Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs

In the NFL, success in the red zone—those critical offensive drives inside an opponent’s 20-yard line—often separates good teams from great ones. It’s where precision, playcalling, and clutch talent collide, and this season, no team has mastered that collision better than the Kansas City Chiefs. Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs isn’t just a label; it’s a statistical fact: through 14 games, the Chiefs lead the league in red zone touchdown percentage (78%), converting 42 of their 54 red zone trips into touchdowns—10 percentage points higher than the second-place team. This dominance hasn’t just padded their point total; it’s turned close games into wins, demoralized opponents, and solidified their status as Super Bowl favorites. For the Chiefs, red zone success isn’t an accident—it’s the result of elite talent, smart strategy, and a commitment to executing when the field shrinks.

Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs starts with the dynamic duo of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, who have turned the red zone into their personal playground. Mahomes, known for his ability to extend plays and find open receivers in tight spaces, has thrown 28 red zone touchdown passes this season—more than any other quarterback in the NFL. Kelce, meanwhile, has been his most reliable target inside the 20, hauling in 12 red zone touchdowns (tied for the league lead) and converting 90% of his red zone targets into receptions. Their chemistry was on full display in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, when Mahomes scrambled to avoid pressure, rolled to his left, and found Kelce in the back of the end zone for a game-winning 5-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left. “Patrick and Travis just have a connection that’s hard to stop in the red zone,” Chiefs wide receivers coach Greg Lewis said. “Patrick knows where Travis is going before Travis even gets there, and Travis has a knack for finding the soft spot in any defense. They make the hard plays look easy.” But the Chiefs’ red zone success isn’t just a two-man show; it’s a team effort that includes contributions from every part of the offense.

Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs also reflects the team’s balanced offensive approach, which keeps defenses guessing and creates mismatches inside the 20. While Mahomes and Kelce get most of the attention, the Chiefs’ red zone strategy relies heavily on their physical rushing attack, led by Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco has rushed for 10 red zone touchdowns this season, using his 220-pound frame to power through defensive lines and reach the end zone on short-yardage plays. In Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, the Chiefs faced a 4th-and-1 at the Packers’ 2-yard line; instead of passing, they handed the ball to Pacheco, who plowed through two defenders for a touchdown that extended their lead to 14 points. “Having a reliable running back in the red zone keeps defenses honest,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “If they stack the box to stop Pacheco, we can throw to Kelce or Tyreek [Hill] one-on-one. If they drop back to cover our receivers, Pacheco can run through the gap. It’s a win-win for us.” The Chiefs also use their wide receivers in creative ways in the red zone: Hill, with his speed, often lines up in the slot to create mismatches against slower linebackers, while Kadarius Toney uses his quickness to run short routes over the middle. This balance—run and pass, star players and role players—makes the Chiefs’ red zone offense nearly impossible to defend.

Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs is a testament to Andy Reid’s playcalling genius, as the Hall of Fame coach has designed a red zone system that maximizes the strengths of his players while exploiting opponents’ weaknesses. Reid spends hours studying film of opposing defenses, identifying their tendencies in the red zone—whether they prefer man-to-man or zone coverage, whether they blitz often or drop extra defenders into coverage—and tailors his playcalls accordingly. For example, if a defense tends to double-team Kelce in the red zone, Reid will call a play that sends Hill in motion to create a one-on-one matchup with a cornerback. If a defense stacks the box to stop the run, Reid will call a play-action pass to a tight end or wide receiver who’s left uncovered. “Coach Reid just has a way of putting us in positions to succeed in the red zone,” Mahomes said. “He knows exactly what each player does best, and he designs plays that let us showcase those skills. It’s hard to lose when you have a playcaller like that.” The Kansas City Chiefs’ red zone playbook is also constantly evolving; Reid makes adjustments week to week based on what’s working and what opponents are doing to stop them, ensuring the offense never becomes predictable.

Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs has been a difference-maker in close games, turning potential field goals into touchdowns and securing wins that other teams might have lost. In Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Chiefs had four red zone trips; they converted all four into touchdowns, including a 1-yard run by Pacheco with 2:30 left that gave them a 31-28 lead. In Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs were trailing 24-21 in the fourth quarter when they drove to the Raiders’ 8-yard line; instead of settling for a field goal to tie, Mahomes threw a touchdown pass to Toney to take the lead, and the Chiefs went on to win 28-24. “Converting red zone trips into touchdowns instead of field goals is huge in close games,” Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “A field goal gives the opponent a chance to come back, but a touchdown puts more pressure on them to score. It changes the momentum of the game.” The Kansas City Chiefs’ red zone dominance has also helped them win games by large margins; in their 41-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, they converted five of their six red zone trips into touchdowns, putting the game out of reach by halftime.

Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs is more than just a regular-season stat—it’s a critical advantage heading into the playoffs, where every point matters and red zone efficiency often determines who advances. In last year’s AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Chiefs converted three of their four red zone trips into touchdowns, including a game-winning 2-yard pass from Mahomes to Kelce in overtime. This season, their red zone success has only gotten better, and it’s a big reason why they’re tied for the NFL’s best record. “Red zone efficiency in the playoffs is everything,” Kelce said. “You’re playing against the best teams in the league, and they’re not going to give you many chances to score. If you can convert those chances into touchdowns, you’re going to win a lot of games.” For Chiefs fans, the team’s red zone dominance is a source of confidence—knowing that when the Chiefs get inside the 20, they’re almost guaranteed to come away with six points. In the end, Best in Red Zone This Season for the Kansas City Chiefs is a reflection of what makes this team great: elite talent, smart strategy, and the ability to execute when it matters most. And if they keep playing this way in the red zone, they’ll be hoisting another Lombardi Trophy in February.