Despite suffering numerous key injuries, the Kansas City Chiefs are a perfect 5-0 at their bye week.
The Chiefs received an early bye this year, so they still have a lot of season left to play. Things will continue to evolve and change throughout the next few months, and coach Andy Reid is the best in the business at using the bye to find solutions for the team's biggest issues.
There is one glaring problem that Kansas City has had through the first five weeks of the season, and that's scoring touchdowns in the redzone. The Chiefs are cashing in for touchdowns on just 38.89 percent of their redzone trips this year, which ranks 30th in the NFL.
Despite being undefeated up to this point, it's hard to imagine that they can continue to beat the top teams in the league at that rate. Four of K.C.'s five wins have been by just one possession. If it continues to score touchdowns at such a low percentage in the redzone, some games are going to eventually slip through their fingers.
The Chiefs have gotten away with their redzone woes thus far, but you don't have to look any further back than last year to see that things can turn in a hurry. The Chiefs started 2023 with an 6-1 record, but went on to drop five of their next eight games - mostly due to their inability to score touchdowns.
Fortunately, Reid and company fixed the issue enough to be able to win the Super Bowl. They will be tasked with that same challenge again this year. A good place to start is with rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who leads the team in touchdowns this season with four.
Worthy is a weapon not only as a pass catcher, but as a runner - with two of his scores coming on the ground. His speed is a mismatch against all defenses, and Reid is the perfect coach to maximize his skillset. With receivers Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice out for the season, Worthy will have to shoulder a big load of the passing game.
Another player that can help with the Chiefs' redzone problems is running back Kareem Hunt. Since returning to the team in Week 4, Hunt has racked up 202 total yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs are running the ball much more effectively with Hunt, and he's shown that he still has the burst and power to get into the endzone.
It will also help when injured running back Isiah Pacheco returns, which should be some time in mid-November. The return of Pacheco will give K.C. another weapon to use, and he and Hunt could make up one of the league's best running back tandems. However, redzone improvement could ultimately rest on the shoulders of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce.
Mahomes has thrown for just six touchdowns on the year so far, and has also thrown six interceptions - two of which occurred in the endzone. As for Kelce, his production has gone up in recent weeks, but he still hasn't found the endzone. Mahomes to Kelce is the team's most lethal connection, and one of the best in NFL history. With Reid's help, Mahomes and Kelce have to find a way to reignite their chemistry in the redzone.
As a whole, the Chiefs are scoring points at about an average rate, ranking 15th in the league in points per game. That is in large part thanks to Harrison Butker, who has made 12-14 field goal attempts this season. However, come playoff time, it's becomes a dangerous thing to rely on field goals over touchdowns.
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