Not being able to close out games will come back to bite the KC Chiefs

If there’s anything that’s going to stop the KC Chiefs from running it back this season, it’s the fact that they can’t close out games.

Not every game is going to be a blowout, but the Kansas City Chiefs have struggled when it comes to trying to put their opponents away. Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers proved this point greatly, as the Chiefs zoomed to a 17-0 lead and were then outscored 24-10 after taking that commanding lead.

One of the biggest complaints with Andy Reid’s style of coaching is that he’s always struggled with stepping on the opponent’s throat and keeping the foot on the pedal. That leads to teams being able to close the gap, gain momentum, and make a game of it late.

The Chiefs won three of their first four games by double digits, but since then, things have been a bit trickier and fans are holding their collective breath in the final minutes. This wasn’t something that Chiefs fans really dealt with early on.

Part of the problem is that the defense hasn’t been playing well. They allowed the Jets to move the ball pretty easily in the first half (and then the Chiefs cruised in the second half), almost let the Panthers beat them in Week 9, let the Raiders offense (who scored six points against the Falcons) do whatever the heck they wanted, and again, allowed the Bucs to outscore them 24-10 in Sunday’s game.

The Chiefs had a chance to put the Bucs away early on Sunday but instead fumbled in the red zone and the Bucs went on to score. Mecole Hardman dropped what would have been an easy walk-in 80+ yard touchdown. Reid isn’t to blame for those things obviously, but it’d have been nice to see him dial up some plays after the fact to get KC back in a convincing lead.

It’s cheesy to say, but the KC Chiefs’ biggest opponent moving forward is themselves.

Sunday’s game was one that reminded me of the early Andy Reid in Kansas City games. The Chiefs get off to a roaring start, look like they’re going to win the game 50-0, but then — SURPRISE! The offense stops moving the ball due to poor playcalling and the defense suddenly melts down. Sounds like every Chiefs playoff loss ever, right?

This is my biggest worry with the Chiefs moving forward. Yes, their offense is explosive and can score from anywhere, but for whatever reason, Reid always gets conservative with the playcalling, and that allows the opposing teams to make it a tighter game than it needs to be. It’s beyond frustrating.

How worried are you about this, Chiefs Kingdom? Do you think the Chiefs not being able to close out games is going to continue to be this team’s Achilles Heel or do you have confidence that they’ll shake the rust off when the games matter more?