There is an old saying that it is better to be lucky than good, and this season, the Kansas City Chiefs have been much luckier than they have been good.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions used to win with plenty of firepower on offense and the heroics of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but this season, they have gotten many lucky breaks, allowing them to be tied for the NFL’s best record at 12-1 even though they’re statistically average on offense.
They’re rather weak when it comes to scoring touchdowns in the red zone, and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky feels that they’re putting too much on Mahomes to make plays in such situations.
Orlovsky feels Kansas City needs to run the football more when they get inside of their opponents’ 20-yard line.
“This sounds crazy… They’re putting the ball in Patrick Mahomes’ hands too much in the redzone,” Orlovsky said.
"This sounds crazy… They're putting the ball in Patrick Mahomes' hands too much in the redzone."@danorlovsky7 believes the Chiefs should lean on inside runs a little more in the red area 👀 pic.twitter.com/jYVn4RT6Re
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 10, 2024
Kansas City is 25th in redzone touchdown percentage, and traditionally, teams like to rely on their ground game in the redzone, even nowadays.
Running back Isiah Pacheco is back from a fractured fibula, and the return of Kareem Hunt has given them a solid one-two punch in the backfield.
On the other hand, some may not want to question the wisdom or decision-making of Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who has gained a reputation as one of the better coaches in NFL history over the last two seasons.
Despite their issues, they’re a hard team to count out when it matters most, as Mahomes continues to have an aura of inevitability surrounding him.
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