With his offense mired in a slump, embattled Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy spoke with the media. With social media intent on blaming him for the dysfunction of the offense, he was very clear about what happened on Monday and what must happen next.
Let’s be painfully clear: Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy does not call the plays. That job belongs to Head Coach Andy Reid. That’s always been the case since he was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Twice in the last four years, Reid has guided Kansas City to a pair of Super Bowl wins. Reid has steadfastly said he can solve the offense this season, his biggest challenge with Patrick Mahomes. However, that might be easier said than done.
So, what about Nagy? How does he fit within the course correction needed before the playoffs begin in three weeks?
As most fans will tell you, losing to the Las Vegas Raiders 20-14 and gifting them fourteen points in back-to-back offensive snaps raises many eyebrows about the merit of the Reid and Nagy combination.
We know Reid has the final say, but he’s a master at repeating the same things about doing a better job as a head coach; we are inches away from fixing everything for fans that gets old. We have no idea whether Reid, Nagy, or Mahomes can fix the offense by Sunday when they face the Cincinnati Bengals.
When asked about Monday’s offensive performance against the Raiders, even Nagy agreed it was a low point this season.
“It was. You can’t run from that. That was not a good performance by any of us on offense — coaches and players. We have to accept that. I think we have, and you got to use that. Now, what are you going to do about it?”, Nagy said.
At least he’s honest!
The 2023 offense is the worst I’ve seen in Kansas City since the Steve Bono days. It’s a complete mess, and even the most ardent Chiefs fan understands, at this stage of the regular season, it’s a coin flip. Mahomes can fix their woes.
Still, Nagy is the OC, on paper or otherwise, and has input in play calling, formations, and groupings. However, this year as the OC, he spends less time with Mahomes than last year as the QB coach. That’s not insignificant. He often course-corrected Mahomes when his mechanics found him drifting side to side or falling backward when he threw the football. At his best last season, Mahomes stepped up in the pocket in critical moments to extend drives or score points.
The receiving group gets a lot of flak, but Nagy must get Mahomes to stand taller in the pocket and not bail out the progressions. We say that like it’s easy, but it’s not.
Mahomes gets paid to make the impossible possible. He’s paid to make plays no other quarterback in the NFL can make. Further, not only do the fans expect continued excellence, but Mahomes does as well.
Still, his offensive line hasn’t done him any favors, and the lack of playmaking at the wide receiver position forces Mahomes to make up for missed opportunities with attempts to make the big play.
Instead, he must keep throwing the check-down routes to extend drives. Doing so will give the offense some confidence that they can sustain drives. It will also force defenses out of certain zone coverages.
Reid and Nagy must accept the days of big plays that have fueled this offense in the last five years are gone until General Manager Brett Veach can rebuild the offense in Mahomes’s image.
Listening to Nagy today, everyone understands that wrapping up the AFC West against the Bengals is all that matters now. If the Chiefs lose and either the Denver Broncos or Las Vegas Raiders win on Sunday, Kansas City won’t be able to rest their starters in the season finale in Los Angeles against the Chargers.
Injuries and weary bodies are hampering the focus of this football team right now. Key players are on the sidelines, and many are on the offensive side of the ball.
Winning Sunday stops the bleeding and will help the bumps and bruises heal before the Wild Card round game.
To make that happen, Nagy must stress the fundamentals and implore his offense to pay attention to details. That means two other things as well.
One, he must rely on his defense to get the ball into the hands of Mahomes. Secondly, when that happens, they score touchdowns, not field goals.
If Nagy can force Mahomes to take what the defense gives him every snap, then perhaps their chances for a deep playoff run aren’t out of the question.
