Toney out, 2 defensive players questionable for Chiefs in AFC Divisional
20 January 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ red zone issues have seeped into the playoffs.
Over the last five seasons, the Chiefs have ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in regular season red zone success percentage just twice. The stat qualifies success as a touchdown, not a field goal.
2023: 54.1% (17th in the NFL)
2022: 69.44% (2nd)
2021: 60.29% (14th)
2020: 61.02% (14th)
2019: 54% (20th)
The Chiefs don’t need an exceptional red zone percentage to win the Super Bowl, with last year’s season being an outlier.
But, Kansas City ranks dead last in red zone percentage for remaining playoff teams.
“There are some things we can do that we can give them that are better,” head coach Andy Reid said. “It’s probably more complicated than just the one thing, we all have a little piece of that.”
The offense’s red zone issues come from a host of small problems that get lessened because of the proficiency of kicker Harrison Butker.
The Georgia Tech product began the season making all of his first 23 field goals of the season. He is 33 for 35 on field goals this season (including going 4 for 4 against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round) and a perfect 38 for 38 on extra points.
“The thing is, you obviously want to score touchdowns and love Butker and he’s doing a phenomenal job, but as you go here, you want to make sure you get in the end zone (and) score touchdowns,” Reid said.
For a prolific passing team like the Chiefs, the red zone presents a smaller field for passing concepts. And for a team that is more likely to throw the ball on 3rd and 3+, sometimes defenses have the right play called or get pressure on quarterback Patrick Mahomes in these key situations.
“I think it’s just execution,” Mahomes said. “I always say it, but in the red zone everything gets so much more detailed and you have to execute at a higher level. Obviously, we were close, but we didn’t get in there. So, when we’re playing a game like this, we’ve got to find a way to turn those field goals into touchdowns in order to win.”
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy knows the offense will need to do exactly what Mahomes is talking about.
“We don’t want that. We know we need touchdowns,” Nagy said. “We definitely lock in and focus on not just the execution of the plays, but also schematically, what are we doing? How can we do our part to help the players out?”
The playcalling and Mahomes’ decision-making also points to the offense may be focused on limiting turnovers since they rank tied for 23rd in the NFL with 28 giveaways. Mahomes has thrown a career-high 14 interceptions this year.
“If you’re gonna take a nine-yard sack or a throwaway, you’re gonna take the throwaway,” Nagy said. “If something’s not there, you wanna make sure you’re being smart with the football.”
“The great teams have red zone drives, a lot of red zone drives with touchdowns and now that’s tough to stop with this defense as well. It’s great to have field goals, you want points. Defenses are changing schematically on what they’re doing, and that’s always a part of this, too. How are they adapting to what offenses are doing and what are offenses doing to counterattack that?”
A big reason the Chiefs can afford to have all of these offensive mistakes and miscues is because of Butker and the elite play of the defense that has limited opponents to under 30 points all season.
With the passing game not being what the Chiefs are used to under Ried and Mahomes by averaging a middling 21.8 points per game (15th in the NFL), Kansas City has slowly begun to embrace the fact they should lean on ball possession and defense more than their less than prolific passing game.
Rashee Rice (130 yards, TD) and tight end Travis Kelce (71 yards) had stellar performances against the Dolphins and the Chiefs fed their bellcow running Isiah Pacheco appropriately with 24 carries, 89 yards and a TD.
This is the formula that can get the Chiefs back to defending their Super Bowl title this season.
“You have to rely on your defense to get stops – which they’ve been doing – and know that flow of the game,” Mahomes said.
“So that’s something that we obviously have emphasized these last few weeks, but I’m glad with how we’re moving the football, but let’s find a way to punch them into the end zone at the end of drives.”