Tag: Jawaan Taylor

Andy Reid blasted refs’ inconsistency on OT Jawaan Taylor’s penalties: ‘It’s to the point of being ridiculous’

Andy Reid’s harsh criticism was so out of character.

The Kansas City Chiefs made offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor a centerpiece of their offseason plans. For the most part, through three games, he’s been fine as the Chiefs’ right-sided offensive anchor. But it’s becoming clear he’s got a problem with illegal formation penalties.

Well, I guess it depends on who you ask.

After the Chiefs embarrassed the Chicago Bears 41-10 Sunday, Reid found himself at the lectern discussing Taylor’s unfortunate penchant for illegal formation transgressions. The Chiefs have played just three games, and Taylor already has three of these kinds of penalties — one on Sunday literally wiped out a touchdown.

In defending his player, Reid blasted the officiating of Taylor, saying he’s being “picked on.” Then, on Monday, Reid doubled down, saying how officials have treated Taylor thus far has been inconsistent and “ridiculous.”

For what it’s worth, Patrick Mahomes also weighed in earlier, saying Taylor’s treatment has been “wild”:

Reid and Mahomes can express their displeasure all they want, but that won’t (or shouldn’t) change anything. Yes, officials usually offer a lot of leeway to offensive linemen and how they set up at the line of scrimmage. It’s sometimes almost entirely subjective and up to a referee if they actually call a penalty on someone.

But Taylor’s illegal formation penalties thus far have been egregious and hard to ignore. He’s sometimes lining up a full foot backward to give himself a shot for a deeper pass set. That will not fly, and any rational referee would penalize him.

My advice to Reid and Mahomes in their lobbying for Taylor? Perhaps they should tell their right tackle to start lining up normally.

Chiefs Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes vent frustration about officials picking on Jawaan Taylor

#Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes vented frustrations about officials picking on RT Jawaan Taylor. | from: @EdEastonJr

The ongoing controversy surrounding Kansas City Chiefs starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor’s blocking positioning on the offensive line may have hit a breaking point on Sunday. The dominant victory over the Chicago Bears appeared perfect, but there was still a blemish regarding Taylor being penalized again for the same infraction as the first two weeks.

Taylor continues to be watched closely by officials and was penalized during a potential first-half touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The nullified highlight touchdown irked head coach Andy Reid as he immediately defended his veteran offensive tackle during the post-game press conference.

“I checked out all the looks that our right tackle got called on today, and you know, I’m seeing it on both sides of the ball,” Reid explained. “I’m seeing it within our lifetime, and you might be being picked on just a little bit here. I thought they did a good job the week before, but today I thought it was too much. I mean, I wasn’t seeing it, but you know, still, we got to keep working on that and get through this.”

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes echoed Reid’s frustrations with the officials as he responded in his presser shortly afterward.

“Yeah, it’s wild to me,” Mahomes said. “I mean, when you go back and look at the tablet, and they’re both in the exact same spot, I don’t understand it. It’s hard; he’s playing great football, and he’s getting these penalties thrown on him. I know it’s hard to officiate.

“But I watched a lot of tape. And he’s no deeper than any other tackle in the league. I mean, there’s other guys that are even further back than he is. So it’s crazy to see, and hopefully, it kind of calms down as the season goes on. But I mean, he’s making adjustments, and it seems like even with his adjustments, they’re not good enough. I guess.”

Taylor has been penalized in each game this season as the Chiefs return to the national spotlight next Sunday night against the New York Jets.

Keys to the game for Chiefs’ Week 3 matchup vs. Bears

Check out @LazarczykLogan’s keys to a #Chiefs victory against the #Bears in Week 3.

After shutting down Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars offense last week, the Kansas City Chiefs are heavy favorites against the woeful Chicago Bears.

Chicago is 0-2, and it is easy to say that the Bears do not have a single strength in any area of the team. This should be a great get-right opportunity for the Chiefs’ offense, as the unit has struggled with consistency and explosive plays.

