"...We're witnessing the end of an era. The Kansas City Chiefs are done."
However, before you fly off the handle, please understand that these were not my sentiments but those of former NY Jet and Pittsburgh Steeler Willie Colon. Recently, on an episode of First Things First, he caused a firestorm online with these comments.
Mr. Colon certainly offered some statistics to support his position, and Week 1's outcome against the Chargers did little to dispel this notion. Although statistics can be both subjective and objective, two things can also be true simultaneously. Statistics tell part of a story, but not the whole story, which is why context matters and should always be considered when assessing these things. I believe this is ultimately a matter of short-sighted perspective, and what he’s really referring to is evolution.
Willie Colon's recent remarks on First Things First has drawn the ire of Chiefs Kingdom.
To support his position, Colon correctly referenced the fact that their explosive plays had declined from the “air show” offense of 2018–2022, when they led the NFL in plays over 20 yards, to being dead last in this category in 2023–2024. For all intents and purposes, that is factually correct. On Friday, we saw a Chiefs team making a conscious effort to push the ball downfield. Albeit, unsuccessfully.
Nonetheless, as we know, the ultimate statistic is winning. It is indeed the metric by which they are judged. While the opening day loss to the Los Angeles Chargers did nothing to dispel the noise, I would consider all of the contributing factors in that outcome.
An offense without Rashee Rice, which also lost Xavier Worthy on the opening drive, proved to have insufficient weapons to execute its plan of more explosive plays. They didn’t run the ball effectively enough and appear to lack a true home run threat in the backfield.
Furthermore, the offensive line didn’t play particularly well. The Kingsley Suamataia experiment clearly failed at tackle, and he’s not off to a great start at guard. Jawaan Taylor has always been prone to penalties at inopportune times, and he had penalties on Friday.
Despite this, the fact remains that they’ve made it to two Super Bowls in the last two years, winning one of them, while lacking the explosive plays of the past. This suggests they’ve evolved and developed new ways to sustain the same level of success they’ve become accustomed to.
Colon also correctly notes that last season the Chiefs were 11-0 in one-score games and claims they were “4 points and a blocked field goal away from being 4-13.” Again, factually correct. He even said they have a “rabbit’s foot up their butt,” suggesting their success in close games was due to luck.
But luck is for the unprepared, and Andy Reid’s teams are lauded for their preparation. They were well prepared on Friday; the execution and offensive imbalance played a significant role. Their ability in the past to win one-score games is a testament to their efficiency in situational football.
Even this is evidence of evolution, because it wasn’t long ago that Andy Reid was often criticized for his ineptitude in late-game situations, clock management, and other aspects of situational football while coaching the Eagles. This is clear evidence of growth in spite of Friday’s outcome.
Defensively, they don’t seem to have enough players up front to generate pressure consistently, other than Chris Jones. However, Spags will need to scheme some pressure, or it could be a long season. This coaching staff has maximized its talent in years past.
In fact, the Chiefs arguably have the best staff in football. They’re the only team in the NFL with former head coaches serving as both offensive and defensive coordinators. Pair that with General Manager Brett Veach, who is arguably one of the best evaluators in the NFL. Player acquisition, not only by way of the Draft but Free Agency, has been a place of strength during Andy Reid's tenure.
Ultimately, in my estimation, you have four surefire Hall of Famers in Coach Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, and Travis Kelce—with Creed Humphrey, Brett Veach, and Steve Spagnuolo also making strong cases. (Spagnuolo is notably the only defensive coordinator in NFL history with four Super Bowl rings.) They also have promising young players like Trent McDuffie and now Josh Simmons, who are garnering respect around the League.
So while Friday’s outcome wasn’t ideal, I’d still bet on the players in that locker room and that coaching staff to figure it out by season’s end.
Remember, this is the same staff that assembled a top-tier defense, with Chris Jones as the lone unquestioned superstar on that side of the ball, supported by a roster of young studs on rookie contracts. The same staff who have won nine consecutive division titles, appeared in seven consecutive AFC Championship Games, been to five Super Bowls, and won three since Patrick Mahomes became their QB in 2018. I believe they will figure it out.