The Kansas City Chiefs are sitting pretty at a perfect 4-0, riding an early-season bye week as the AFC’s last undefeated squad. You’d think everything was clicking, especially with running back Kenneth Walker breathing new life into that offense and absolutely torching the league for 537 rushing yards through four games, leading the NFL. But even with Walker tearing it up, something’s not quite right: their short-yardage game has been wildly inconsistent this season. Sometimes those third and fourth-and-short conversions are automatic, and other times, it just falls apart.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Short-Yardage Slide?
Let’s dive into the stats, because the tape isn’t lying. This season, the Chiefs are sitting at 10th in the league for 4th-down conversion percentage, hitting 62.5%. Not terrible, but check this out: they led the entire league last year with a whopping 75% conversion rate on fourth down, largely thanks to Kareem Hunt. That’s a noticeable drop, right? Then there’s the red zone. This year, they’re converting touchdowns at 63.16%, which puts them at 12th in the league. Last year, they were also 12th, but at a slightly lower 56.3%. So while the red zone is a little better, the 4th-down numbers, where it really matters for consistent drives, are slipping. For an undefeated team with one of the best offenses in the NFL and 1,648 total yards, that short-yardage regression early in the season is a red flag.
Proof They Can Do It: When the Short-Yardage Game Works
The frustrating thing is, the Chiefs clearly know how to get it done when they want to. We saw it on opening night against the Broncos. On their first 4th-and-short, they rolled out a “jumbo” package, motioned into a full house look with nose tackle Khyiris Tonga at fullback. They needed just a yard, but Walker, with some good vision and a seal from Humphrey, slipped through for three yards and the first down. Caleb James (@CJScoobs) even tweeted about it, highlighting how Walker “slips the DT and gets a good seal from Humphrey to pickup the first on 4th down.”
Then, on the very next 4th-and-short, the Broncos tried to shut down the middle. What did the Chiefs do? They hit ’em with a power run to the left. Denver pinched inside, safeties crashed, and even though the play wasn’t perfectly blocked, Tonga bought Kenneth Walker just enough time. Walker read the whole thing immediately, bounced it outside, and he was GONE. James nailed it, saying, “Big runs don’t just happen. It is the culmination of many little things and all the things that make football great. KC runs power on 4th down, and Denver pinches. Why pinch? When was the last time a Chiefs RB bounced on a 4th and short? Walker reads it immediately and is gone.” The problem isn’t that they *can’t* do it, it’s that they haven’t been doing it consistently.
The Chiefs are heading into their bye week, sitting at 4-0. They’ve got time to tweak things and get this short-yardage game locked down. If they can get Kenneth Walker that consistent push on third and fourth down, this undefeated start could turn into something truly special for the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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