Forget the nuances of the Kansas City Chiefs’ iconic bag of tricks. This week, the call is much simpler: switch it up, feed the tight ends, and use Travis Kelce as much as possible.

Talking about the offensive strategy head coach Andy Reid should follow in the Chiefs’ clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars, that will be the key to victory. Jason Dunn, the former Chiefs TE, shared this exact strategy on the latest edition of Chief Concerns. As Dunn put it:

“Unleash the Krakens, the TEs in this game. That’s what we have to do. Travis Kelce rules the middle. They run a lot of zones. Travis Kelce is going to be the guy in this game. He might be close to 100 [yards] this game.”

Franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are the lifeblood. But the Jaguars’ defense? Pure red zone killers. Kansas City’s usual strategies won’t cut it here. Dunn didn’t stop at Kelce. He wanted the whole group to set loose. Behind Travis Kelce, the ideal push would be provided by TEs Noah Gray and Robert Tonyan. As Dunn further added on the show:

“Noah Gray, same thing. Is this going to be the first game we see Robert Tonyan catching the football? I do hope so. Got to lift the tight ends this game.”

Why lean on tight ends? Jacksonville’s zone eats up traditional receiver routes. But bring out Kelce, Gray and Tonyan, and suddenly the linebackers are in a blender. This season, the Chiefs have already started mixing it up more.

With limited wide receiver depth, Reid and Mahomes have given the spotlight playmaking opportunities to Kelce and his crew when the usual targets get bracketed. Dunn sees this as overdue in the red zone more than anything. Bring the TEs, keep it balanced, and hammer the red zone. And has a number he wants to see for this:

“We got to do things play action-wise. That’s why I say use tight ends in this game, especially down there in the red zone. That’s going to be the key for us. We got three very good tight ends who have experience in the NFL, who’ve caught a lot of touchdowns, caught a lot of balls. So, we must score in the red zone. 70% is where we are looking at.”

Each week, the Chiefs have slowly found their offensive rhythm back. Against the Jaguars, KC could make their defense pick its poison. They’ll take their shots. Mahomes won’t stop looking for the big play. But when push comes to shove, it’s the tight ends who might finally break Jacksonville’s streak for cashing in turnovers and turn a close game into a runaway.

There’s just one hitch that makes the TEs’ role in this matchup more important than ever. With one of their key offensive weapons limping, the Chiefs’ best-laid plans have hit a snag.

Andy Reid’s offensive woes continue

The Chiefs had already missed their star receiver Xavier Worthy for two games so far. When Worthy suited up against the Baltimore Ravens, the offense got the boost it was looking for. It wasn’t just about morale, though. Worthy’s presence confused the defense and opened up windows for Patrick Mahomes to connect with other playmakers. But now, he’s been downgraded to questionable status before MNF.

As the Chiefs dropped the announcement on October 5, “Worthy (shoulder/ankle) is now questionable for Monday Night’s game.” Worthy’s speed brought the vertical spark back in Kansas City, but with Worthy now a question mark, the pressure mounts on KC’s tight ends again. Losing Worthy, even for a night, compresses the field. Defenses key in on Kelce a little bit more, and the margin for error shrinks.

But there’s no reason to panic just yet. You can always count on Patrick Mahomes to make some magic on the field. The Worthy injury stings (again), but Andy Reid could flip the script on his tight ends to make a splash. Will they hit Dunn’s prophecy and notch a third win in their streak? We’ll find out.

Check out our latest video to see why the Chiefs’ over dependance on Patrick Mahomes is causing a major roadblock for the offense to score points.