3 Things the Kansas City Chiefs need to address in 2022

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the AFC title game for the fourth straight season. But Andy Reid’s team lost for the second time in four years.

Under the guidance of head coach Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs have been in the playoffs seven consecutive years dating back to 2015. The franchise has won the AFC West six straight years dating back to ’16.

This year, the Chiefs wound up being the conference’s second seed in this year’s playoffs. There were wins over the Steelers and Bills in which the club scored 42 points in each contest. And Reid’s club owned a 21-3 second-quarter lead over the visiting Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.

But a third straight Super Bowl appearance was not in the cards. Patrick Mahomes and company managed only three points in the second half and overtime. And Cincinnati came all the way back to stun the Chiefs, 27-24, in overtime.

Four straight AFC title games at Arrowhead Stadium have resulted in just two Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy. So what does the organization need to work on in the coming months?

3. Kansas City Chiefs must establish a workhorse in the backfield

Off a Super Bowl title in 2019, the Chiefs used the final pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to select running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He joined a team in which the head coach has had his shares of the backfield by committee with this team specifically.

Unfortunately, the former LSU product missed three games and the playoff matchup with the Browns during his rookie years. In 2021, Clyde Edwards-Helaire played in only 10 contests and was inactive for the wild card clash with Pittsburgh.

Regardless, the Chiefs have been a mediocre 16th in the NFL in rushing each of these past two seasons. No doubt the team needs to be a little more balanced offensively.