Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during the 2022 preseason.
If you were hoping for the Kansas City Chiefs to make a change at offensive tackle, there’s no guarantee that one is coming anytime soon.
Fans have been very critical of starting bookends Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie, calling for injury returnee Lucas Niang or youngster Prince Tega Wanogho to get a shot on social media. The thought process is fair, but few know this offensive line better than former O-lineman turned head coach — and a future Hall of Famer, at that — Andy Reid.
Big Red addressed the play of his tackles this week and he appeared to defend their 2022 performance while doing so.
Chiefs’ Andy Reid Defends Orlando Brown & Andrew Wylie
While speaking with the media on Wednesday, December 7, Coach Reid didn’t seem to entertain the idea of a switch-up at left or right tackle.
“Well, they’ve gone against some good players,” Reid replied with a smile when asked about the high pressure-rates allowed by Brown and Wylie this season. “We do try to help them with chip [blocks] like we do with anybody that’s in there — these defensive ends that we play are pretty good and the two that we’re playing this week are good too — so that’s part of it.”
Reid rarely disappoints at press conferences but I’m sorry, this sounds an awful lot like an excuse from the Chiefs head honcho. Modern-day edge rushers are talented, yes, but every offensive tackle in the league goes against athletic pass rushers so why are Brown and Wylie struggling so much more in terms of pass-blocking efficiency?
If you look at the position on Pro Football Focus, ranking by pressure-rate allowed (or pass-block efficiency), the high mark to beat for the entire NFL is Tampa Bay Buccaneers youngster Tristan Wirfs at a 99.5 efficiency score — minimum 50% of offensive snaps played. Brown and Wylie aren’t even in the same stratosphere.
The Chiefs blindside blocker, Brown, has been the better of the two this season. At a 96.0 efficiency rating, Brown has been charged with 39 quarterback pressures over 567 pass-blocking snaps. That ratio ranks 47th in the league (out of 58).
Of 13 graded 3rd and 4th down plays I had Orlando Brown at seven wins and six losses. 53% win rate from your LT on “Critical Downs” is not exactly what you want.
Brown was especially poor in clutch moments against the Cincinnati Bengals according to Arrowhead Pride film analyst Caleb James. He tweeted that “of 13 graded 3rd and 4th down plays, I had Orlando Brown at seven wins and six losses [vs pass rushers]. 53% win rate from your [left tackle] on ‘Critical Downs’ is not exactly what you want.”
To find Wylie, you have to stroll over to page two — which only includes the bottom-eight offensive tackles this season. The Chiefs right tackle ranks tied for 51st (of 58) in terms of efficiency (95.6), with 37 quarterback pressures surrendered on 541 pass-blocking snaps.
It is fair to mention that Patrick Mahomes II and Kansas City throw the ball much more than most, but these numbers shouldn’t be considered acceptable either way. After all, the worst O-tackle starters in the NFL right now are just behind Wylie and Brown at an efficiency rating of 94.0 and 92.7.
Would Lucas Niang Be Any Better?
Chiefs fans got to see Tega Wanogho take over for Wylie after an injury, but we have not seen Niang since his knee injury — except on special teams.
For the record, Tega Wanogho was decent in limited action. Over 29 pass-blocking snaps, the prospect allowed two quarterback pressures yielding an efficiency score of 96.4 on PFF. That’s a very small sample size, however.
Niang has done it before, but how healthy is that knee and how rusty is the blocker? These are all questions that Reid likely knows the answer to more than the average outside observer. He sees these guys in practice every day and there’s probably a reason that no one has jumped up and stolen the jobs.
There is also the question of chemistry this late in the season. Switching one starter on the offensive line can be justified but benching both tackles on a whim is unlikely.
Barring injury, expect Brown to stick at left tackle the rest of the way with Wylie on the proverbial hot seat.