Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid
T
he Kansas City Chiefs’ poor play this season reached a peak in Week 7 when they were blown out by the Tennessee Titans 27-3 on the road.
The defense was on the field for 36 minutes of the game and allowed 367 yards of total offense, according to ESPN. When the offense was on the field, they did little with their opportunities; Patrick Mahomes and company turned the ball over three times via an interception and fumble by Mahomes and another fumble from wideout Mecole Hardman.
The Chiefs are 3-4. They are:
32nd in turnovers
32nd in points allowed
32nd in yards allowed
32nd in yards per play allowed
31st in pass yards allowed
31st in receiving yards allowed
31st in rush yards allowed
32nd in 1st downs allowed
Kansas City’s poor play thus far is mind-boggling given the expectations bestowed upon them entering the season. As a team that was Super Bowl favorites as recently as early September, the defending AFC champions now sit at 3-4 and look like a long shot to even make the playoffs based on their play through seven weeks.
During his postgame press conference, head coach Andy Reid noted how dumbfounded he is based on what he’s seeing on the field from his players.
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Reid: ‘I’m Seeing Things I Haven’t Seen Before’
“I’ve seen our guys do it and make the plays, we’re just not doing it now,” admitted Reid during his opening statement on Sunday, October 24. “We weren’t doing it offensively, we weren’t finishing it defensively. … We really need to get both sides playing well. We have to eliminate the turnovers and penalties; these are things that haven’t been common to us. I’m seeing things I haven’t seen before.”
Andy Reid: “I’m seeing things I haven’t seen before.”
Reid also noted that things just aren’t going in Kansas City’s favor lately.
“Guys that I’ve seen perform did not do certain things. We’re right there to do the right thing and make something happen, and it’s bouncing the other way. We have to fix that.”
Byron Pringle Calls Out Teammates
One of the lone bright spots on offense for Kansas City against the Titans was wide receiver Byron Pringle, who led the team with 73 receiving yards on five catches. After the game, Pringle called out his teammates by emphasizing the importance of protecting the football on offense.
“We just should’ve come out ready to play and execute at a high level,” Pringle said. “Once we put the ball on the ground earlier in the year, we figured a lot of teams would come and hold us up and punch the ball out. We’ve got to protect the ball if we want to win.”
Patrick Mahomes took responsibility for the Chiefs falling behind early in the game against the Titans, which was a theme that transpired in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills as well.
“I’ve just got to be better early in the game so we don’t get behind like we did,” Mahomes said after the game.
“They played the same coverages that they played (last week) against the Bills,” Mahomes of Tennessee’s defense. “I didn’t execute. There were open guys you could see on the tablet (afterward). There’s pockets that were clean that I scrambled from. I have to be better.”
The Chiefs will look to climb back to .500 when they face the New York Giants in Week 8 on Monday Night Football.