdown, but it spells a larger point. If Chad Henne starts next week, the Chiefs simply cannot commit penalties, or make mental errors. That’s kind of a vanilla point, and it always applies to some degree, but it takes on a different point if, in fact, Henne starts. And that’s not to say the Chiefs played exceptionally sloppy. Rather, the prospect of Henne starting simply puts stringent demands on the Chiefs’ execution. These are demands that simply aren’t there with a healthy Mahomes.
Case in point: it was 2nd-and-9 with 10:43 left in the 4th quarter, and Tyreek Hill got called for a false start. I was watching the game with fellow Arrowhead Addict writer Stephen Dudas, and he remarked “These are the penalties that practically don’t matter when you have Mahomes.” And that’s the difference at hand. A five-yard penalty is simply far more costly when Mahomes isn’t under center. While that false start didn’t hurt the Chiefs too much, a penalty later on that drive did.
A few plays after the Hill penalty, Ricky Seals-Jones got called for an illegal crack back block. After that 15-yard penalty, Henne threw a brutal pick in the back of the end-zone.
The point is that even if Seals-Jones didn’t deserve that penalty, the 15-yard loss was a big blow to the team. Perhaps Henne was overcompensating for the loss of yards, or simply felt more pressure facing a longer down. Either way, he made a very poor decision following the big penalty. It isn’t Seals-Jones’ fault Henne threw the pick, but it will be very tough for Henne to pick up those chunk plays and nullify penalties like Mahomes can.
If Mahomes is able to return, one wonders if his toe injury will linger. We saw it hamper his mobility a bit, and affected his accuracy on some short throws. We don’t know if the toe will remain an issue, but one has to think that sharpening execution and cutting down penalties could only help him ease back in.
This talk of “sharpening execution” also applies to the kicking game. Harrison Butker missed a field goal and an extra point this week. While Butker struggled a bit early in the season, he regained form down the stretch. Regardless of who starts next week, the Chiefs are going to need all possible points against an electric Bills offense, even if we have Mahomes back.