The Kansas City Chiefs can’t deny that their season has hit a critical point with a 6-6 record. Even if the Chiefs run the table, they’ll still need help to make a comeback in the postseason. Despite the pressure mounting inside the locker room, head coach Andy Reid isn’t backing down. In fact, his confidence suggested the franchise’s season might still have a twist left. 

“We’re going to try to tickle on your tonsils on every play, every game,” he said, via AtoZSports‘ Charles Goldman. “That’s the attitude that we’re coming in with. Then you let the chips fall where they may… There’s not a game that I go into that I don’t think we’re going to get after ya.”

According to Goldman, Reid still believes his team can turn around their season by not losing any more games. Currently, the Chiefs are trailing behind the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers by a large margin. On top of this, the franchise will next face the Houston Texans, who have the best defense in the NFL. 

It implies that the Chiefs’ hopes of winning a 10th straight division title are diminishing fast. Still, Andy Reid’s team is dead set on maintaining their playoff streak that goes back to the 2015 season. In 2017, the Chiefs found themselves in a similar situation at 6-6. But they still managed to secure a wild-card spot after rallying with four straight wins.

Unfortunately, the team’s major obstacles this year are ones it has created itself. However, the head coach didn’t run away from accountability while sounding all confident. 

Andy Reid outlines key issues head-on

In his latest statement, Andy Reid pinpointed the key shortcomings that are holding back QB Patrick Mahomes and his team. While these are all fixable problems, he thinks the team must take them seriously. 

“You got to take care of the holding calls on the offense,” he said, per Sports Radio 810 WHB. “And then on the defensive side, when we have opportunities thPenaltiesere, whether it’s third down to get off the field, you got to get off the field.”

It goes without saying that penalties and mental lapses have plagued the Chiefs all season. Just last week against the Dallas Cowboys, there were multiple penalties in the fourth quarter that wiped out any comeback chance. At present, the Chiefs are ranked fifth in penalty yardage across the league. As for their struggles with getting third-down stops on defense, the numbers are horrifying. The team recorded just 22 sacks and forced 11 turnovers all year, falling short in many crucial moments. 

Further, Reid also noted moments where his team came close to forcing turnovers. He recounted a fumble that wasn’t recovered or an interception that slipped through someone’s hands. In his view, these missed chances can be game-changing and are actually within their control. Andy Reid believes that by identifying the exact problems and working through them, the team can get back on track and finish strong.