Here’s Simple Math Regarding Chiefs’ Offensive Penalties

Indeed, on four of the five drives that ended in punts last week, the Chiefs had an offensive penalty. On the four that ended in touchdowns, Kansas City had none. If it weren’t so maddeningly frustrating in a season with so many close losses, it could be a nursery rhyme.

“We've done a lot of good things,” Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday, “but at the same time, we’ve made a lot of mistakes that we haven't been able to overcome. And so, we got to be better in those bigger moments, not make those mistakes, and at the end of day, go prove it. You got to prove it on game day, and that's something that I believe we can do.”

Simple discipline

Proving it starts with simple discipline, especially because Kansas City hasn’t been able to overcome mistakes, as Mahomes said. The Chiefs average 3.67 offensive penalties per game, tied for sixth-most in the NFL.

And they’ve proven all season that if they can simply avoid controllable penalties, like false starts, illegal formation and undisciplined holding calls, they’ll score plenty of points.

Unfortunately, the league schedule-makers weren’t kind to Kansas City over the first 13 games. Unlucky No. 13 comes against the league’s No. 1 defense, Houston, on Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan).

And against that vaunted defense, Game No. 13 comes at a time when injuries are conspiring to hit the Chiefs’ offensive line harder than any time in Mahomes’ career.

A silver lining -- but it's a stretch

But if there’s a silver lining, and with three new starters it’s a big stretch, the team’s leaders in penalties are actually two of those players expected to miss Sunday’s game. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor (triceps/knee) and left tackle Josh Simmons (injured reserve, wrist) lead the team with 10 and seven penalties, respectively.

Now, all the Chiefs need to do is effectively move the ball and score points against the defense that leads the league in both categories – and do it with three backup offensive linemen, likely Wanya Morris at left tackle, Jaylon Moore at right tackle and Mike Caliendo at right guard, if starter Trey Smith (ankle) is out again.

“They're guys that have been guys that played,” Mahomes said of his patchwork offensive line, “and so, obviously, we'll go through the week and see where we're at with the guys that are a little banged up.

“But you got to give the respect where it's deserved, and those guys have a great defensive line. And so, we'll try to do the best we can. That’s getting the ball out of my hand, running the football, and then whenever there's shots down the field, you got to be able to hit them. And so, standing in the pocket making those throws against a really good defense.”

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