Patrick Mahomes Playing at ELITE Levels But Chiefs Coaching Staff is NOT Maximizing his game

Patrick Mahomes Playing at ELITE Levels But Chiefs Coaching Staff is NOT Maximizing his game

The Chiefs are limping into the buy, but they have a chance to take it up a few notches and make a postseason run for that Super Bowl today on Locked on Chiefs from the land of the free and the home of the Chiefs. This is the Locked On Chiefs podcast. Welcome back, Chiefs Kingdom. Thanks for making us your first listen today here on Locked On Chiefs, your daily podcast for the Kansas City Chiefs. We are part of the Lockdown podcast network, your team every single day and we appreciate you being here. You everydayers are here all the time making us your first listen. We very much appreciate that. Check out another lockdown show for your next listen. I’m Ryan Tracy, founder of Rogue Analytics, where we run down the draft, everything metric-wise, physiologically that can contribute to a team making a roster that makes themselves available for the postseason, just like the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to do. Today, we are going to go over how they do that. As they go into the buy coming off the Buffalo Bills loss, they have a couple of options that they need to execute. a help Patrick Mahomes be the absolute best player that he can be even though he’s been very good to this point. You got to take the running back punch up a little bit. That’s coming up later. And what is the Josh Simmons offensive line ready to produce in the second half? That’s all today. We appreciate you being here. If you don’t know me, I’ve run this show for nine years now along with my partner Chris Clark. And I have covered this team, the Kansas City Chiefs, for over 15 years in a number of outlets, including my own, which are RGR football, where we run down film and the inside angles on the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL33.com, where you get my takes on league matters and team building across the entire league and all 32 teams. I appreciate you checking those out as well. Today, what can they do? as I get to ride solo for a little bit today. That’s always a good time for me because it all comes back for me to the number one thing, making sure that you are protecting and enhancing and helping the quarterback rise to as much or as good as he can be. And let’s be honest, Patrick Mahomes has been very, very good so far this season. Right now, as it stands, he is in third place, uh, with a little bit of a drop off in yardage for the season, making that something that he can kind of hang his hat on, which you would hope that he’s going to continue to. Uh, Justin Herbert still leading the league, but Patrick Mahomes has seen a return to the output that he had a couple of years ago. In fact, in terms of completion percentage, in terms of average depth of target, uh all kinds of stats are leading to the conclusion that Patrick Mahomes is ahead of pace of what he’s been for the last two entire seasons, both 2023 and 2024. And you know how both of those seasons ended? Yes. In Super Bowls. So there is a lot a lot to come away with that while he has made a lot of transitions there’s still room to grow. Now one thing that he is doing very very well is he is ahead of pace for the last everything but the 2022 season was the last time he was on this pace for his touchdown to interception ratio. He’s at 17 to5 right now. Last year finished 26 to1 11. So very much ahead of that and I think that’s really what tells you about how he’s going about the game. We can even understand that a couple of those turnovers and another one or two near turnovers were possible this season because of uh a couple of things Patrick is working on. One, delivering the ball where Travis Kelce can can make sure to reel it in. Two, interceptions of those five have come off of tips. You got to just make sure that you’re getting him your chest open a little bit too so that he can lead you there. So that he can actually deliver the ball where it needs to be. That will help. The other thing is setting. What we’re going to talk about is his pocket presence so that he can calm down. There’s been a very big roller coaster up and down and depending on what the offensive line is in front of him has made a big difference in where he’s at comfortwise. Now, having wide receivers that uh that are in and out of the mix as well definitely affects that. But on two occasions, Patrick Mahomes has either thrown an interception or near interception on a play where he was distracted by other things where he didn’t see a player in the path that he was about to throw the ball. Part of that is double-checking, triple-checking alignment of not just the defense, but of his own players. And the realization is that you have to have continued effort by all of the past catchers. Now, we’ve seen a lot of efficiency out of guys like Juju Smith Schustster, Taekquin Thornton being that stretch element, being able to raise their games to go downfield. Travis Kelce at this point still leads the team in receiving yards at 540. I know that doesn’t sound like what you expected, but it is there at 6.7 per uh reception. And the guy that’s doing the dirty work in terms of catching first downs other than Travis Kelce is Hollywood Brown. Neither of those guys have been the focal point of this offense. I would argue that when we’ve seen the Chiefs be at their most efficient and their most ruthless, it has been when focusing on Xavier Worthy and Rasheed Rice after his return. Now, Rasheed has come back in only a couple of games and gotten off to a very, very hot starter, 215 yards already and a reception percentage of 77%. That is a great clip. Only Juju Smith Schustster is eclipsing him right now. Uh, as he and Travis Kelce are right within less than half of a percent of each other. So, there is a lot coming down the pike there. Now, what that also allows you to do is spread the ball around. So, how