Although it was much better during the second half of Friday’s 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense looked far from efficient on its first few drives. Kansas City punted on its first three possessions, gaining only 28 total yards over a dozen plays.
But that inefficiency didn’t seem to be driven by the new players on the Chiefs’ offensive line.
Before the game, there had been much scrutiny of rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and second-year player Kingsley
Suamataia, who has taken over at left guard. While The two young players weren’t perfect, they did hold their own.
“I thought they did a good job,” Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy remarked to reporters on Thursday. “There were a couple plays here or there [that] you’d like to get back — whether it’s [from] communication or whether it’s just something that the defense did. Again, a few things here and there — which I think was probably expected. You just didn’t want [a mistake] to be a game-changer.”
Nonetheless, Nagy was willing to admit that uncertainty about his newly rebuilt pass protection may have affected quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ timing in some instances, making his throws less accurate.
“That’s part of life when you have some newer guys on that side,” noted the coordinator. “So these guys are going to keep growing — but I’m proud of [them].”
There was, however, one thing that did disrupt the offense: penalties. Simmons and veteran right tackle Jawaan Taylor were called for a total six penalties that moved the team back 40 yards.
Simmons’ errors can be attributed to playing in his first NFL game (on a different continent, at that) and some rust. He did, after all, miss most of his final season at Ohio State in 2024.
But penalties have plagued Taylor ever since he joined the Chiefs in 2023. And based on Nagy’s remarks, the team’s patience with him may be running out.
“The penalties?” asked Nagy. ”That can’t happen. So that’s where we’re at; we’ve made it loud and clear.
“Jawaan knows that. He understands it. It’s something that — especially in a moment like that, in that game, when things are a little bit off kilter, now, with the personnel. You start to move the ball, you have a couple [of] positive plays — and then, BOOM! A penalty. Or a second [penalty].
“So three penalties and a hold. [That’s] not good enough. He knows that — and there’s no one hiding from it; he’s not hiding from it. He understands what’s expected — and I think he’s ready for that challenge.“
Nagy has no patience for excuses about the inconsistency between the league’s officiating crews, which appear to have unique standards for when a false start — Taylor’s most frequent offense — should be called.
“The inconsistency part with the referees is probably subjective with how they do that,” admitted Nagy, “but what matters is whoever [the] ref is [in] that game.
“Whatever they’re calling, we’ve got to adjust to them. That’s our job as coaches: to let the players know. [But] then as a player, it’s your job to not do it. If they call it one time, the second time can’t happen.
“It’s as simple as that. It’s got to stop.”
It would help the offensive line settle in if the team had a stronger ground game. Against the Chargers, running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt only carried the ball five times each for a combined 41 yards. But Nagy implied that this had more to do with how the Los Angeles defense was playing than it did with Kansas City’s offensive plan.
“The simple, obvious answer,” said the coordinator, “is being able to be better when we run it. Whether it’s the scheme or the execution, you tie it together.
“[But] then, it’s a credit to their defense. They did a good job at some of the stuff that they wanted to do. Really, in football, in general, the more balanced you are — especially when you look at a team like Philadelphia — it’s always going to help.”
Nagy clearly hopes that the offense will have a more balanced approach on Sunday afternoon, when the Chiefs host the world champion Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of 2024’s NFL championship game. But also reminded his listeners that the flow of the game will largely determine what Kansas City is — and isn’t — able to do.
“If we’re throwing the ball well, we’ll stick with it,” he declared. “If we’re running it well, then there’s that balance of mixing the two. We want to be able to be more balanced when we can, but we also want to continue to trust each other — and use what’s best in that game.”
