Why Chiefs’ Regression on 3rd Downs Was Offensive

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid was about as blunt as he could be to kick off the first week of the offseason.

Asked Monday to assess how the lack of production in the run game affected Patrick Mahomes and the pass, Reid might as well have been Rodney Dangerfield.

“There wasn't enough respect there that needs to be given,” Reid said. “So, we've got to run the ball more efficient, especially on first and second down, on those run downs, in those run situations. Just stay positive with that, and somewhere you'd like to have a few bigger plays in that area, 3, 4 yards, and every once while, you need to hit on a few.”

That lack of respect led to something else, a concerning lack of efficiency on third downs. An offense that had consistently finished in the NFL’s top five from 2018-24 – Mahomes’ first seven years as the starter – somehow collapsed to 22nd in 2025. The Chiefs converted only 37.44 percent of their third downs, a key factor in their 1-9 record in one-score games.

Wonder what changed pic.twitter.com/gjaz5kSvej
— Chris (@chiefs_outsider) January 5, 2026

Worst in NFL on third-and-long

The other extremely concerning number that reared an ugly head in 2025 was third-and-long. Kansas City finished dead last in that category; on third-and-6 or longer, the Chiefs were an NFL-worst 15 of 97 (15.5 percent).

Mahomes as a third-down passer in 2025 had the worst season of his career. His 65.2 passer rating on third down ranked next-to-last in the NFL among passers with at least 100 attempts, ahead of only Joe Flacco (61.2), who changed teams midseason.

chiefs, worth — Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) celebrates his tackle of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) in the second quarter during a Monday Night NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug EngleFlorida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No wonder defenses didn’t respect the Chiefs in 2025. It’s another reason the Chiefs could use a fresh set of eyes in the offensive-coordinator role.

Reid explained that one aspect of the team’s offense revealed how much respect defenses are giving the Chiefs.

mahomes, pachec — Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) hands the ball off to Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Play-action revelation

“So, you always go to your play-action game,” he said Monday, “and you look at it, and you check to see what kind of reaction you're getting from the defense. Normally, if you get a reaction, then you're putting those guys in recovery mode, which normally opens up the middle of the field for you in a decent way.

“So, we weren’t getting enough of a reaction out of them. However you take that, that could be because of the run game, it could be because of the action that we're showing.

“We can look at the action that we're giving the guys, and are we executing right? Are we giving them the right things to execute?”

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