Kansas City Chiefs: First quarter report card for 2019
By Cullen Jekel
Just like that, the 2019 NFL season is already a quarter of the way done for the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. After four games, it’s time to hand out some grades.
For the rest of this article, I’ll take a look at Kansas City Chiefs ranging from Patrick Mahomes to Dustin Colquitt, grading each of them. I’ll also throw in the team’s head coach, Andy Reid, as well as the Chiefs three coordinators.
Let’s start with Big Red and his top lieutenants.
Reid & His Coordinators
. Head Coach. Kansas City Chiefs. ANDY REID. A+
Losing his top wide receiver in the first game? No problem. No top-flight running back? Okay. A bend-but-don’t-break defense? Sure. Starting left tackle goes down with an injury? Find a way.
The Chiefs have faced their share of adversity so far in 2019, but Reid has kept this team afloat and undefeated. He led them to a defeat of the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in Week 1 before leading the team to a comeback win in Week 2 in Oakland. Next, the Chiefs held on at home against the Baltimore Ravens before they won in rather dramatic fashion in Detroit in Week 4.
Reid’s doing a heck of a job leading the team as a whole and especially placing trust in his young gunslinger.
A. . Offensive Coordinator. Kansas City Chiefs. ERIC BIENIEMY
He may not call the plays, but this future head coach has the trust of both Reid and Mahomes. Under him, the Chiefs are second in the league in scoring at 33.8 points per game, second in yards at 474.8, and first in passing yards at 373 yards per game. The Chiefs’ 28 points in Week 2 in Oakland ranks as the team’s season low. Not shabby.
STEVE SPAGNUOLO. B-. . Defensive Coordinator. Kansas City Chiefs
Like I wrote under Reid, this is a bend-don’t-break defensive unit in its first year under Coach Spags. The Chiefs, with a slew of new faces on that side of the football, ranks 19th in points allowed (23.5) and 20th against the pass (258.8) but 30th in yards allowed (408.5) and 31st against the run (149.8).
DAVE TOUB. C. . Special Teams Coordinator. Kansas City Chiefs
The special teams unit has been rather sloppy so far this season. Kicker Harrison Butker has missed some kicks while the return teams haven’t fared too well, what with multiple fumbles and a bunch of holding calls. Thankfully, none of these miscues have come back to bite the Chiefs, but it would be a darn shame if a mistake from the unit run by Toub, in his seventh season in Kansas City, cost the team a victory down the line.