The Kansas City Chiefs went 0-for-4 in the red zone against the Denver Broncos in Week 13, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns. An offense that is known as an unstoppable powerhouse struggled to score touchdowns in the area where it should be easiest to get points. Prior to this game, the issues weren’t quite as significant, scoring over 60% of the time from within the 20-yard line.
So what’s to blame for the Chiefs’ recent issues in the red zone?
“Coaching and a lack of execution,” Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy told reporters, rather bluntly on Thursday.
Many have accused Andy Reid and Bieniemy of getting “too cute” in the red zone, running trick plays, or taking the ball out of the hands of playmaking quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In Bieniemy’s eyes, both the coaching staff and the players can come together and do a better job.
“As a coaching staff, we always want to make sure that we’re studying and that we’re exhausting every opportunity for our guys to be successful,” Bieniemy continued. “And then when it’s all said and done with, the players’ responsibility is to make sure that they’re executing their jobs with great attention to details. So, somewhere along the line, we have to come together and get that fixed together.”
Reid fell on his sword following the Week 13 game, saying that he could do a better job of putting guys in a position to score. But Mahomes was quick to emphasize that the players have to do a better job with the opportunities they have in the red zone, both passing and running the ball.
“I think first execution, whenever we do have the right play, we’ve got to find the right guy and hit him and get in the end zone,” Mahomes said on Wednesday. “Then when it comes down to it, you got to be tougher and find ways to run the ball in there.”
With missed opportunities and execution, sometimes you just have to get back to the basics in order to correct the issue. For Bieniemy, it all goes back to a core philosophy of this team.
“When it’s all said and done with, every play we feel going into a game plan is designed to score a touchdown,” Bieniemy said. “We’ve got to find a way to make it happen. And I’m going to go back to what I said earlier, it’s about an attitude and a determined mindset. But also too, eliminating the mistakes and eliminating the penalties.”
If the coaches can get the right play calls in and the players are willing to buy-in, magic can happen for this team. It’s just a matter of putting their best foot forward when they get into the red zone against the Dolphins this Sunday.
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