An overlooked reason for Chiefs’ offensive surge will loom large in Jacksonville
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs’ offense had best game in years by cutting self-inflicted penalties.
- Right tackle Jawaan Taylor logged a clean game, aiming to reset his penalty trend.
- Penalties will be a key in Monday’s trip to Jacksonville, which leads NFL in penalties.
Last week against Baltimore, the Chiefs’ offense looked more dynamic and smooth than it had in eons: The 37-point eruption marked their most prolific output in 42 games since mulching the Bears 41-10 on Sept. 24, 2023.
A ton of stuff went into what was at least a refreshing change, if not perhaps a breakout performance, against a ruptured Baltimore defense.
Receiver Xavier Worthy returned from injury and added a dimension and created a ripple effect with his presence. The offensive line with a new and young left side showed signs of coalescing, enabling Patrick Mahomes to have precious time that’s been in short supply the last couple of seasons.
And the Chiefs went 4-for-4 on fourth-down conversions to extend a trend with an NFL-high nine such conversions this season in 10 tries — after attempting all of 17 last season (12 successfully).
But something more subtle, fundamental in multiple ways and recently rare was at play, too.
Something that didn’t happen.
The Chiefs didn’t commit an offensive penalty until their seventh drive, more than 42 minutes into the game, leading 27-13. They finished with three overall on that side of the ball, as many as the Ravens had on one miserable series early in the game.
Turns out, not stopping themselves can flip the script.
Most notably, right tackle Jawaan Taylor, the NFL penalty leader in each of the last two-plus seasons, had a clean sheet.
Whether that proves to be a reset for Taylor or a different sort of false start than the ones that have hovered over him remains to be seen.
But the reality of it, and the penalty game in general, will loom large over KC’s game on Monday in Jacksonville.
Not just because we saw last week how vital it can be for the Chiefs simply to first do no harm — particularly in terms of pre-snap penalties that have plagued Taylor. And not simply because the Jaguars are the most-penalized team in the NFL, caught 50 times with nine declined and three offsetting; the Chiefs are the league’s 15th-most penalized team.
Most of all, it’s because their last regular-season visit to Jacksonville was marred by the spectacle of Taylor being flagged five times — the most by an NFL player since 2016.
Put another way, that was more penalties than Taylor, playing for Jacksonville, was assessed at EverBank Stadium the entire 2022 season, when he was called for four there and three on the road for seven overall in 19 games.
The sad unraveling, which featured two false starts, once lining up in illegal formation and two holding penalties in a span of three plays, incurred a rare benching of an entrenched starter by coach Andy Reid.
After the 17-9 victory, Reid suggested pulling Taylor for two plays was to help him regain his composure — to “just step back.”
Speaking with The Star at his locker on Thursday, Taylor spoke in polite generalities about returning to Jacksonville, where he spent four seasons before the Chiefs in 2023 signed him to a four-year, $80 million free-agent deal, with $60 million guaranteed.
The native of Cocoa, Florida, about two hours south of Jacksonville, talked about his excitement to play in front of 15-20 family members and friends. And he said the game didn’t have any sort of extra emotion after the last time around.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a different kind of game,” he said, calling it another game on the schedule against a great opponent.
When I asked him why he was able to stay penalty-free last week and what the challenge of that is, he said it wasn’t “really a challenge” and that he just has to keep working to perfect both his timing and starting alignment — which typically is about the deepest in the NFL.
But the balancing act between seizing the greatest advantages he can in getting off the ball and spacing and being within the rules often has proven a predicament for Taylor in his time with the Chiefs.
Consider that in four seasons and 68 games (including the postseason) with the Jaguars, Taylor was cited with 15 false starts and zero illegal formation calls.
In 44 games with the Chiefs, he’s been called for false starts 18 times and illegal formation on seven occasions.
And while there is a certain curiosity in his career arc toward becoming a penalty magnet, a through line that can be drawn to what might be called the “Collinsworth Effect,” Taylor says he doesn’t feel singled out.
“No, I feel like it’s been fair,” he said. “I’ve just got to do my part and make sure I’m clean.”
As Reid last week considered how fast Taylor moves at the snap, he seemed to summon a paraphrase of the old line from fabled UCLA basketball coach John Wooden: “Be quick but don’t hurry.”
In Reid’s version, it went like this: “He knows he’s got to focus in on not being too quick off the ball.”
Pausing and smiling, Reid added: “But at the same time, being quick. You’ve got to be on-time. Spot-on. So he’s worked hard at that.”
One way or another, Taylor has been called to work on it harder — with mixed results — ever since his first game with the Chiefs.
In the 2023 season opener against the Lions, NBC’s Cris Collinsworth focused repeatedly on Taylor’s alignment, at one point saying he was “playing slot receiver.” During the same broadcast, NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay said “he’s not remotely close” to being lined up properly.
In the following days, an NFL officiating training tape sent to all 32 teams stressed that alignment would be a point of emphasis going forward. And, per Sports Illustrated, the tape specifically included footage of Taylor.
Presto, he was penalized five times at Jacksonville the next week.
And when Taylor picked up two more illegal formation calls against the Bears a couple weeks later, Reid did something he rarely does by calling out the officiating:
“They’ve got an eye on him, and they better keep an eye on everybody else, too,” he said then. “Because it’s to the point of being ridiculous.”
Taylor went on to lead the NFL in penalties with 23 that season, though. Then he tied for the lead with 19 last season.
And now he’s back at the top, alas, with seven in 2025 after being called four times in the opener against the Chargers.
For their part, the Chiefs have straddled a few lines over him: He’s kept playing because they believe he’s that much better than free-agent signee Jaylon Moore.
And they’ve also insinuated he gets more scrutinized than others ... even as they’ve publicly stated he’s the only one who can control those issues.
Now he’s got some traction off a penalty-free game for the first time this season.
And it’s a chance for him to gain some momentum on an issue the Chiefs can’t afford to have him too quickly step back on, literally or figuratively, if they’re going to thrive offensively..
This story was originally published October 5, 2025 at 10:00 AM.