On paper, nothing is really different in Kansas City. Andy Reid is prowling the sidelines. Patrick Mahomes is standing under center, and he’s throwing a good chunk of his passes toward Travis Kelce. And, despite playing postseason games on the road for the first time during this era of Chiefs football, the club has another Lamar Hunt Trophy to display at Arrowhead Stadium. Another Lombardi Trophy is at least on the table.
In the world of pro sports, that’s enough to write the storyline. The Chiefs have been good, and they’re still good. Mahomes, Kelce and Reid are the ones running the show. Nothing has materially changed, right?
Well, not exactly.
Think back to when this run of success started. Mahomes was throwing for 50 touchdowns and uncorking long passes on seemingly every series. With Tyreek Hill and Kelce, big plays were the name of the game. The victory in Super Bowl LIV, after all, wouldn’t have been possible without the 44-yard “Jet Chip Wasp” play.
Deon Bush #26 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with teammates following an interception during the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 28, 2024. The Chiefs defense has been… More KATHRYN RILEY/GETTY IMAGES
Remember, the 2023 season was defined by questions about the Chiefs’ receiving corps. With JuJu Smith-Schuster hitting free agency, someone had to step up beyond Kelce. That took some time to materialize, and there were plenty of penalties and dropped passes along the way.
For all of the hiccups, headlines and speculation that No. 87 was distracted by his high-profile relationship, the defending champs hung tough. And in the postseason that toughness has gone to another level.
But, again, this isn’t the Chiefs team of old. Mahomes has been more of a game-manager, which is usually a dirty term in football circles, throwing shorter passes and keeping the chains moving; there have been a few deeper passes, but they’ve been carefully chosen sports. The quarterback’s 7.0 yards per attempt in 2023 was the lowest mark of his career, and his intended air yards (which factors in incomplete passes) also slumped to .7 yards lower than ever before. He hasn’t forced things into bad sports or played hero ball, which must be tempting when you’re an all-world athlete.
The Chiefs have also run the ball, which isn’t what you associate with Andy Reid’s playbook. Isiah Pacheco deserves some credit there for seizing the starting job with both, but Reid is the one ensuring he gets touches.
And then there’s the defense. Even during this current run of success, things have been iffy on that side of the ball; the Chiefs had the 31st-ranked defense (by yards) in 2018 and sat at 27th in 2021. This year, though, the unit is standing tall. Steve Spagnuolo’s troops finished the regular season ranked second in both yards allowed and points surrendered. That strength has paid dividends in the postseason, limited Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in subsequent weeks.
When you’re talking about the likes of Mahomes and Kelce, there are usually a lot of impressive performances to focus on. Zooming out to the larger picture, though, there’s something to be said for the Chiefs’ collective ability to evolve. When No. 15 broke into the league, he torched defenses and won shootouts. Then opposing teams started dropping into deeper shell coverages, daring KC to dink and dunk down the field. Now, there’s a bit more pressure mixed in, and Mahomes is able to strike the right balance between playing within the system and producing magic within the key moments.
Even with his immense talent and Reid’s offensive genius, there’s been progression.
That’s what has allowed the AFC West club to keep competing, despite taking the NFL’s collective best shot. Extending players is expensive, especially when you have a handful of stars eating up a massive chunk of your salary cap. That’s where savvy signings and rookie contracts come into play.
It goes without saying that there will be challenges moving forward. The 2024 offseason, for example, will probably see Chris Jones leave town; resigning L’Jarius Sneed and adding a new receiver to the mix will most likely eat up most of the club’s cap space. Kelce is going to slow down at some point. Compromises will have to be made as young players like Creed Humphrey and Nick Bolton need extensions. The list goes on and on.
And while it’s easy to believe that having Mahomes under center will paper over any cracks, that’s a bit reductionist. The 2023 regular season, after all, showed us that even he couldn’t completely elevate a patchwork unit. It’s the evolution that’s truly impressive.
When you achieve success, it’s easy to think you have the answers. The Chiefs core, which includes Mahomes, Reid and general manager Brett Veach, hasn’t done that. The offense has evolved, becoming a largely steady unit that’s comfortable with matriculating the ball down the field, as Hank Stram famously quipped. But there’s also big-play potential and the creativity that can only come from Big Red.
Veach also deserves credit for striking the right balance and addressing areas of weakness. While it looked like he dropped the ball by failing to meaningfully strengthen the receiving corps, it’s tough to take issue with the strong young secondary he’s built. Rashee Rice is also looking like a better and better pick with each passing week.
While things may be a bit less exciting now, they are a bit more sustainable. When your offense is based on a speedster like Tyreek Hill stretching the defense, you have a single point of failure. There are still crucial cogs in the system—good luck replacing an injured Mahomes, for example—but things are a bit more balanced. Kelce and Rice can both make plays; Pacheco can also keep the chains moving. And when your defense is locking things down, there’s a bit more wiggle room for your offense.
Oh yeah, and Mahomes is a pretty good insurance policy, if you need a bit of magic in a big spot.
At this point, there’s no way of knowing what will happen in the Super Bowl. Trying to predict what happens next season and the season beyond is even tougher. But the Chiefs’ 2023 campaign proved that the club is able to evolve, and that bodes well for whatever the future might hold.