There’s an old saying that it’s better to be lucky than good, and the Kansas City Chiefs have been a lot more lucky than good this season.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions often win with massive firepower on offense and the heroics of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but they’ve had a lot of lucky breaks this season that have left them tied for the NFL’s best record at 12-1. Although they are statistically average in terms of offense.
They are somewhat poor at scoring touchdowns in the red zone, and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes they are putting too much effort on Mahomes to make plays in those situations.
Orlovsky believes Kansas City needs to run the football more when it gets inside the opposing team’s 20-yard line.
“This sounds crazy… They’re putting the ball in Patrick Mahomes’ hands too much in the red zone,” Orlovsky said.
“This sounds crazy… They’re putting the ball in Patrick Mahomes’ hands too much in the red zone.”@danorlovsky7 I think the Chiefs need to rely more on interior runs in the red zone. pic.twitter.com/jYVn4RT6Re
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 10, 2024
Kansas City ranks 25th in red zone touchdown percentage, and traditionally the team likes to rely on its ground game in the red zone, even these days.
Running back Isiah Pacheco is back from a fractured fibula, and the return of Kareem Hunt gives them a solid one-two punch in the backfield.
On the other hand, there are those who don’t want to question the wisdom or decision-making of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who has earned a reputation as one of the best coaches in NFL history over the past two seasons.
Despite the issues, Mahomes continues to have an aura of inevitability surrounding him, making this a difficult team to calculate when it matters most.
next: Andy Reid reacts to Bill Belichick’s interest in college football.
