The Kansas City Chiefs have dropped under .500, and the media knives are out. You can find “end of a dynasty” stories almost everywhere these days, and for a variety of reasons at that.
But one reason that hasn’t been explored a lot is the decisions made by coach Andy Reid. The Chiefs fan base has been doing “in Andy we trust” for a long time now, and for good reason given the ongoing success.
It’s fair to question Reid’s ongoing acumen based on the results this year, though, especially after Kansas City’s devastating loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday night. Reid’s decisions were clearly part of the problem, not the solution, as he basically cost the Chiefs the game with his problematic fourth-down gambles.
These gambles are all the rage in the NFL these days, and they’re often based mostly on the analytics. But the Chiefs were locked in a defensive struggle with the Texans with the score tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter, and while a fourth-down gamble around midfield might have been justifiable, the decision that led to Houston’s game-winning touchdown was questionable at best.
Reid acknowledged his in his post-game comments, but he’s also waffled about his decision process. He said it was “wrong” to go for it on fourth-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, but in a follow-up piece written by Jesse Newell of The Athletic, he basically said he would make the same mistake the next day.
“I thought it was the right thing to do then,” Reid said Monday. “This is terrible to say in a situation like this because we didn’t win and we didn’t get that. But I would probably do that same thing again.”
This makes no sense, but that didn’t stop Reid from defending his decision.
“When you don’t get them, it can be a problem, especially when they’re in that field-goal-range area (for the opponent). Very aware of that,” Reid said. “But again, I thought the risk-reward was right for that time. It slapped me in the face, though. It didn’t go that way.”
This season has been full of slaps in the face for the Chiefs and their fan base, and it’s time for Reid to do a reality check. This isn’t the same team that used to convert on fourth down all the time, nor is it a team that can take risks against a team like the Texans with a defense that was dominant for most of the game.