Chris Jones and 2 other fatal flaws keeping Chiefs from Super Bowl repeat

Chris Jones and 2 other fatal flaws that could keep Chiefs from Super Bowl repeat, No. 1: Overhauled offensive line

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline entering the 2023 season for the Kansas City Chiefs is their new-look offensive line.

It’s difficult for any team to replace some of their top players along the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs have done it in the past by replacing Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz after the 2020 season. The team traded for Orlando Brown to plug in at left tackle while moving Andrew Wylie from guard to right tackle. These moves paid off for the Chiefs in those two seasons, but now, both are gone.

Brown signed a four-year, $64 million deal with the Chiefs’ newest rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Wylie, meanwhile, signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Washington Commanders. Once again, the Chiefs had to replace both of their starting tackles. And they did so by bringing in some big names.

Filling in at right tackle is Jawaan Taylor, who spent the start of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Eventually, the team brought in former Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith. The thing is, while they both have the name, can they play up to par?

Last year, Smith was one of the most penalized tackles in the league, getting flagged 12 times, seven of which were for holding, and four of which were for false start. Those numbers are alarming.

As for Taylor, he did pretty well this past season for the Jaguars. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed a pressure rate of 2.9 percent on pass-blocking snaps, which ranks fifth-lowest among 70 eligible tackles (minimum 250 pass-blocking snaps). But the question will be if he can make the transition to Kansas City’s offense.

Besides two new starting offensive tackles, the interior of the offensive line remains the same with Trey Smith, Joe Thuney, and Creed Humphrey. But, if Smith and Taylor struggle, that could spell disaster for the Chiefs. The team is certainly looking to avoid what happened in Super Bowl 55 against the Buccaneers, where Mahomes was pressured the entirety of the game and couldn’t get much done.