By Jeremy
Patrick Mahomes can make a broken play look effortless. That does not mean the Chiefs should ask him to spend Sunday night rescuing broken protection. With Jaylon Moore in concussion protocol and Josh Simmons’ return uncertain, Kansas City needs a plan for Seattle that works even if neither starting tackle is available. The question is not whether Mahomes can escape pressure once or twice. It is whether the offense can keep him from having to do it all night.
Make the replacements’ jobs manageable
Kahlil Benson has been filling in at left tackle, while Joshua Ezeudu took over on the right after Moore left against the Chargers, according to Yahoo Sports. If that is the pairing against Seattle, Andy Reid should resist treating the edges as though nothing has changed. A tight end or running back can chip before releasing into a route, particularly when the defense presents an obvious pass-rush threat. Those small delays can give a tackle a better angle and Mahomes a cleaner first read.
Help does come at a price. Keeping an extra protector in means one fewer immediate receiving option, and chipping on every snap would make the offense predictable. The better approach is selective: identify which matchups need help, vary where that help comes from, and avoid leaving either tackle isolated simply to prove the Chiefs can run their usual offense.
Let the ball and the run game do some protecting
Quick throws are useful here, but “throw it fast” cannot be the entire plan. Kansas City can mix slants, screens and short crossing routes with occasional play-action shots when the defense starts crowding the line. Moving Mahomes’ launch point can also change a rusher’s path, though rolling him toward pressure would solve nothing. The goal is to make Seattle hesitate about where the ball will go, not merely to shorten every pass.
Kenneth Walker III’s 128-yard performance against the Chargers gives Kansas City a recent example of how much a productive ground game can ease the burden on its passing offense. Reid need not call runs just to appear balanced. But if Walker is gaining yards, staying with him can keep the Chiefs out of the long-yardage situations in which backup tackles face their toughest assignments.
Win before the snap, especially on the road
Sunday’s game is at Lumen Field, where protection calls and timing will deserve particular attention. Simple, clearly communicated assignments matter more than a clever adjustment that reaches one side of the line but not the other. If Seattle changes its pressure look, Mahomes and the blockers must recognize it together.
Chiefs fans know Mahomes can cover for a lot. They should not want the game plan to depend on it. If Moore and Simmons cannot go, the sensible path is to help Benson and Ezeudu, keep the offense ahead of the chains, and make Mahomes’ extraordinary plays a bonus rather than the only way to survive.