NFL
Chiefs find a way to win but not pretty to watch, admits Reid
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid was proud of his team for "fighting through" their struggles as his players rallied to beat the Giants.
Kansas City Chiefs are well aware that they have a lot of improving to do after grinding out a 20-17 victory over the New York Giants on Monday. Coach Andy Reid was first to acknowledge that his team had to fight hard for the win, but the defending AFC champions were left to puzzle over their 12 penalties and two more turnovers that elevated their NFL-worst season total to 19.
For a team that went 38-10 over the last three regular seasons, clawing back to 4-4 against the struggling Giants was more a cause for relief than celebration. "Everything's not beautiful right now, but we're fighting through it," Reid told reporters. "You've got to fight. They didn't give up on each other. ... We'll build on that. Let's keep going."
Though Kansas City's defence played well down the stretch, the offence remains the primary source of concern. Through his first 48 regular-season games with the Chiefs, Mahomes averaged fewer than six yards per pass attempt only twice. He has failed to reach that mark in four of his last six games, finishing at 5.73 yards per attempt Monday after completing 29 of 48 passes for 275 yards. The former league MVP was left searching for answers even in victory, though it sounds like it will not be a simple fix.
"It's execution," Mahomes said. "I know I say it all the time, but we have guys open and if we're on the same page, me and the receivers with the routes, and I throw it and hit the right spot, we can move the ball on on pretty much any coverage. We have answers versus everything. But you've seen in every game pretty much that there's been times where we kind of stall out and we don't execute or I throw the ball and I don't hit the right spot or the receiver doesn't see it the same way that I do, or penalties or turnovers. ... But I think we're going to snap out of it and we'll find a way to start executing when we do will be a tough offense to stop."
The path forward does not get any easier for the Chiefs, who host the 7-1 Green Bay Packers on Sunday.