The Kansas City Chiefs are enjoying an early-season bye week, sitting on a perfect 4-0 record. The only undefeated team remaining in the AFC, the Chiefs have one of the best offenses in the NFL and are currently third in the league with 1,648 yards of total offense.
Running back Kenneth Walker has breathed new life into the Chiefs’ offense and leads the NFL in rushing so far with 537 yards in the four-game stretch.
Walker has helped the Chiefs offense in dozens of ways, but even with his ability, the Chiefs have been inconsistent in short-yardage situations this season.
At times, third-and-fourth-and-short conversions have become automatic, but in recent weeks the Chiefs have struggled to convert.
Let’s review what’s working and what the team needs to improve.
The offense ranks 10th in the league in 4th down conversion percentage at 62.5%, while 12th in red-zone touchdown rate at 63.16%.
As many remember, the Chiefs led the league in 4th down conversion percentage last year at a whopping 75%, thanks in large part to Kareem Hunt’s dominant short-yardage season. The Chiefs were less efficient in the red zone, but they still finished 12th in the league with a 56.3% touchdown conversion rate once they entered the red zone.
The season is only a quarter old, but this appears to be an area where the Chiefs may have regressed early in the season in short-yardage-to-go situations.
A look at the tape shows that some adjustments could help the Chiefs improve as the season goes on.
On opening night, the Chiefs wasted no time launching a “jumbo” package on the first 4th-and-short.
From a full house set with an overloaded offensive line, the Chiefs needed just one yard. With nose tackle Khyiris Tonga lined up at fullback, the Chiefs went with their version of a dive play through the middle. Needing only one yard, Walker uses good vision to find an opening and sneak in for three yards and a first down.
On the ensuing fourth-and-short, the Broncos would try to take over the middle, but the Chiefs had a bigger play in mind.
The defense tries to pinch to clear the middle, but the Chiefs run power left and catch the Broncos on an inside slant, with the safeties collapsing.
A week later, the Chiefs will show some wrinkles in short yardage to keep defenses guessing.
To keep defenses respecting Tonga, the Chiefs have given him the ball a few times this season, and in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts, it worked perfectly as he burst forward and rode the offensive line’s momentum for a first down.
Later in the game, with the defense keyed in on Walker and Tonga, the Chiefs executed a good play-action look in the low red zone.
From jumbo look Tonga the fullback in an I-formation, the Chiefs have a play-action look. Jalen Royals lines up as a Y, as the Chiefs have shown in previous looks, but on the snap, he breaks loose and is wide open in the end zone.
In the first two weeks of the season, the Chiefs’ short yardage attack looked unstoppable, but in the last two weeks, it has struggled.
In Weeks 3 and 4, the Chiefs struggled to convert on fourth and short, and the issues started up front.
On fourth down, the Chiefs went to their jumbo set with Walker as the single back. On the snap, they run the power, and Walker tries to cut inside quickly, but he gets stuffed and falls for the first down. The defense penetrated the bottom of the offensive line, and Kansas City’s front was creating some push.
Walker had to make a quick decision and tried to cut it down the middle, but he couldn’t get through.
Last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs still struggled to convert on fourth down, and again the defense penetrated the front to hurt Walker.
The Chiefs went zone out with a full-house set and a jumbo offensive line.
Again, penetrating the B-gap causes a hold-up and halts momentum. Walker tried to navigate around it, but the Raiders linebackers quickly filled in and closed the hole to stop him before he could break free.
The Chiefs have all the talent to convert on fourth down at will, so the issues of the last two weeks are concerning, especially since they showed what they can do in the first two weeks of the season.
Converting on fourth and short is all about making a charge to the line and making the ball carrier make a quick decision. Penetration from the defensive front ruins looks and can change the outcome of the game.
So far, these issues haven’t affected the Chiefs’ win-loss record, but they should improve in this area moving forward.
The talent and play calls are there; the team just needs to execute at these critical moments.