Number of drives: 15 (Last week: 10)
Average starting field position: 38.5 yard line (Last week: 19 yard line)
Average number of plays per drive: 4.6 (Last week: 5.7)
Average net yards gained per drive: 23.6 (Last week: 26.1)
Average drive time: 2:20 (Last week: 2:20 minutes)
Longest drive: 58 yards (Last week: 70 yards)
Time of possesion: 35:10 (Last week: 23:17)
You see what happens when your offense gets five more drives to attempt to score? The Chiefs dominated the time of possession, except when we needed it most. Look at the last three drives, which all began basically within five minutes left in the game. I see stats like that and I think back to the game and think to myself that, you know what, the Chiefs really can't run the ball when we want to. 119 yards rushing be damned.
This is an obvious observation but these Chiefs can only really score when given a short field to work with. Our scoring drives went for 49 yards, 44 yards, 44 yards, 58 yards and 56 yards. The word "drive" and the word "march" should never be used with this offense.
Here is the length (in yards) of every Chiefs scoring drive this season:
Houston: 63
Chicago: 83, 18
Minnesota: 7, 84
San Diego: 19, 41, 57, 36, 77
Jacksonville: 70
Cincinnati: 49, 44, 44, 58, 56
Average: 50 yards
If you needed statistical validation that the Chiefs cannot manufacture first downs through the running game, here it is. For a little perspective, our opponents have a combined 38 rushing first downs against us.
| Opponent | Drives | 3/outs | Scoring | Avg. Start | Pass 1st downs | Run 1st downs | Pen. 1 st downs |
| Houston | 9 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| Chicago | 14 | 8 | 2 | 31 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| San Diego | 12 | 3 | 5 | 32 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Jacksonville | 10 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Cincinnati | 15 | 5 | 5 | 39 | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 70 | 27 | 17 | 28 | 70 | 18 | 4 |
When you're watching (other) football games, think about how many times a team rushes for a yard or two and gets a first down. Or when a team occasionally breaks off a 8, 9, or 10 yard run for a first down. That rarely happens with this Chiefs offense. This is the albatross around the Chiefs neck.