4 pivots Chiefs must make to secure No. 1 seed in AFC

4. Alter short-yardage play calling

There are few areas where head coach Andy Reid ostensibly lacks confidence. Perhaps the one that has historically drawn the most ire from Chiefs fans is his short-yardage offensive play calling. I have no way to prove this, but it feels more of an issue in the 2023 season.

Reid has shown little faith in his offensive line or his starting running back to win those reps. He's resorted to a lot of head-scratching trickery to extend drives, and it's comically failed him at key points in the season. I hate to say this, but this is the least likely to change the rest of the way. There's a sense in which this is Reid's personality as a head coach. He prioritizes catching defenses off guard on third-and-short. He's really not an "impose his will" kind of coach and you miss 100% of the proverbial shots you don't take.

Over the last eight games, Reid could stand to be more confident in his offensive line interior and one of the more physical backs in the NFL when the situation calls for it. Sometimes, even when you make the right call, you fail. Such is life in the National Football League. That said, this game will always be bigger than Xs and Os. Sometimes, execution is king. Line up and beat the man across from you. If Reid can do that a bit more often, it'd likely result in fewer stalled drives and that benefits the shiny Ferrari of a quarterback he has in Patrick Mahomes.

The more plays per offensive series, the more opportunities he has to make something special happen with his arm.