Accept it or not! The Kansas City Chiefs’s offensive problems finally got them in trouble. The Super Bowl LIX massive loss is the biggest proof of that. How? The Philadelphia Eagles’s front four dominated Andy Reid’s team from start to finish. Patrick Mahomes never had a chance. The pressure was relentless, collapsing the pocket every time he dropped back. So, to be honest, the bitter truth is – the defeat of the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX was of utmost importance for the franchise itself. At least this made them realize that you can’t survive throughout the season with such an offense. This is what a couple of analysts think as well, including Andrew Whitworth, who also has an important demand from the HC.
NFL legend Andrew Whitworth, who played as a tackle for 16 seasons in the league, weighed in on the Chiefs’ situation during The Rich Eisen Show on Monday. When asked about Andy Reid’s offseason strategy, he made observations that hold true for the franchise as they aim to continue their legacy in the league.
During the discussion, Whitworth expressed, “It’s going to be interesting to see what they (Chiefs) really decided to do with the offensive line. I mean obviously, at the tackle position you know over the last couple years they’ve had some up and down play there. You know their young pick didn’t really work out at the beginning of the season. Then it was kind of to find out who can play left tackle and I was concerned with Joe Thuney, continuing to have to be the left tackle just because of a game like that.” He is correct. The Chiefs’ tackles struggled throughout the season.
Particularly, the left tackles of Andy Reid’s team struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes’s blind side. As a result, it threatened the Chiefs’ offense, leading them to perform at a low level. So, they came up with a solution. The HC brought All-Pro left guard Thuney a few feet over to tackle and helped plug that hole. That was an interesting and smart move! But when we look at it with a magnifying glass, we understand another issue with the team. The issue was the Chiefs’s offense became weak as they weren’t able to protect Mahomes from all sides.
Andy Reid’s temporary solution to protect Mahomes’s blind side failed miserably. That’s what Whitworth felt, as he emphasized that moving Thuney as the left tackle wasn’t ideal, and it showed in the game. He is one of the best guards in the league, but moving him weakened the interior, making it easier for a dominant defensive front to take over. So, now the Chiefs will have to figure things out. Can their young tackle step up? Do they shift Jawaan Taylor to left tackle and find a new right tackle. Something has to change. Because it has somewhat happened twice with the Red Team.
Whitworth compared this Super Bowl loss with that from the Buccaneers in 2021, where missing the tackles cost them the game as they lost Super Bowl LV 9-31. It’s the same issue now. Even NFL legend Julian Edelman too pointed out this: “It was a little similar to the last time the Chiefs lost in the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes had a lot of pressure by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.” In that game, both the tackles of Andy Reid’s team were injured just before the Super Bowl. Hence, the analyst too thinks, “So, when they protect Mahomes, they are a really tough team to beat and so that’s got to be their top priority right now.” The priority is to protect Mahomes and build their offensive line, especially the tackle positions. Until then, Reid is fixing things in his defense team.
Andy Reid might have to make a tough decision!
After the Super Bowl heartbreak, Andy Reid’s Chiefs are regrouping and making some tough calls this offseason. One of the biggest might be Justin Reid’s exit from the team. According to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, “As I’ve told you, go ahead and salute Justin Reid, I don’t think that’s going to change. Yes, salute him, he’s gone. Don’t look back, it’s not happening. I don’t want to say these things definitively, but that’s pretty much what I’ve surmised.” The safety’s contract is up, and from the way things look, he won’t be returning.
Why? Well, it’s true that Justin Reid recorded good stats to his NFL resume—87 tackles, nine pass deflections and two interceptions in 16 games. But the issue here is his $14.2 million cap hit. As per Spotrac, the player will land $15.5 million per year in free agency. And that’s a price which Andy Reid’s team might not want to pay at the moment. So, what’s next?
Fourth-round pick Jaden Hicks is waiting in the wings, but the Chiefs will need more depth. Finding a strong, affordable safety has just become a top priority for Andy Reid’s team. Just like the tackles and offensive line overall.
The post NFL Legend’s ‘Top’ Offensive Demand for Andy Reid as Chiefs Plan to Ditch Justin Reid appeared first on EssentiallySports.