can they help Mahomes? It is making yourself more available. It is winning routes early and that is on the players themselves. The execution of the get off of the release handwork. I think that’s something that they also need to double down on and take a step back really increase their efforts as they go into the second half of this season with seven games remaining. I also think that this is a task for the coaching staff. I think at times they’ve been too narrow-minded um blinders on just trying to do the bare minimum to give him options and targets. They are I still think lacking some in terms of the way that they build route combinations to allow him to have outlets. We saw against the Bills and we’ve seen earlier in the season where if routes are not available over the intermediate and the deeper areas that he is not able to have enough comeback routes at enough levels to get himself out of trouble where he feels he has to take it on himself to run around to make those crazy plays those no look plays. When you look at his scatter map what really becomes very very evident is it’s those areas closer into the hash. It’s not on the margins where he’s making the biggest plays. And quite frankly, when looking down the field to his slight left at that area between 10 and 20 yards, that’s where Patrick Mahomes is absolutely elite this season. They have to double down on that. It is not the super deep routes. It’s getting that depth to that 10. The next best places that he is in terms of efficiency and getting yards of completions is behind the line of scrimmage, but screen game. don’t really want to emphasize that, but those low drags and the rest of it also comes into play. It’s those three levels that you want to keep at allowing yourself to take shots, but that’s on the staff to continue to design plays and route combinations that allow Patrick to not just dissect whether it’s man or zone, but what that zone is, where players are going, and have options around him so that he can go wherever he needs to go and not feel like he has to put it on himself. The rest of this season, it’s going to be a little bit more about the rest of the team and hopefully less about Patrick Mahomes if everything goes to plan, but they need more. They need somebody to step up after the trade deadline pass with no acquisition at the running back position. Somebody’s got to come out and make a punch at it. And I think I know exactly who that should be. Coming up next, you know the saying, look good, feel good. The problem is most dress clothes only check one of those boxes. They look sharp but feel stiff, hot or high maintenance. 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And unfortunately with the way that this team is built, the offense is the focal point. It is going to remain that. The passing game is going to remain that. But they have to get punch from the run game. And this is the situation. Bred Feast was unable to come to an agreement to make a trade for Bree Hall uh from the Jets as that uh franchise is selling off every commodity could possibly find except for Garrett Wilson Breeall. Uh and unfortunately that’s the only move that we know there wasn’t an attempt to make. I do believe there were a couple of other conversations that I don’t know if they resulted in an offer. So in the cap situation that the Kansas City Chiefs are in, Brett Vch made an attempt and I appreciate him for that. It wasn’t able to get done. So you have to make the soup with the ingredients that you have and that includes Isaiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Elijah Mitchell for some unknown reason is still on this roster and at this point you have to ask him to participate and contribute because Isaiah Pacheco is not 100% healthy. We’ll hope that after the by-week he’s able to return and be consistent, but there is a possibility he could be week to week. And quite frankly, once he gets hurt in a season, uh it is a little bit difficult for him to stay consistently on the field. So, the other aspect that you have to control with that is when Isaiah Pachco is out, the emphasis gets put on Kareem Hunt. We saw that last season to the point that Kareem Hunt was in a position to get fairly run down, hit his season wall a little bit earlier than we expect. I think part of what we’ve seen to this point through the first nine games has been a controlled chaos approach to limiting and not overloading Kareem Hunt and his carries and his touches and the volume of work, especially now that Kareem’s role has evolved into that short yardage back. He’s always been good at it, but now it seems to be um the only person they trust in that situation and and that’s fine. That’s a good role to have and it’s a great asset to have, but you can’t let it overpower everything else that you need him to do. Now, Elijah Mitchell is a mystery. We’ll find out if he gets a little bit more wear if he does dress again. He was inactive uh yet still on the roster. There’s an answer here that they have to there’s actually an answer and a half that they have to pursue and that is one Bashard Smith. We’ve been talking about it for quite a while and you’ve seen glintes, but I do feel that the coaching staff has to not only make the adjustment that they continue to run the ball even when it’s not effective, but certainly for the balance of the offense in order to help Patrick Mahomes, in order to help the offensive line, which we’ll talk about here in a little bit, and in order to help the passing game, the run game has to be there. I think what we’ve seen from Bashard Smith has been eye opening at times and has certainly been encouraging as to what he can become. I think that that leaves an option there that you can put him in more and start to pepper him in. And I do think that is part of the plan in that for the rookie in particular, uh, it’s been a little bit hit or miss. Pepper him in, give him a little bit more each week. That didn’t quite come to fruition against