KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Toting a 2-3 record and a bruised ego to boot, Kansas City must rewire itself headed into a pivotal early-season crossroads.
Mimicking a strategy deployed by the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, opposing teams are forcing a new challenge on Patrick Mahomes and company: be patient.
“Sometimes you gotta pump the brakes a little bit and just take what's given,” Andy Reid told reporters on a soggy Monday afternoon after his team was thoroughly dismantled by the Buffalo Bills in primetime.
Reid said opponents have begun playing more zone defense against the Chiefs and less man; forcing Kansas City to play mistake-free football and march the ball down the field.
“They're making [us] kind of work your way down the field...we're putting these drives together, or having hiccups within the drive where you're having turnovers or penalties and those things. They kill you,” Reid continued.
Kansas City’s 11 turnovers are tied for the league lead through five weeks. Typically spectacular Patrick Mahomes has tossed six interceptions so far, matching his season total from 2020.
Reid on Mahomes' interceptions: "There's a time and a place when you need to pull back and take what's given."
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladd0) October 11, 2021
Entering week five, Kansas City had the fewest number of possessions in the league.
“You got to play better than what we did,” Reid finished.
For a team that often makes the unordinary seem mundate, a return to the basics could be just what the doctor ordered.
