A 5-0 start to their Super Bowl defense means the Chiefs fans would be satisfied with what they have seen so far. But that isn’t the case. The offensive play by Andy Reid’s side has left much to be desired so far, with the Chiefs having the fourth-worst red zone conversion. This has even led to Patrick Mahomes calling for some of the errors to be rectified and ahead of their game against the 49ers, a key part of their offense is under the scanner- the left tackle situation.

The Chiefs are coming off a bye week and despite their 100% winning start problems on their offense have led to questions around the team’s chances to achieve the 3-peat. Their recent outing against the Saints was another example of how their magic touch in the red zone has eluded them as they went 2-for-7. On top of it, inconsistency in the left tackle position has left Reid in a dilemma.

On Wednesday Andy Reid addressed the situation at that spot, citing a need for patience with the inexperienced options. Speaking to the press, the Chiefs HC said, “Listen, we’ve got young guys playing left tackle. That’s not a secret. It’s important that we just continue to progress there and get better. We know there are going to be some hiccups.” Well, what are the hiccups if one may dive into details?

Chiefs started the season with this year’s second-round draft pick Kingsley Suamataia in the LT position. He did well in the kickoff game against the Ravens but struggled in the Week 2 game against the Bengals and was pulled off during the win. From Week 3, Wanya Morris a third 2023 draft has filled in the position.

Morris has a year and a half of NFL experience. He was also in the Super Bowl LVIII finals, so he understands the pressure. But there remains room for improvement for both the players. Reid pointed out, “We’ve just got to keep getting better and better as we go. That’s the important thing, and guys are working hard. That’s kind of where we’re at with that.”

As per Pro Football Focus’ charting Morris has been the better player so far. His offensive grade is 57.6 with a better mark in pass blocking than run blocking. However, he struggled against the Saints last time, allowing four QB pressures. On the other hand, Suamataia has a 41.2 PFF grade this season.

This is a far cry from Suamataia’s preseason debut when he impressed coach Reid in just six snaps. This led many to believe that the BYU product has the edge for Morris and they were proven right when he handed the starting duties. However, in the two games, his inexperience came to light, especially against the Bengals.

On the final offensive possession of the second quarter, he lost on consecutive reps and the team punted. In the second half, it was followed by a couple of offensive holding calls and two sacks. The Chiefs were fortunate to escape with a 26-25 win. In his defense though, Suamataia was up against arguably the best defensive end in the league- Trey Hendrickson.

Reid’s comments about taking time with the young LTs echoed his statement from earlier this week. On Monday, talking about the two players Reed said, “We obviously looked at that, and both of them can do better. Wanya knows what he’s got to work on and likewise, Kingsley does. We’re lucky to have both the guys, both young guys, and we’re kind of growing with them here. We’ll just kind of let that process keep rolling.”

Given that Morris has fared slightly better it is likely he will start against the 49ers. The game against one of the strong teams in the NFC will surely be a test of his and indeed Chiefs’ prowess early into the season.

Will Reid’s team sink if they don’t convert plays to TDs

It might be too early to say this, but the problems in the red zone are obvious for the Chiefs. They are ranked 29th in red zone efficiency converting just 38.89% of their chances. The uncertainty and struggles in the tackle for the Chiefs have contributed to their offensive problems.

QB Patrick Mahomes has often appeared uncomfortable in the pocket. He has struggled with footwork and bails quickly while seeming to anticipate pressure. In the press conference, he called for improvements in the two key areas as the season progresses.

Mahomes said, “Instead of necessarily going in with a certain mindset because this is how this team has played in the Red Zone we have to go in with more good versus all plays.” He added, “We have to execute and accept that challenge, and if we’ve scored some of these red zone situations, there isn’t as many questions about the offense because we’re scoring points. So eliminating turnovers, scoring in the red zone are the two things we need to work on as the season goes on.”

There is still time for the Chiefs to get their offense in order before the season moves to the business end. We have seen them eke out results so far without them looking at their vintage best. If their troubles at LT are sorted with either Morris proving himself or Suamataia using the time away to improve, that will go a long way in getting their offense back on track.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you guys think the Chiefs can improve even more in the future?