Here are the main factors at play in Kansas City’s Week 3 contest against Chicago.

Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor addresses false start miscues

#Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor addressed his controversial start to the 2023 season in comments to the media on Thursday.

Kansas City Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor has struggled through the first two weeks of the 2023 season. Though his penalties and miscues haven’t yet cost Kansas City a win, the attention he has garnered to this point in the Chiefs’ campaign is troubling.

When speaking with the media on Thursday, Taylor assessed his play and broke down his suboptimal showing in Week 2.

“[There have been] a lot of highs and lows, definitely,” Taylor explained. “Overall, I feel like my performance wasn’t too bad, but the penalties have to [be] cleaned up.”

Taylor was taken out of the game multiple times and gave some insight regarding Andy Reid’s decision to pull him.

“[He] just [gave me] a breather, just took me out for a couple of plays for a breather,” Taylor said. “[Then I] just [got] back in and [finished] the game.”

The 25-year-old has been more focused on fixing the issue during this week of practice with the coaching staff and extrapolated on his preparation for Kansas City’s Week 3 matchup against the Bears.

“Just been working on it this week to clean it up. Definitely know that’s a problem that needs to be fixed,” Taylor continued. “Good thing I have a great group of coaches around me to help me fix it. Just staying poised throughout the game and staying even-keeled, not letting it get the best of me. Definitely working to fix it.”

Despite Taylor’s struggles in week two, the Chiefs were able to find a way to defeat Jacksonville. Taylor acknowledged this point and was impressed with how the team carried itself without executing at a high level.

“Just [shows] our coaching, having a great group of coaches like that,” Taylor said. “They keep us up throughout the week and let us know things happen, but at the end of the day we just [have] to go out there and get a win. Everybody knows that, so I feel like everyone plays with great poise.”

The Chiefs have a favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears, which should be a great opportunity for Kansas City’s offense to get back on track.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes comments on OT Jawaan Taylor’s penalties vs. Jaguars

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes commented on Jawaan Taylor’s penalties against the #Jaguars after Kansas City’s Week 2 victory. | from: @EdEastonJr

Sunday’s victory for the Kansas City Chiefs was a much-needed team performance that relied on all facets of the game to get the job done. The game wasn’t smooth by any means as the defending champs committed various penalties that held them back, four from right tackle Jawaan Taylor alone.

The return to Jacksonville wasn’t memorable for Taylor, who played for the Jaguars to start his career before joining Kansas City this offseason. He’s been the focus of critics for his unique blocking alignment on the offensive line, forcing officials to pay extra attention to his movements. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes came to the defense of Taylor during Sunday’s post-game press conference.

“I mean, through social media, you knew that some of this was gonna get called, but he’s gonna get better,” Mahomes said. “They’re cracking down on some of the alignment stuff. But we’re playing football, man; he’ll get closer to the line of scrimmage.

“And I guess everyone else, but he’ll get closer so that they don’t call it and will continue to work the snap counts and stuff like that. But he’s a great player. He will continue to play, and he’ll get comfortable, and it’s hard, whatever. Kind of getting picked on a little bit to kind of still keep playing your game, but I have all the confidence in him in the world.”

Taylor will be forced to adjust his game before the Chiefs return to action next week against the Chicago Bears. He can appreciate that his teammates and Mahomes, in particular, have his back regarding the violations.

The Chiefs stunningly replaced prized free agent Jawaan Taylor in the middle of a drive

A string of penalties and frustrating play preceded Taylor’s curious absence — even if he came back one drive later.

This spring, the Kansas City Chiefs made a significant personnel change in front of Patrick Mahomes. Orlando Brown Jr. left in free agency. In his place came offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars, on a four-year, $80 million contract that made him one of the highest paid blockers in the NFL.

