KC Chiefs’ report card as playoffs begin: A rookie (and former Missouri Tiger) rates A+

The Chiefs endured a shaky start this season, opening with a 3-4 record. But their results evened out as the season progressed, and now all seems right in their universe as the NFL playoffs begin.

AFC West champs? Check, to the tune of a sixth straight division title.

A 12-5 record, including an eight-game winning streak? Double-check, complete with some historic significance: Their 12-win total marks the fourth straight year in which the Chiefs reached that milestone, the third-longest such streak in NFL history.

The Chiefs are in the postseason for the seventh straight season, and now have their sights set on making a third straight Super Bowl. The journey starts Sunday night, when they welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to Arrowhead Stadium in the opening round of the postseason.

But before looking too far ahead, let’s revisit the midpoint grades we assigned when the Chiefs were 5-4. A lot has changed since then, and the updated marks that follow reflect it.

QB PATRICK MAHOMES: A-

Mahomes, who garnered a C+ on our midseason report card, endured a tale of two halves this season.

After a mistake-filled first nine games, when he threw 10 interceptions, the Chiefs’ signal-caller flipped the switch and had just three picks in his final seven regular-season games. A lot of the Chiefs’ early-season issues were caused by defenses playing deep in coverage, but they eventually countered effectively by staying patient with underneath passes.

With Mahomes finding his groove and looking elite again, the Chiefs won eight straight and clinched the AFC West for a sixth straight season.

There were some low marks in 2021, including a career-high 13 interceptions and a career-low 57.3 passer rating in Week 13. But Mahomes was resilient and finished the season ranked fourth in passing yards (4,839) and fourth (tied) in passing touchdowns (37). Mahomes also showed his ability to run, setting career highs in rushing attempts (66) and yards (381), with two touchdowns.

The Chiefs’ offense enters the playoffs ranked third in total yards (396.8 per game), fourth in passing (281.8 per game), fourth in scoring (28.2 points per game) and first in third-down percentage (52.2%). None of those statistics are possible without Mahomes, who earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl selection.

RB CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE: C

The Chiefs’ second-year rusher received an incomplete grade at the midpoint because of five missed games (knee injury). He returned in Week 11, but then he missed the final two games of the regular season with a shoulder injury.

When healthy, Edwards-Helaire is a load. He rushed for 517 yards and four touchdowns on 119 carries, adding 129 yards and two touchdowns on 19 catches. That’s 646 total yards from scrimmage in 10 games, an average of 64.6 per game.

With CEH missing so much time, Darrel Williams filled in as the starter. The fourth-year pro put up a team-high 558 rushing yards and six touchdowns en route to his first career 1,000-yard season from scrimmage (1,010).

But this grade isn’t about a running back committee. Edwards-Helaire’s availability, or lack thereof, affects his overall grade for 2021.

WR TYREEK HILL: A

Hill adjusted well as the season progressed. Long regarded as one of the NFL’s most-feared deep threats, he became an even more complete wide receiver this season.

He topped 100 yards receiving just three times in 2021, but his 111 catches were a career best (and established a new club record). He averaged 11.2 yards per catch, second-fewest of his career, but his skills underneath enabled him to finish with 1,239 yards receiving — his fourth 1,000-yard campaign.

Hill was plagued by drops early (five in Weeks 1-9, third-most in the league at the time). But he settled down and dropped just one pass the rest of the way. And he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the sixth time in his career.

TE TRAVIS KELCE: A

Kelce stretched his NFL-record string of 1,000-yard seasons to six. The Pro Bowl’s leading vote-getter at the tight end position finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns.

He now has 9,006 career receiving yards. He’s the sixth tight end in NFL history to reach 9,000 and the quickest to reach that milestone, doing so in 127 games. The previous high-water mark of 140 had been set by Tampa’s Rob Gronkowski.

OFFENSIVE LINE: A

The Chiefs’ revamped offensive line, which garnered a C+ grade at the halfway point, came together and exceeded expectations.

The Chiefs opened the season with this starting O-line: left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., left guard Joe Thuney, rookie center Creed Humphrey, rookie right guard Trey Smith and rookie right tackle Lucas Niang.

Right tackle was a recurring issue. Mike Remmers stepped in as the starter over Niang in Week 6, but when Remmers hurt his knee in Week 7, Niang was a starter again. Then Niang suffered an injury (leg) of his own in Week 9, so veteran Andrew Wylie got the call. Remmers and Niang are on injured reserve now, so Wylie remains the starter for the postseason.

The rest of the offensive line has been nothing short of remarkable. Brown was selected for his third straight Pro Bowl. Thuney, Smith and Humphrey, widely considered one of the NFL’s top centers despite his rookie status, are Pro Bowl alternates.

Four of five guys on a completely overhauled offensive line making the Pro Bowl? Not bad at all.

DL FRANK CLARK, CHRIS JONES: A

Clark and Jones combined to miss five games from Weeks 1-9, resulting in an incomplete midseason grade. They’re healthy now and have shown down the stretch just how formidable they can be.

Jones had a team-best nine sacks. Clark ranked second with 4.5. And they shared the team lead in quarterback hits, with 17 apiece.

Melvin Ingram’s arrival, via a trade with Pittsburgh in early November, factors in greatly here. Ingram’s impact is felt beyond box scores. His presence allowed Jones to move back inside, where he’s most effective. And Ingram’s own effectiveness as a pass-rusher from the left side put opponents in a tough spot.

The Chiefs’ defensive improvement as the season progressed started up front as Jones, Clark, Ingram and tackle Jarran Reed excelled.

LB NICK BOLTON: A+

Bolton has been a steal for the Chiefs.

The second-round pick from Mizzou punctuated an incredibly productive rookie season with a game-winning, 86-yard scoop-and-score fumble return in the regular-season finale.

Honored as the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for October, Bolton appeared in 16 games (12 starts). He recorded 112 tackles, including a team-high 11 for losses.

S TYRANN MATHIEU: A

Mathieu is the heart and soul of the defense and is one of the Chiefs’ clear leaders both on and off the field.

He missed the season opener (reserve/COVID-19 list) but returned to start 16 games and tie cornerback L’Jarius Sneed for third on the Chiefs in tackles (76).

Mathieu led the team in interceptions (three), returning one for a touchdown. He also had a sack, two quarterback hits, three fumble recoveries and six passes defensed. He was selected to his second straight Pro Bowl as a Chief and is a candidate for All-Pro honors for the third straight season.

COACHING STAFF: A

Expectations were high to begin the season, especially for a Chiefs team accustomed to starting fast. This time around, however, the Chiefs looked sluggish before turning it on in the season’s second half and winning eight straight games.

While the players had much to do with that, they were once again a well-coached team. Andy Reid led the Chiefs to their sixth straight AFC West title and they have now reached the postseason in eight of Reid’s nine seasons in Kansas City.

Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy helped the offense rediscover its groove. He’s once again a candidate for NFL head-coaching vacancies elsewhere. And defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo deserves credit for helping the Chiefs finish with an average of 21.4 points allowed per game (eighth-best in the league).

The good work done by this coaching staff doesn’t end there. Offensive line coach Andy Heck has done a commendable job with the big men in the trenches, and defensive line coach Branden Daly likewise created an effective rotation on that side of the ball.

We’ll soon see what all of this effort produces in the postseason, but in terms of rating the coaching staff’s work through the 2021 regular season, this group rates an A.

This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "KC Chiefs’ report card as playoffs begin: A rookie (and former Missouri Tiger) rates A+."

Herbie Teope

The Kansas City Star

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