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While the Kansas City Chiefs had their offensive struggles last season, they still boasted one of the most successful offenses in the league. They ranked fourth in the league in points scored, improving from their sixth-place ranking in 2020. One of the reasons for that improvement was the team’s success in goal-to-go situations.
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Chiefs were the No. 3 team in the NFL in goal-to-go efficiency last season. What exactly does that mean? It means that once they got inside of the 10-yard line, they were one of the likeliest teams to turn that opportunity into points.
most productive teams in goal-to-go:
1. TEN
2. DAL
3. KC
4. SEA
5. CLE
6. MIA
7. NE
8. TB, BUF, PIT (tie)
11. GB
12. HOU
13. SF
14. CAR
15. LAR, BAL, DET
18. CIN
19. MIN
20. IND
21. NYG
22. LV
23. LAC
24. PHI
25. JAX
26. WAS
27. DEN
28. NYJ
29. ARI
30. NO
31. ATL
32. CHI— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 3, 2022
Will this goal-to-go success change for Kansas City in 2022, though? The team has undergone some drastic changes on the offensive side of the ball, losing key contributors such as Tyreek Hill, Darrel Williams, Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson in free agency.
Williams led the team in goal-to-go carries last season, with 20 from inside the 10-yard line. Six of those carries resulted in touchdowns, which was tied for the eighth-most in the league. Hill was targeted nine times within the 10-yard line, resulting in six receptions for six touchdowns as well. Those two pieces alone account for 72 points scored in goal-to-go situations in 2021.
On the flip side, Kansas City still has Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the fold. Kelce caught 9-of-9 possible passes in goal-to-go situations resulting in six touchdowns. Hardman caught 3-of-7 for two touchdowns. Edwards-Helaire carried the ball within the 10-yard line seven times, resulting in four rushing touchdowns. The team also added Ronald Jones, who had nine carries in goal-to-go situations resulting in four touchdowns. JuJu Smith-Schuster, while injured most of 2021, should help in this area in 2022. In the 2020 NFL season, he tied for the ninth-most receptions in the league in goal-to-go situations, recording six total touchdowns on seven catches.
Even with the holdovers and the additions the team made, Kansas City will have to make up some ground in goal-to-go situations to maintain their recent level of success.
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