The move hasn’t worked out the way the Chiefs have hoped. Taylor earned just a 52.7 grade from Pro Football Focus in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions. In Week 2, with a return to Jacksonville and a chance to show out against his old team on the line, Taylor was even worse. He racked up four penalties in fewer than three quarters — then wound up conspicuously absent from the game for Kansas City’s next drive.

Two holds, an illegal formation and a false start cost the Chiefs 28 yards in an important showdown with the reigning AFC South champions. While it’s not a certainty Taylor’s removal was a direct outcome of his play, the cause and effect makes sense. The prized right tackle was seen on the sideline talking with offensive line coach Andy Heck before returning to the game one drive later.

Whether his removal was punitive or simply a reset won’t be cleared up until head coach Andy Reid’s postgame press conference, but it didn’t go unnoticed. Fans, analysts and veterans shared their concerns and criticism, 10 days after Taylor ignited another football argument with his penchant for lining up on the border of the line of scrimmage and backfield in order to slow the Lions’ pass rush.

5 Chiefs players who could cause problems for the Jaguars in Week 2

Here are five Chiefs players who could give the Jaguars trouble in Jacksonville’s Week 2 home opener:

The Kansas City Chiefs opened the season with a close one-point loss to the Detroit Lions in the first game of the year. The Jacksonville Jaguars, however, go into the game with a 1-0 record after defeating the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The Chiefs haven’t lost back-to-back games since Weeks 2 and 3 of 2021, but the Jaguars have the opportunity to end their streak.

Here are five Chiefs players who could give the Jaguars trouble in their Week 2 matchup:

Andy Reid comments on RT Jawaan Taylor’s pre-snap positioning

Andy Reid commented on Jawaan Taylor’s controversional pre-snap positioning during the #Chiefs’ media availability session on Monday.

Many fans were freaking out about Jawaan Taylor’s pre-snap positioning during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 1 loss against the Detroit Lions.

It’s a tendency that Taylor has displayed for years, but it’s only recently come under heavy scrutiny once the football world noticed it during the NFL’s kickoff game. Not only does Taylor tend to line up as far back as possible on the offensive line, but he’s also the first one to step back as the ball is snapped.

Many think this tendency should continually be penalized as an illegal formation and/or a false start, but some have chimed in saying it’s technically legal if the referee allows it. That includes Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who noted that it’s ultimately up to the ref on duty.

“Normally, you’re able to split the center’s hip there,” Reid said during Monday’s press conference. “The guys – you don’t want it to be a tell when you’re running or passing, you also have the officials there, they will normally help you out with that if you are too deep. They’ll give you a warning and you go with it. They do a good job with that.

“The guys are trying to get every advantage they can … that’s been one of the things tackles do. I mean, that’s been around for a long time and then you just have to make sure that you don’t take advantage of it and get yourself either too deep or leave off the snap too quick.”

Funny enough, Taylor was eventually penalized for a false start at the worst possible moment — on the Chiefs’ final drive as they attempted to take the lead.

Since it’s ultimately up to the ref, this tendency is likely something that won’t change for Taylor this season unless refs decide to crack down on it. So the football world will have to continue being annoyed every week when watching the Chiefs.

Josh Allen excited for battle with former teammate Jawaan Taylor

“He knows what we can do, we know what he can do.”

Josh Allen got his season started with a bang, recording three sacks against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. A Week 2 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs will be a little more personal, though.

Lined up across from him in the Jaguars’ home opener will be his former teammate, Jawaan Taylor, who left in free agency earlier this year to join the Chiefs on a four-year, $80 million deal. However, it won’t quite be the first time Allen and Taylor face each other as opponents.

“I’ve been dealing with Jawaan since college,” Allen said in a press conference Monday. “We’ve been having battles way back from Florida-Kentucky. Obviously, we get drafted together, so having those battles up there.

“I’m excited to play against him. Travon [Walker] is, as well. Travon has been going against him since last year, as well. He knows what we can do, we know what he can do. If we continue to do what we’re supposed to do, I think we’ll have a good opportunity to go win some rushes.”

