The Kansas City Chiefs spent a good chunk of their week off working on short-yardage situations, which they had been relatively good at this season, given how mightily they struggled in converting those same situations last season.
asserted
they → spend → situations
That’s why they were so frustrated with their otherwise sublime 22-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
asserted
they → ’ → Sunday
Had the Chiefs scored after facing first-and-goal at the Chargers 2, or when they had first-and-goal at the Chargers 6, or on the drive that ended when Mahomes was brought down shy of the first-down marker on third-and-2, or not missed a field goal after he threw an incomplete pass on third-and-1 — well, the winning margin would have been a whole lot more comfortable.
asserted
margin → score → and-1
“Yeah, I think it’s just you’ve got to — whenever stuff’s not pretty — you’ve got to be able to just push it and get the first down.
asserted
you → think → down
I think that’s the biggest thing, and it’s not always going to be pretty,” Mahomes said.
asserted
Mahomes → think → ?
“We have the short-yardage where we score a long touchdown, and then we have the short-yardage where we didn’t get there with the push and stuff like that, and so we’ll continue to work on it.
asserted
we → have → it
I mean, guys take pride in that.
asserted
guys → mean → that
They take pride in the entire run game.”
asserted
They → take → game
Kenneth Walker ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns, pushing his league-leading total to 665 yards through five games.
asserted
Walker → run → games
On the first TD run, he slipped through a hole on third-and-1 and ran 33 yards to the end zone.
asserted
he → slip → zone
On the other, Walker bounced off a tackle, picked up a block from Mahomes, and got into the end zone from 2 yards out to make it 16-3 in the second quarter.
asserted
it → bounce → quarter
When faced with first-and-goal at the Chargers 8, the Chiefs gave the ball to Walker four times in a row, the last of them gaining nothing from the goal line and resulting in a turnover on downs.
asserted
last → face → downs
“I feel like we’re going to get better,” Walker said.
asserted
Walker → feel → ?
“We have a lot of stuff we have to execute and get better and more detailed at.”
asserted
we → have → stuff
That’s a sobering thought for the rest of the league, given Kansas City is one of the three remaining unbeaten teams.
asserted
City → ’ → teams
The Chiefs are heading into a tough, two-game road swing through Seattle and Denver, and they have back-to-back road games against the Bills and Rams a couple of weeks later.
asserted
they → head → weeks
“We spent time on the short-yardage (during the bye), and we didn’t do very good on it.
asserted
we → spend → it
So, we’ve got to figure that out,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
asserted
Reid → get → that
“You’re down in there for a couple more touchdowns, and in the goal-line situations, you’ve got to score on short yardage.
asserted
you → ’re → yardage
You’ve got to pick the first down up.
asserted
You → get → down
And then one of those, they got us.
asserted
they → get → us
I mean, the play that we called — I called the play.
asserted
I → mean → play
So, I mean, the play I called wasn’t set up for that coverage, and we’ve got to do better there.”
asserted
we → mean → coverage
What’s working
The Chiefs sacked the Chargers’ Justin Herbert four times, their first four sacks since Week 1 against Denver.
asserted
Chiefs → work → Denver
What needs help
Special teams.
asserted
needs → need → help
Nikko Remigio fumbled away a punt return and nearly had another fumble, and Harrison Butker missed both a field goal try and an extra point.
asserted
Butker → fumble → try
That continued what has been a season-long problem on special teams for Kansas City.
asserted
what → continue → City
Xavier Worthy stepped up with fellow wide receiver Rashee Rice inactive with a hamstring strain and Tyquan Thornton now on injured reserve.
asserted
Thornton → step → reserve
He had game highs of seven catches for 73 yards, most of them early, when Kansas City was building its lead.
asserted
City → have → lead
Defensive back Chris Roland-Wallace was ejected after throwing a punch, leaving the Chiefs’ defensive backfield shorthanded.
Key injuries
RT Jaylon Moore sustained a concussion early in the game, forcing the Chiefs to mix up their offensive line.
asserted
Moore → eject → line
He was already starting with Josh Simmons still sidelined by a bulging disc in his back, leaving Josh Ezeudu to finish the game in his place.
asserted
Simmons → start → place
Key number
100 — Mahomes picked up his 100th win, matching Tom Brady for the fewest starts to reach the mark in NFL history.
Up next
Walker returns to Seattle, where he was the Super Bowl MVP while winning a ring with the Seahawks last season, for a marquee Sunday night showdown.
asserted
he → pick → showdown
The Chiefs running back downplayed his return to The Emerald City, saying: “Right now, I’m just focused on critiquing the mistakes we made.
asserted
we → downplay → mistakes
Once we get to that point, we’ll see.”
asserted
we → get → point
The Aporia
