‘I missed that one’ – Chiefs’ Reid owns costly 4th down miss

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the fourth quarter of a must-win game Sunday night against the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid made a decision he had never made in his 27-year career – a decision that proved to be the turning point in an eventual 20-10 loss.

With 10 minutes left and the score tied at 10, Reid decided to keep the Chiefs offense on the field facing fourth-and-1 from their own 31-yard line.

Instead of requesting a handoff to Kareem Hunt — who has been one of the NFL’s most reliable running backs in short-yardage situations — Reid asked quarterback Patrick Mahomes to operate from the shotgun with receiver Hollywood Brown in the backfield. The play backfired, as Mahomes’ pass at midfield to receiver Rashee Rice fell incomplete.

It was the first time in Reid’s career that he attempted fourth down with the score tied in the fourth quarter or overtime and with his offense inside his own 40-yard line.

A few minutes later, the Texans scored to take a 17-10 lead.

“I put the guys, offensively, in a tough position with the fourth downs [calls]”, Reid said. “I was trying to stay aggressive with it. I take full responsibility for it. I thought we could have it. It is important that you take advantage of opportunities. In hindsight, that was wrong. I missed that one. “

As of Sunday, the Chiefs led the league in fourth-down success rate, converting 80.8 percent of their 26 attempts.

The Next Gen Stats and ESPN Analytics model agreed with Reid’s decision to go for it with 10 minutes remaining, with the Chiefs’ win probability at 51.7%. But Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. pressured Mahomes to throw the ball earlier than he wanted against Houston’s zone coverage.

“They did a good job getting pass rushers,” Mahomes said. “I tried to pass the ball to Rashee. I think I was a little late. [Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.] made a superb play breaking the ball. We just have to execute at a higher level in those big moments. This is something we didn’t do this year. »

Despite starting the game with three backup linemen protecting him, Mahomes still played well enough to give the Chiefs a chance in the second half. But too often he couldn’t find enough capable teammates to help him spark a comeback.

Mahomes threw a perfect deep pass in the third quarter to receiver Tyquan Thornton, the ball touching both of his hands before cornerback Kamari Lassiter recorded the pass breakup. If Thornton had made the reception, it would have been a 48-yard touchdown and would have given the Chiefs their first lead.

“We’ve been close all season,” Mahomes said. “You have to go out there and make it happen. I have to make the throw a little earlier so that [Lassiter] I can’t close [on the ball]. We have to make these plays. »

Mahomes finished with just 160 passing yards and a 42.4% completion rate, the lowest of his nine-year career. The Chiefs’ 10 points were also their fewest in a home game, regular season or playoff, with Mahomes starting.

In the final 20 minutes, Hunt, Rice and tight end Travis Kelce each dropped a critical pass. Kelce’s second drop — on consecutive snaps — led to Mahomes’ third interception, ending the Chiefs’ last chance to come back. The Chiefs finished with five drops, tied for second among all teams this season.

When Rice dropped the ball — on a fourth-and-4 from the Chiefs’ 41-yard line — Mahomes reacted by putting both hands on the back of his helmet, which was buried in the turf.

“You just get late in the season and you’re not going to get those opportunities back,” Mahomes said. “They’re a good team, but we had chances. We didn’t execute at the right time to win.”

The loss dropped the Chiefs to 6-7, ending their streak of nine consecutive AFC West division titles, which was the second-longest streak in NFL history and the longest active division title streak of any team in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

The Chiefs’ chances of clinching a playoff spot have been reduced to just 12 percent, according to ESPN Analytics. The Chiefs’ remaining four games will also be against AFC opponents.

“Look, it’s never over, so keep fighting,” Reid said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve seen things, so keep it up.”

For the Chiefs to reach the playoffs, they need to win their next four games and will likely need the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) and Indianapolis Colts (8-5) to lose multiple games.

“We can control how we finish the season,” passer Chris Jones said. “God willing, we’re going to find a way to get to the playoffs. We still have an opportunity, man, even if it’s slim. For us, the door is still open.”

Rice and Brown left the locker room before reporters were allowed inside. In the locker room, Kelce refused to answer questions from reporters and was one of the last players to remove his uniform. He sat in front of his locker for several minutes, his hands on his bowed head.

“Every season I’ve had with him over the last few years, I try to cherish it because you never know [if this will be his last]” Mahomes said of Kelce, a 13-year veteran. “He’s gotten into great shape this year and he’s played great football. He will have the opportunity to do whatever he wants after this season, but I know one thing: he will give everything he has for the rest of this season to try to give us a chance to make the playoffs.

“We know the chances are getting lower and lower.”