The Kansas City Chiefs offense is fixing a broken run game and cutting down on costly mistakes. Head coach Andy Reid flagged 12 penalties in the last game, with most hitting the offense. The team is now working on discipline and proper positioning to stop these errors before the regular season starts.
Penalties Are the Main Enemy Right Now
Monday marked the 15th full-team practice of training camp. It came right after a 20-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. That game ended with a messy 12 penalties against Kansas City. Almost all of them happened on the offensive side of the ball. Reid made it clear that this cannot happen again if they want to win.
Reid spoke directly about the specific fouls that hurt the team. “Obviously, the five holding calls and the five illegal-procedure penalties: you can’t have those,” Reid said. He knows the team needs to change its mindset immediately. “You have to be more disciplined than that, so we go back and keep stressing that,” he added. The coach wants his players to stop guessing and start following the rules.
The root cause often comes down to bad technique rather than a lack of effort. Reid explained that the line is moving too fast and missing their assignments. “On the offensive line, we’re overshooting things a little bit, and we have to make sure we cover up bodies on that in the run game,” Reid explained about the penalties. This overshooting leaves gaps for defenders to exploit and draws flags from referees.
The issue also shows up in the passing game. Players sometimes try too hard to make a play instead of staying in their lane. “In the pass game, you have to let go; there’s a time and place where you have to let go,” Reid continued. He emphasized that this is about positioning, not effort. “It’s not an effort thing; it’s putting yourself in the right position,” he said. The solution is simple: practice the right moves until they become automatic.
According to reports from Arrowhead Pride, the coaching staff is using practice to fix these habits. “Disciplining it, and you do the same thing in practice; you work on that,” Reid said. They are repeating the drills until the players stop making the same mistakes. The goal is to make the offense sharp and penalty-free by the time the season kicks off.
New Coaches Bring a Fresh Eye
The team brought in new assistant coaches to help clean up these details. Reid has noticed a positive shift in how the staff is teaching the players. “I like the detail that they’re bringing to the group there,” Reid responded when asked about the new hires. He sees them staying on the players and pushing them to improve every day.
Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy was particularly hard on the starting unit. He wanted wide receiver Rashee Rice to finish his plays with more energy. Rice was jogging back to the huddle when Bieniemy called him back to run downfield again. The message was clear: do not stop until the play is over. This kind of pressure helps build the habit of finishing strong.
Chad O’Shea, the new wide receivers coach, was also heard yelling “Details, guys! Details,” during a route drill. He made a receiver run his route over just to get it right. This focus on the small stuff is exactly what the offense needs. O’Shea is not letting players slide on minor errors. He knows that small mistakes add up to big problems on game day.
DeMarco Murray, the running backs coach, is also getting involved in the teaching process. Reid praised the group for handling the young players well. “They’re staying on the guys… they’ve got some young guys that they’re dealing with, and new guys… there’s a lot of teaching going on, and they’re doing a good job of doing the teaching,” Reid said. The new staff is doing the heavy lifting to get the offense ready.
Even the players are catching on to the new energy. One observer noted that a veteran player told someone to “shut the [expletive] up” after a play during a 7-on-7 drill. This kind of intensity shows that the team is serious about winning. The players are holding each other accountable just like the coaches are.
Injury Updates and Lineup Changes
While the offense works on discipline, the team is also dealing with some injury concerns. Offensive tackle Chu Godrick sprained his ankle in the first preseason game. He did not practice on Monday. The injury list also includes reserve offensive linemen Matt Waletzko and Esa Pole. Waletzko hurt his knee, and Pole suffered from dehydration during the session.
Starting left tackle Josh Simmons had to step in for the third team briefly because of these injuries. Right guard Trey Smith is still held out of practice and is working in the medical tent. Reid says Smith is getting close to returning but might not play this week. “Trey’s doing good,” Reid shared. “We’ll see; he’s getting close, so we’ll see where it goes here. I don’t know if you’ll see him this week, but he’s getting close.”
Other players left practice due to minor issues. Rookie safety DeShon Singleton tweaked his hamstring, and veteran linebacker Jack Cochrane had a knee issue. Cochrane did finish practice despite the pain. The team is monitoring these players closely to ensure they are ready for the season. No one is rushing back if they are not fully healthy.
Rookie Mansoor Delane had a big day. The No. 6 overall pick participated in full-contact practice for the first time this preseason. He started at cornerback opposite Nohl Williams for the first-team defense. “He did everything and was in all the drills,” Reid described Delane. “He looked good; it was good work for him.” The doctors have cleared him to play at full speed, which is great news for the defense.
The list of players who did not practice includes several key names. Jimmy Holiday, Chamarri Conner, and Kader Kohou were out due to soreness or knee issues. Omarr Norman-Lott is on the PUP list, while L’Jarius Sneed is managing a knee injury. Drue Tranquill dealt with back spasms, and Jeff Weimer was also absent. The team is managing these loads carefully to avoid long-term problems.
The Path Forward for the Offense
The focus for the rest of training camp is clear: fix the penalties and build depth. The Chiefs cannot afford 12 penalties in a real game. Reid knows that these mistakes cost yards and points. The team is working hard to turn this around before the preseason ends. The high-intensity practice on Monday shows that the coaches are not taking any days off.
The new coaching staff is making a real difference. Their attention to detail is helping the players understand what is expected of them. Reid likes the way they are teaching the young guys. This new approach could be the key to a better season. If the offense can stay disciplined, the team will be much harder to stop.
The injury situation is manageable but requires care. The team has depth to fill in for the missing players. Simmons and Delane showed they can step up when needed. The medical staff is doing a good job of monitoring everyone. The goal is to have a healthy roster by the time the regular season starts.