the Buffalo Bills. So you have to look at it against Denver. Denver wants to run the ball on you. The Indianapolis Colts are going to want to run the ball on you. So time of possession becomes a thing. The Chiefs fell in their defensive categories thanks to our friends uh over at True Media to eighth in allowed time of possession to their opponents with the Buffalo Bills who made a concerted effort to keep the ball away from them. I expect that treatment for the rest of this season from every opponent that they have. So getting Rashard Smith into the offense more from the running back position is key. And I think what you have to do is continue to allow him to run at times in between the tackles, but you have to emphasize what he’s best at. And that is getting him to the edges. I would like to see him run counter. It’s been effective for Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt at times. I think his speed would make it more effective in that counter action. getting backward flow from those linebackers is something that he can get to the opposite edge and I think really have a chance to turn it up field and make some big chunk plays. The other thing are the toss game. Uh we’ve seen a little bit to the short side of the field out of the shotgun. That toss play I thought was just an inkling of what Bashard Smith can bring to this offense. If you can use him more effectively and maybe it comes down to platooning whether it’s a drive for him and a drive for Hunt, etc. rather than this mixing in by matchup. I think that that gets him in a rhythm a little bit more. And for a rookie, I do think that that is more important uh at the running back position than most. So that rhythm can be achieved. And then you’re you’re allowing him to get the feel for the game a little bit quicker. Now, there’s also another option that I would like to augment with everyone that’s at the tailback position, and that is using Carson. Carson Steel is here on this roster for a reason to be the fullback. He’s not gotten action this season and I know that he’s got some carry issues. Uh had a couple of fumbles last season, but Andy Reid likes to have a fullback. He just isn’t using it this season. And I do think as we get into the colder weather games, having the running back on the field that can actually block like you saw Kareem Hunt do last week and be a lead blocker. I think that is part of this game that could work as well. And it’s not just because I like Carson Steel and I do like the the game that he brings, but I think mechanically and for the the offensive firepower to get more punch out of the running back position, you have to be a little bit more physical. And whether that means augmenting the offensive line like we’ll go into. That’s one thing. But the other way to do it is to get a lead blocker out there, a guy that will go mash a linebacker into the ground for you so you can cut off of him and get to the end zone. That’s what the punch needs to be. And that combination of speed from Bashard Smith and an additional blocking up front. Something that takes the toll on the defense, I think, is part of the formula for this team to take their offense to the next level and get back to a consistent juggernaut that teams have to try to keep up with every week. That’s how they get a chance to run the table. That’s how they get a chance to to go back towards winning the AFC West. And that’s how they get a chance to put themselves in position to compete for a chance to return to that Super Bowl and try to win it yet again. To do all that, all these aspects hinge on one group of players and they’re all up front and they all need to come together as a unit. The offensive line with Josh Simmons is an improvement they have to double down on. That’s next. NFL season is back and honestly there’s nothing better than being in the stadium surrounded by your fans cheering on your team. But let’s be honest, getting tickets is a hassle. Between cues, login screens, prices jumping, and checkout, it’s frustrating. And that’s why I use Game Time, the app that gives the advantage back to the fans. Game time makes it fast, easy, and they’re backed by the Game Time guarantee. You’ll always get 100% authentic tickets delivered on time and at the best price. Plus, all the fees are included. So, the price you see is the price that you pay. I pull up Game Time and just a couple of taps, I can see amazing deals. Find my section that I really like in the corner of the end zone. And I’m talking about all of the Chiefs games, the NFL games that you’re looking for. Some as low as $100. You got to get on that action. And this is how you do it. 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Got out there and quite frankly outplayed all expectations for him. If you look at the pass rush grades and the pressures allowed, he is right up there with the elites of this team. Now, the only offensive lineman uh that with significant starting time that has not allowed a sack is Creed Humphrey uh with just three pressures allowed on the season. He is this team’s far and away leader. But both Trey Smith, Josh Simmons, as well as Jawan Taylor and Kingsley Su Matia per PFF have only allowed one sack a piece. Kingsley only one hit on the quarterback. better than Trey Smith, better than Jawan Taylor by a long shot, better than Kingsley Suamatia. So stepping into the role and being able to knock down the contacts on the quarterback has been a significant change. And I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that as Josh has been uh out uh the last four weeks uh five weeks in terms of the way that the offensive line has settled. I think it is part of what we saw from Patrick Mahomes against the Bills being a little bit rushed at times being quite not quite so comfortable in that pocket. I think that all changes with Josh Simmons. They have to double down. The question is, is he able to just walk back in the building and start back fresh uh from whatever u