The Chiefs Use the Bye to Prepare for the Eagles
Photo Credit: (Ralf Ibing, GettyImages)
As the rest of the AFC West looks at a daunting schedule, the Kansas City Chiefs look at bye week into which they have carried a lot of momentum. They rank as the league’s highest-graded team according to ESPN’s power index. They have high-graded defensive players across the board, including Willie Gay Jr., the 3rd highest-graded linebacker in Week 9, and Trent McDuffie, the breakout corner who leads all defensive backs in forced fumbles. True, the Chiefs are playing possibly the most well-rounded football of Mahomes’ career, but they are certainly not satisfied. As they approach the BYE, the Chiefs are looking at their next game versus the Philadelphia Eagles in what will be last year’s Superbowl rematch.
While the Chiefs have been a great team overall this season, there are still many issues that weigh heavily on the team. While the defense has allowed 15.9 points per game, a 35 quarterback rating, and 4.8 yards per play, which rank 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively, the offense has not always been able to carry the same load. As the Chiefs head into their matchup versus the Eagles, who have one of the best defenses in the NFL, changes will have to be made during the BYE to prepare.
A lingering issue all season has been the production of the wide receivers. Inexperience plagues the young corps, leading to Kelce being Mahomes’ only reliable target. Even after bringing in an experienced veteran in Mecole Hardman, who had taken prior reps with Mahomes, the passing game continued to struggle. Although Rashee Rice has started to come into his own, being one of the highest-graded PFF rookies in the league, the WRs have still vocally expressed how they need to get better. When the opposing defense finds a way to limit Kelce, the offense struggles. Not only has that trend happened recently, a trend that led to the Chiefs’ loss to the Denver Broncos, but unfortunately the Chiefs have even started to limit Kelce themselves.
Perhaps the biggest issue the Chiefs have faced on offense recently is not the WR corps, but the offensive line. While the line graded very highly in the first six weeks of the season, in the last two games they have given up four sacks and 19 pressures. Remember, these are the games in which the Chiefs lost to the Broncos and narrowly pulled out a win against the Miami Dolphins thanks to the efforts of their defense. Now that the offensive line has begun to struggle, so has Kelce and the Chiefs’ pass offense. The tackles on the line have become less reliable, and Kelce and the running backs have suffered for it.
As Nate Christensen said in his tweets, “Having to constantly chip on the ends severely hurts the Chiefs’ pass offense. Not only does it take their best pass catcher in Kelce primarily out of the picture, but it also puts more pressure on the Chiefs struggling WR corps that cannot stretch the defense out.” When a struggling offensive line takes your most significant players out, i.e., Mahomes, Kelce, and the running backs, offensive production will take a hit. This has been seen against the two average defenses the Chiefs just played that held their offense to very minimal gains.
The good news about the issues seen above is that they are mostly fixable. The stunts that the Chiefs missed the past two weeks can be fixed with more communication. The offense can be redirected to have productive plays so that the Chiefs do not have to chip with both tackles on long third downs. And if there is any time to fix these issues, it is now. The Chiefs have an entire extra week to solve their issues, but they must take advantage of this BYE. As the Eagles look ahead to the next game in what can possibly be revenge for them, they have the Chiefs’ offensive line struggles on tape, and you better believe they are going to use their strong front seven to take advantage of it.
The Chiefs’ defense has carried the team to a high ranking and an impressive record, but if they really want to become a true lock for championship contender, the Chiefs have to fix their offense, starting with the line. If they were to find consistency on the offensive line, it would then lead to consistency for the run game and the improving wide receivers. A strong BYE week is just what the Chiefs need to make that happen, and if they were to come out of that week and earn a strong statement win in the Superbowl rematch versus the Eagles, the Chiefs organization and fans alike would finally feel good about their top ranking in the NFL.
