Patrick Mahomes Breaks Down How KC Chiefs’ 2023 Offense Can Improve

Mahomes believes there are multiple paths to Kansas City's offense snapping out of its current funk.

The 2023 NFL season is in full swing, but the Kansas City Chiefs' offense isn't. Through six games, Andy Reid and Matt Nagy's group has topped the 30-point mark just once and has been held to 20 or fewer points in half of its games. The result is still a scoring offense that ranks among the top 10 clubs in the league, although a. No. 9 ranking is a far cry from what the team has been able to accomplish in the past.

Moving the ball isn't necessarily an issue, as the Chiefs rank fourth in the league in total yards per game and are fourth in third down conversion percentage. Finishing drives is the problem: Kansas City sees an average of four red zone scoring attempts per outing (tied for fourth out of all 32 teams) but has the 17th-ranked red zone touchdown percentage at 54.2. When the field shrinks, the Chiefs haven't been able to cap off possessions with game-altering scores.

According to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, everyone on the offense is capable of performing at a higher and more consistent level. The two-time NFL MVP said on Wednesday that "little" things are holding the offense back from reaching its potential. If minor details get ironed out, he believes the unit as a whole will find much more success. 

“It’s little stuff," Mahomes said. "I said that after the game and even watching the film you see it even more. It’s just the little stuff that we’re not executing at a high enough level. It’s not everybody, and it’s different people every single play including myself. In this league, in order to have these sustained drives, and score touchdowns, get in the endzone and score against good defenses, you have to execute – everybody, coaches included, and I think that’s something that we have to continue to get better and better at. I think if we start executing at a high enough level, we have the talent, and we have the play calls so let’s just continue to get better and better.”

One of the more criticized groups — perhaps the most criticized — on the roster through six weeks has been the collection of Kansas City wide receivers. For one reason or another (health, inexperience, talent/skill level, etc.), the room has underperformed from top to bottom. The team's hope is that more reps can help solve those problems, along with the recent addition of familiar face Mecole Hardman. Getting every non-Travis Kelce pass catcher on the same page with Mahomes would go a long way toward the offense snapping out of its funk, and Mahomes thinks the chemistry-building process is something that will continue throughout the season. 

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“Yeah, for sure," Mahomes said. "That’s something that we continue to build. I think guys have come a long way even since OTAs, and I feel like we’re in a good spot. We have to continue to get better and better throughout the year. We want to be playing our best football all the time, but obviously we want to be playing at the end of the year so I feel like we’re making steps in the right direction. Let’s just continue to get better and hopefully by the end of the year, we can really be the best we can be.”

One of the concerns surrounding this year's Chiefs offense, similar to last year's without Tyreek Hill in the picture, is how receivers perform against man coverage. Kansas City's lack of man-beating wideouts was an issue at times in 2022, and it's been the same story in 2023. Players like rookie Rashee Rice are notably better at finding soft spots in zone coverage than they are at getting separation against man, although that isn't stopping defense from dropping into zone looks and daring the Chiefs to force them into changing their plans. The key to better opportunities on offense, per Mahomes, is to improve on that poor red zone offense.

“It’s just like I said, you have to have these sustained drives like we had this last game, but you have to execute in the red zone," Mahomes said. "That’s something that we’ve taken pride in in the last few years is scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Obviously, in this last game, we didn’t do that. That’s why the game was close because we didn’t score those touchdowns. We got field goals and didn’t get points on some drives. We have to continue to get better and better and make sure that when we have these long-sustained drives, that we score touchdowns when we get into the endzone.”

Read More: What Is The Chiefs' Plan at Wide Receiver This Year and Beyond?