KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sunday’s prime-time matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Jets will offer plenty of storylines for NBC’s broadcast.
Play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and color analyst Cris Collinsworth will discuss the play of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Jets’ struggles with their own quarterback, Zach Wilson, tight end Travis Kelce’s new relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift and the plethora of talented defensive players on the field at MetLife Stadium — defensive tackles Chris Jones and Quinnen Williams, cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner and safeties Justin Reid and Jordan Whitehead.
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And yet, one of the game’s most fascinating topics is one that Tirico, Collinsworth and Terry McAulay, NBC’s rules analyst, mentioned — over and over and over again — three weeks ago during the NFL’s opening-night game: Is Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor breaking one of the NFL’s most mundane rules, lining up correctly, before the ball is snapped?
“After opening night, I really thought we would be done talking about tackles getting lined up on the line of scrimmage, and specifically Jawaan Taylor,” Dean Blandino, Fox Sports’ rules analyst, said Monday in a video with The 33rd Team. “But now we’re through three weeks, and we’re still talking about Taylor.”
Yes, no offensive lineman in the league has been penalized for the infraction more than Taylor. Through three weeks, the league, which said this offseason that it would emphasize penalizing illegal formation more often, has flagged the violation 17 times. Just four of the penalties have been on an offensive tackle. Three of those four errors have been committed by Taylor, a five-year veteran in his first season with the Chiefs.
“I haven’t seen a player get this much attention for something as simple as lining up, I don’t think ever,” said Blandino, the NFL’s former vice president of officiating who was a replay official in two Super Bowls. “I can’t say that Patrick Mahomes is wrong when he says he watches a ton of film and sees other tackles (lining up in a similar spot). Here’s the deal: We had five illegal-formation calls in Week 3. Three were for different violations. There were only two illegal formations for a tackle not lining up on the line of scrimmage. The only two were against Jawaan Taylor.
“We’ll see if this continues to be a thing.”
After most of three weeks, Jawaan Taylor's positioning is still a hot topic around the #NFL @DeanBlandino explains the flags on Taylor in Week 3, and wonders if the league may continue to emphasize keeping tackles on the line pic.twitter.com/1Ze34OIHZW
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) September 25, 2023
After their win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Chiefs immediately started their pushback campaign, a rare move with coach Andy Reid and Mahomes criticizing the league, suggesting that officials have treated Taylor unfairly.
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“Now that I’ve had the chance to look at it, I’d even double-down more on what I said (Sunday),” Reid said Monday. “I just think they’ve got an eye on him, and they better keep an eye on everyone else, too. It’s to the point of being ridiculous. They got their point proved out there to the world, so now let’s make sure that we’re staying consistent.
“You look around the league, and it’s just not consistent. That’s the important thing.”
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The tipping point for the Chiefs came in the final minute of the second quarter Sunday. With the Chiefs at midfield, Mahomes moved up in the pocket to deliver a deep pass to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who was wide open to score a 50-yard touchdown. But the play was nullified by a penalty on Taylor.
Once referee Alan Eck made the announcement, Taylor tried to get an explanation from the officiating crew, although he said one was never given. While Fox showed the replay of where Taylor started the play, color analyst Greg Olsen said Taylor appeared to be in the proper spot, one where the tackle’s helmet is supposed to be in line with center Creed Humprey’s waist.
“It’s wild to me,” Mahomes said after the game. “When you go back and look at the tablet, they’re both (Taylor and left tackle Donovan Smith) in the exact same spot. I just don’t understand it. It’s hard because he’s playing great.
“I know it’s hard to officiate, but I watch a lot of tape. He’s no deeper than any other tackle in the league. I mean, there’s other guys even further back than he is. It’s crazy to see, and hopefully it kind of calms down as the season goes on.”
On the next snap, Mahomes suffered a minor right ankle injury, the same ankle he injured in January. On a routine dropback, Mahomes delivered a short pass to receiver Watson but was rolled up from behind by defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who fell to the turf after being blocked by Smith, the left tackle. After the play, Mahomes grimaced while hobbling. Although he limped between plays, he finished the drive to end the half. (More Chiefs injury news here.)
Patrick Mahomes appears to be in pain after getting his ankle rolled on pic.twitter.com/alBUWdIlE5
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 24, 2023
When Mahomes returned to the field to start the third quarter, the Chiefs also had a new right tackle: Prince Tega Wanogho.
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For the second consecutive game, Reid replaced Taylor with Wanogho, a second-year player. With Taylor watching from the sideline, the Chiefs scored on their first possession of the quarter, an 11-play, 64-yard drive that ended with an easy 3-yard connection from Mahomes to Kelce in the back of the end zone. The Chiefs were not penalized on the drive, either. Taylor returned to action for the start of the fourth quarter.
“There are a lot of tackles that aren’t on the line of scrimmage,” Blandino said. “It’s up to the officials to warn and then, after the warning, to flag so that the tackles can correct the issue.”
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During the Chiefs’ loss to the Lions, NBC’s broadcast team put a spotlight on Taylor, pointing out late in the third quarter that he was lined up too far off the line of scrimmage, even though he was never penalized. On many of the Chiefs’ passing plays, however, Taylor was lined up blatantly deep against star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
“He’s not remotely close,” McAulay, a former three-time Super Bowl referee, said during the game’s broadcast. “It’s really putting the defensive end at a tremendous disadvantage when he can be that far back.”
In March, Taylor joined the Chiefs, signing a four-year, $80 million contract knowing that his performance would be largely measured on one task: protecting Mahomes, the franchise quarterback.
“I feel I’m doing pretty well overall in a new system,” Taylor told The Athletic before Wednesday’s practice. “I’m starting to get comfortable, but I’m definitely not where I want to be at yet. I’ve still got more things I want to accomplish. I’m just trying to be better.”
Taylor then explained his objectives against the Jets — win his matchups against edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers, help the Chiefs’ running backs have success and finish the game without a penalty.
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Taylor would also love to not hear his name mentioned by Tirico, Collinsworth or McAulay.
“I’ve just got to be better and keep doing my job to clean it up,” Taylor said of team-leading eight penalties. “It’s new to me, but I’m trying to stay professional through it all and help my team win.”
Keeping QB1’s jersey squeaky clean 🧼 pic.twitter.com/doIc85pQga
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) September 25, 2023
When the ball is snapped and Mahomes attempts a pass — and Taylor is not penalized — the quarterback has had exceptional protection.
Against the Bears, Mahomes completed 18 of 24 pass attempts from inside the tackle box without pressure, passing for 212 yards and three touchdowns for a plus-15.8 in expected points added, according to Next Gen Stats. The Chiefs are atop the league in pass block win rate, winning 76 percent of the time — by sustaining their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer — according to player tracking data from Next Gen Stats. Such production has translated to Mahomes facing the lowest pressure rate, just 25.4 percent, of his seven-year career, according to Next Gen Stats. Mahomes also leads the league with six touchdown passes from a clean pocket.
The Chiefs are just one of two teams, along with the Dallas Cowboys, who have not had their offensive line credited with a sack allowed, according to Pro Football Focus. Despite his pre-snap issue, Taylor is tied for third in pass block win rate among offensive tackles, winning 95 percent of the time in his 81 pass-blocking snaps.
“He’s a phenomenal player and leader,” Taylor said of Mahomes. “Being able to play with somebody of that caliber every Sunday with that much fire in him, and that much greatness, it just makes everybody else around him play great. I’m very happy to play with him because it’s even bringing my play up to another level.”
(Photo: David Eulitt / Getty Images)
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