Chiefs’ Andy Reid relies on experience to make big decisions

The Chiefs’ miserable 1-4 start is not exactly what anybody had in mind during a season that began with high expectations.

So Chiefs coach Andy Reid was asked Monday what he would need to see out of his team before he made a big move — like replacing his starting quarterback, Alex Smith, or replacing a staff member midseason — in an effort to to shake things up.

“Yeah, well, I bank on a couple years’ of experience,” Reid said, without going into detail. “I’ve seen a few things, so that’s what I would bank on.”

Reid, who is in his 17th season as a head coach, is big on continuity, as 21 of the 22 members of his original coaching staff with the Chiefs in 2013 remain with the team.

The Chiefs are now 21-17, including the playoffs, under Reid.

Reid’s take on Smith

Reid was also asked Monday to evaluate Smith’s performance through five games.

“Yeah, listen, he’s done some good things,” Reid said. “Are there some things he needs to get better at? Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. And again, he’ll do that. He’s going to keep working. That’s how we roll.”

Smith, 31, has completed 63 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and three interceptions. But in a 18-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Smith struggled with his accuracy, completing only 53 percent of his passes and averaging a season-low 6.03 yards per completion.

“No, I mean, there’s no injury, if that’s what you’re looking for or any of that,” Reid said after a brief pause, when asked whether there was any reason Smith was unusually inaccurate. “That’s not what it is. No.”

This story was originally published October 12, 2015 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Chiefs’ Andy Reid relies on experience to make big decisions."