During his last two years with the Kentucky Wildcats, Allen recorded a sack against Florida in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In the 2019 NFL draft, he and Taylor were the Jaguars’ first two picks.

Since then, the two have faced each other often on the practice field and they’ve trained together in the offseason in Orange Park, a suburb in southern Jacksonville.

Allen’s desire to show out in Week 2 goes a little beyond his matchup with his former teammate, though. Last year, in the Jaguars’ two losses against the Chiefs, he recorded just one quarterback hit.

“It’s a little personal for me because the last two times we played them last year, I wasn’t at my best,” Allen said. “For me, it’s personal but at the end of the day, I got a job to do and for me to be where I need to be, I also need to know what I’m doing out there. The film study and the preparation takes a full hand. If I continue to do that and continue to practice well, everything else is going to take care of itself and that’s what I want to be more consistent on.”

Allen lined up against the Colts’ right tackle on 40 of his 57 defensive snaps in Week 1.

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Aidan Hutchinson film review from the Lions win over the Kansas City Chiefs

Hutchinson had a great game in Week 1 and Lions Wire’s Russell Brown breaks down the game tape

When the Detroit Lions held the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, there was very little belief that the Lions were going to draft Aidan Hutchinson. Many thought he should have been the first overall pick. Meanwhile, as went into the opening night of the draft, there was a lot of speculation that Kayvon Thibodeaux was going to be the Lions selection.

That all changed when the Lions were chomping at the bit to get a player that felt would be an immediate impact player for their defense. When you watch Hutchinson at Michigan or throughout his 18-game career, all signs point to him being a Dan Campbell type of player. He fit exactly what the Lions were looking for in a defender and overall player.

While Hutchinson had a terrific rookie season with three interceptions and 9.5 sacks, there are many analysts who believe he will take a massive step forward in 2023. In the Detroit Lions win over the Kansas City Chiefs to start the 2023 season, it felt like he did just that.

Even though he didn’t load the stat sheet with tackles for loss, sacks or interceptions, he ensured that his presence would be felt whenever Patrick Mahomes dropped back to pass. Against the Chiefs on Thursday night, Hutchinson had four total tackles, three quarterback hits and four hurries. In total, he had 7 quarterback pressures. Let’s jump into the tape and look at some of the top pass-rushes from Hutchinson in the Lions win over the Chiefs!

Starting with the play above, the Lions defense shows 8 players in the box for the Chiefs condensed set out of 11 personnel (one tight end and one running back). For Hutchinson, he’s aligned in a 4-technique while being head up on the right tackle. Once the ball is snapped, Hutchinson attacks the outside shoulder of the right guard and then quickly swipes the arms of the guard while trying to rip through.

While Hutchinson continues to drive his feet to the quarterback, the guard has no choice but let Mahomes get sacked or get called for holding. Obviously, holding gets called and it forces the Chiefs offense to move back 10 yards.

Moving onto the next play, we’ll see Hutchinson aligned as a 7-technique. Using nothing but pure speed, he’s able to get deep into the backfield and it forces Patrick Mahomes to throw off his back foot. With how Hutchinson sets the edge with his size and speed, Mahomes has to make a decision quickly and isn’t able to roll out and extend plays like he normally does. All of this forces an incompletion.

Finishing up with the last play, we’ll see Hutchinson aligned as a 5-technique off the right tackle. While the Chiefs run a variation of split-zone off play-action, the tight end (Chiefs TE 83) is forced to try and get down the line and block Hutchinson. While that’s a tough task, he does slow Hutch down enough to not get the sack. However, Hutchinson does a great job hitting the tight end with a push-pull and rip move to force Mahomes back into the pocket to quickly get rid of the ball.

All together, the Lions have seen nothing but great things from their former second overall pick. There’s potential for Hutchinson to find himself in the elite category of edge rushers this season. With strong performances like the one he had against the Chiefs, Hutchinson should easily find himself in that category. Most importantly, the Lions should find themselves with a much improved defense for this season and the future.