The Kansas City Chiefs picked up their 11th win of the 2024 NFL season on Friday, but the 19-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders once again saw the defending champions struggle. And both Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid know that one of the team’s biggest problems has been at left tackle.
With the quarterback exposed to hits and multiple pressures throughout the contest, Reid decided to make a change late in the game by benching Wanya Morris, moving Joe Thuney to left tackle, with Mike Caliendo stepping in to play left guard.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Mahomes made it clear to Reid that he trusts in all his Chiefs teammates. However, the 2x NFL MVP also admitted there were moments where he didn’t have enough confidence to try and make certain plays.
“Whoever’s out there, I trust those guys to go out there and make it happen,” Mahomes said, via Sports Illustrated. “I’ve seen those guys play, and they’ve played at high levels, and so, the coaches made a move, and I thought the guys went in there and did a good job. I’ve got to trust it — I think there was times I didn’t trust it there on that last drive, and if I can trust it and maybe make some of those throws, then we’re not in the situation we were in at the end of the game.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) looks to pass during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
Reid explains Chiefs’ late change at LT
In his postgame press conference, Reid also addressed his decision to bench Morris for the final two drives of the game, explaining that Mahomes was lacking protection on his blindside.
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“Wanya was, he was struggling a little bit,” Reid said. “So, moved Joe over there, Caliendo in at guard. I thought it was the right thing to do at that time. Talked to (offensive line coach) Andy [Heck] about it, he agreed with it, and so we made that move just to solidify things. Pat took a few hits there, and so we were struggling at times.”
Reid knows LT issues are a problem for Mahomes
Reid will never throw his players under the bus, but the Chiefs head coach didn’t pretend like things were just fine on Friday. That’s why he admitted Morris’ performance left much to be desired.
“I would tell you that it’s disruptive to any offense if the quarterback’s getting hit and not able to get the ball off,” Reid said. “And so that can be a problem. Now, listen, he’s playing against a couple of good players, but you’ve got to do better than what we did there.”
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The Chiefs’ problems at left tackle have been persistent in the 2024 NFL season. Rookie Kingsley Suamataia entered the year as the starter, but lost the job only two weeks into the campaign after a poor outing against the Cincinnati Bengals, when he got outplayed by Trey Hendrickson. Morris has been the Chiefs’ LT since Week 3, but whether he’ll keep the job for another week remains to be seen.
