How KC Chiefs can turn field goals into TDs (not come up short in short yardage)

The Chiefs showed their appreciation for placekicker Harrison Butker last month by signing him to a contract extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid player at his position

But they’d prefer he remain on the sideline when they reach the shadow of the goal line.

Last weekend, for the second straight game, the Chiefs settled for a short Butker field goal after they failed to bully or finesse their way into the end zone late in Sunday’s 22-17 victory at the Falcons. Butker booted a 21-yarder after the Chiefs opened the second half by driving to Atlanta’s 3-yard line.

A week earlier, in a one-point home victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Butker kicked a 19-yarder after three plays from the 2 gained just one yard.

The Chiefs will look to put an end to their short-yardage and red zone woes Sunday, when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers for a game that kicks off at 3:25 p.m. Central Time.

In three games. the Chiefs have scored two touchdowns from inside the 5. Isiah Pacheco punched in a TD from 1 against the Baltimore Ravens and tackle Wanya Morris caught a 1-yard pass in the end zone from Patrick Mahomes against the Bengals.

That means the Chiefs are just 2 for 4 inside the 5 — and while .500 would be a great batting average in baseball, it’s sub-standard in football.

“It’s tough to win games like that in this league, just scoring three points,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You get down there (and) you’ve got to get it in.”

The Chiefs’ issues in this area extend beyond the goal line. In the red zone — inside the opponent’s 20-yard line — they’ve scored just four touchdowns in nine tries (44.4%, tied for 22nd in the NFL). But failure at the goal line is a real gut-punch ... and for the Chiefs, these miscues have kept games uncomfortably close.

The Chiefs have opened the playbook near the goal line. Against the Falcons and Bengals, they produced a jumbo package that included linebacker Leo Chanel as a fullback and Morris as a tackle-eligible target. That formation allowed Morris to sneak into the end zone for his touchdown against Cincinnati.

The Chiefs also have put Mahomes in motion, with center Creed Humphrey snapping the ball directly to a running back — Pacheco against the Bengals, rookie Carson Steele against the Falcons.

It didn’t work either week. Steele, who got the start because Pacheco broke a bone in his leg, lost two yards on his third-down attempt.

Too predictable? Wrong personnel? Whatever the reasons, something’s been off, and better goal-to-go efficiency could relieve some of the tension in these close games. Butker blasted a 51-yard field goal on the last play of the game to beat the Bengals.

Closing out last week’s game required Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and the defense to come up with a fourth-down stop as Falcons running back Bijan Robinson ran it on fourth-and-1 from the 13.

Adding to the puzzle: The Chiefs are formidable up front, especially the interior trio of Humphrey and guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith. And with hard-charging Pacheco and now Steele, the road-paving personnel to finish off drives seems to be there.

The Chiefs just have to believe it will happen.

“When you get to game day, it’s a mentality — from us as coaches, from players — that you’re not going to be stopped,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said.

Under Reid, the Chiefs have scored near the goal line in a variety of ways, and from different formations. The play-calling is brilliant when it works, questionable when it fails.

“There are things we can all do better here, myself included,” Reid said.