Kansas City Chiefs

The Andy Reid scoring era

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:21 a.m. ET

Fansided, David Thomas/FanSided via Arrowhead Addict

Here is a breakdown of all scores by players during the Andy Reid Era…

Receiving Touchdowns by WRs:
2013: 11
2014: 0
2015: 12
2016: 10

Receiving Touchdowns by RBs and TEs:
2013: 14
2014: 18
2015: 8
2016: 9

Rushing Touchdowns Total:
2013: 17
2014: 18
2015: 19
2016: 14

Total TDs between Rushing and Receiving:
2013: 42
2014: 36
2015: 39
2016: 34

Field Goals:
2013: 22
2014: 25
2015: 30
2016: 31

Special Teams TDs:
2013: 4
2014: 2
2015: 0
2016: 4 (Including Albert Wilson’s fake punt rushing touchdown)

Points Per Game:
2013: 26.9 (T-6th)
2014: 22.1 (16th)
2015: 25.3 (9th)
2016: 24.3 (13th)

ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 04: Travis Kelce

What have we noticed?

We’ve actually had a sharp drop in touchdowns by tight ends and running backs since the loss of Anthony Fasano after 2014 (a reliable No. 2 TE) and injuries to Jamaal Charles (Explosive dual edge RB). This is particularly alarming considering the Chiefs current offensive scheme relies heavily on tight ends and running backs to make plays. The Chiefs should look to improve their situation at TE and RB whether in or out of house.

On the ground the Chiefs have had issues since Charles started having injury troubles. Spencer Ware was tasked with being the full-time starter and did “okay.” But for a team that relies heavily on an effective run game it wasn’t enough. 2016 was the first year in the Andy Reid era that the Chiefs fell outside the top 10 in rushing and ended the season ranked 15th.

Some may assume that this was partly due to the Chiefs shifting to a more pass first offense, but Chiefs running backs rushed 15 more times in 2016 (355) than 2015 (340) when they ranked 6th in total rushing yards.

For tight ends currently outside of Kelce the Chiefs have three on the roster. Demetrius Harris has been very unreliable and inconsistent through three seasons with the team. James O’Shaughnessy who has had trouble getting on the field outside of three-TE formations. Ross Travis is another project player who has shown next to nothing this year, but was hyped up during OTAs and training camp. If Kelce were to go down the Chiefs may be in trouble.

DENVER, CO – NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs reads a play card during the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on November 27, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Conclusion

The Chiefs offense under Reid has never ranked better than 15th (’13, ’14) in drive success rate by Football Outsiders. DSR measures the percentage of offensive drives that result in either a first down or touchdown, and the Chiefs have averaged 69.2 percent since 2013. A 69.2 percent rating would rank 19th this year (The Chiefs finished 20th in ’16).

The stat does not include drives that just result in field goals which the Chiefs have had an uptick in since 2015. In Reid’s first two season the Chiefs hit 47 field goals on 58 attempts, and 61 field goals on 72 attempts. At least on the surface it appears the Chiefs are settling for field goals more than going for touchdowns.

The Chiefs passing and running game have been inconsistent over the last four years making it difficult to sustain drives. Only the Broncos in 2015 made the Super Bowl ranking blow 14th in DSR. Against the Steelers in the divisional round the Chiefs converted just 2-of-9 3rd downs, and had just 16 total first downs compared to the Steelers’ 20.

Andy Reid has been billed as an offensive guru, and the offense has been the most disappointing aspect of the team. In Reid’s upcoming season it’s time to see some better results on offense if the Chiefs hope to reach the promise land. The Chiefs have the talent to be a top 10 team all around, and it’s time for them to put it all together.