Chiefs, Mahomes Could Dramatically Improve Offense With 1 Simple Change

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eric Bieniemy said that he lost a few pounds while away from the Chiefs over the last three years.

He might want to use part of his first Chiefs paycheck to buy some new pants.

reid, bieniem — Nov 1, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (left) and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (right) look on from the sideline during the first quarter against the New York Giants at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

A lot of time in the same room

Bieniemy and Andy Reid have a lot of work to do as they set out to improve the Patrick Mahomes offense and return the unit to where it was during the offensive coordinator’s first stint.

And if the Chiefs are going to return to their explosive ways, they can’t continue to do the same things – things they did in Bieniemy’s last tenure or while he was away the last three seasons.

As Dan Orlovsky said before the Super Bowl, the Chiefs need more than new pants. They need a new wardrobe and a significant makeover. Throw in some accessories, too.

“It was like a slow fade with Patrick in Kansas City,” Orlovsky told Jason Anderson on a WHB interview at Super Bowl Radio Row last month, “where you can just see over the course of, let's call it the last two-and-a-half years or so, the demand for him to kind of constantly do more and bear more and burden more.

“And it's so easy for everyone to say, ‘Well, yeah, you're Patrick Mahomes; you can and you should.’ That's just not real. Just because you can, that doesn't mean that you want that to be the course.”

A former NFL quarterback, Orlovsky has consistently recommended the Chiefs alter their scheme, or at least dramatically change their tendencies.

mahomes, pachec — Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) hands off to running back Isiah Pacheco (10) against the Philadelphia Eagles during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Under center

Mahomes has been stellar in the shotgun, including snaps out of the Pistol. But when he goes under center, he’s played out of his mind during his career. But the quarterback has played just over 10 percent of his career from under center.

In those limited snaps under center, he owns a 110.7 passer rating and an 8.1 yards-per-attempt mark. The other 90 percent of his career snaps, in shotgun, have produced a 99.6 rating and 7.6 yards per pass. Under center, he’s also taken fewer sacks and, on average, and passed for more touchdowns with fewer interceptions.

“Go under center more,” Orlovsky said, “put bigger bodies on the field. That doesn't make him a lesser player. I still think he's going to be at the highest end. He just doesn't have to do 45 snaps a game. And so, and I think it helps everybody else. It doesn't just help Patrick.”

Last season, the Chiefs put Mahomes under center at the lowest rate of his career. It also wound up as his worst NFL season, and the Chiefs finished with their first losing campaign in Andy Reid’s tenure as Kansas City head coach.

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