the the matter was that kept him away from the team, which we still do not have clarity on. If that’s the case, it makes Kingsley Suati better. And I think Kingsley is very much, despite being the player that’s allowed the most total pressures on this team, uh on the starting offensive line, he is very much on the upswing. And I think he is growing into this guard role with great abandon and he has the upside to be a Pro Bowl level if not better left guard in this league. It’s very hard to follow in the footsteps specifically at this position when Joe Tuni uh was so elite at it for so long. But Kingsley Sumanti is making an identical gigantic leap into this second season and that has been partially fostered by the fact that Josh Simmons has been so good on the outside. Now the thing that Josh Simmons return does change is it also allows you to be a little bit more bulletproof. Uh right now as we saw the uh injury to Jawan Taylor, he now has both a lingering knee issue that he had since last season and now he’s got an ankle issue, especially a high ankle sprain in an offensive lineman and always difficult to both monitor as well as predict how he’s going to react. So we don’t know that we’ll have Jawan Taylor back here uh after the by-week. Hopefully the rest is enough and we’d love to see that. if not uh Jaylen Moore has allowed the the most sacks on this offensive line of the starters with significant time uh in three, but that’s still a market improvement from what we’ve had the last couple of seasons at left tackle. Now, the possibility is if Josh is ready to go and can step back into that that left tackle spot, you can move Jaylen Moore over to the right tackle spot. And I think that’s the beauty of having a well- paid, not exorbitantly played, but a a well- paid backup tackle that can play on both sides. And I’m comfortable with that. I think if you do that, this becomes the lineup of Josh Simmons. He is the telltale because the strength of the offensive line then shifts to the left hand side even though you still have Creed in the middle. Now, that’s not a slight against Trey Smith. Trey Smith has has a back issue. I don’t know that he’s 100% and he’s probably not playing up to his normal level for the last couple of seasons. He is still an elite level player and so I think depending on what you can get out of the right tackle combination of Moore and Taylor, you can see that balance back out. Either way, it’s a big step above what we’ve seen in these first nine games is drastically better play on the offensive line as a whole than we’ve seen the last two years, which coincidentally were the down years of Patrick Mahomes’s production. Not what he’s able to do in terms of the physicality of his game, but the numbers he was able to produce. So when we go back to that and you take a look at average uh yards per attempt uh down he’s in the last two seasons now it’s popped back up even with 21 and nearly uh approaching 2022 uh EPA coming along as well and I know you can’t judge an offensive line by the quarterback’s output but when they do correlate and they rise together it is indicative of them playing as a unit that is terribly important to has to happen for the next run and that is through the AFC West and with a couple of challenges from outside the division here in this last lineup. You have a good offense in Dallas. You have a good all-around team in Indianapolis that are challenged on top of having to run the table on the AFC West. Now, they can lose games and not get the number one seed, still be a playoff team as long as they sweep the AFC West. That’s a tall order. Broncos defense is significant. Have to go back to the Chargers. You do have that game against the Raiders that you have to feel like you have that in in very strong order, but it starts right off the bat with Denver and we’re going to start looking at that next week easily. But that is the situation they’re in. And I do feel with those pass rushers in particular in Denver, having Josh Simmons back is the key to getting not just one, but two wins against them and going after that sweep and setting up another division title, which would be legendary at this point. They also have to have help from the defense, and that’s what I’m going to run down tomorrow. How do they elevate what they’ve done at this point to make it not only more impactful, but more consistent? Those are the two things that they need on defense. And I’m going to run all that down for you tomorrow. I appreciate you being here. Thank you for taking your time and spending it with me today, especially when I get to do a solo show. You don’t always get those. So, I hope that you enjoyed it. Make sure you like and sub and join with us and the everydayers that are here every day all the time to make sure we are up to date on everything going on with the Kansas City Chiefs. I will talk to you.

Kansas City Chiefs face a critical bye week after their loss to Buffalo. Can Patrick Mahomes and the offense find their championship rhythm in time for a brutal second-half schedule?

Ryan Tracy breaks down three keys to the Chiefs’ playoff push: maximizing Mahomes’ elite 10-20 yard throwing zones through better route design, solving the running back rotation with increased usage of Kareem Hunt and fullback Carson Steele, and leveraging Josh Simmons’ return to fortify an offensive line that’s been dominant when healthy. The analysis covers Travis Kelce’s evolving role, Xavier Worthy’s explosive potential, and why sweeping the AFC West—including two matchups against Denver’s formidable defense—remains the clearest path to another division title. With detailed statistics from PFF and True Media, Tracy reveals how the Chiefs can transform from inconsistent to unstoppable.

Discover the tactical adjustments that could define Kansas City’s three-peat aspirations and whether Brett Veach’s roster has enough firepower for another championship run.

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