Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Andy Reid Chimes In on the Chris Jones Lack of Effort Play on Trevor Lawrence’s Game-Winning Touchdown

Chris Jones faces criticism over lack of effort!

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs blew an early 14-point lead in the first half to end up losing 31-28 in the Monday Night Football’s prime-time slot. Playing under the bright lights of EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence rushed in for a game-winning touchdown.

That particular play not only dropped Kansas City to 2-3 on the season, but also drew widespread criticism of star defender Chris Jones.

Why Chris Jones Received Severe Backlash

With the Jaguars trailing 24-28 in the fourth quarter and with time winding down, Jacksonville had 1st and goal from the one-yard line. Once the ball snapped, one of the offensive linemen stepped on Lawrence, making him fall to the ground. Lawrence stumbled yet again while trying to get up, but was eventually successful and rushed in for the crucial touchdown.

During this play, Chris Jones was seen doing virtually nothing as he didn’t make any effort to close down or try to tackle Lawrence. While it would have been nearly impossible for Jones to reach the Jaguars’ signal caller, the lack of effort on his part caused significant uproar from the fans and media alike.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones with the all-out effort to stop the TDpic.twitter.com/vByAe0nhoP
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 7, 2025

What Andy Reid Had to Say

Speaking to the media later on, Andy Reid was asked what kind of message the coaching staff had for Jones on the game-winning touchdown. Reid kept it as simple as ever with his response and also made it clear that, as a veteran player, Jones is very well aware of what needs to be done.

“You can’t think that the guy is down, you can’t think that,” said Reid. “You gotta just play the play. He knows, I mean, he’s been around this thing a long time, that’s really what it came down to.”

Andy Reid talks about his message to Chris Jones after that final play: "You can't think that the guys down. You can't think that. You gotta just play the play, he knows."

He also discusses the uncharacteristic mistakes made by the #Chiefs lately. pic.twitter.com/IpWaCKaG26
— Sports Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) October 8, 2025

Mistakes Creeping in Jones’ Game?

What exactly was going through Jones’ mind on that particular play is something only he knows. But one thing is for sure, the 3-time Super Bowl winner has been the most important piece on the Chiefs’ defense for a number of years.

There have been multiple games in which he has been the reason for a Chiefs’ victory. But, that said, this is the second time in just 5 games this season that Jones has been held accountable for game-altering decisions.

Going back to the week 1 game against the Chargers, Jones made a costly error by coming inside to sack Justin Herbert, but there was no one to cover Herbert on the right side, leading to a crucial run for a game-ending first down.

Something seems to be amiss with Jones. It may not necessarily be too concerning, but if the Kansas City Chiefs stand any chance this season, having Chris Jones at his level best is of utmost importance.

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Andy Reid

chris jones

Kansas City Chiefs

NFL

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!