It's not a democracy for the Chiefs when it comes to fourth-down decisions.
The final call to try and pick up a first down or punt the ball away belongs to head coach Andy Reid, which is probably a good thing.
"I want to go for it every single time," quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
If that happened, the Chiefs' terrific success rate throughout the season and especially in their divisional playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts might have taken a hit.
As it stands, Reid has been on point. During the regular season, the Chiefs converted 12 of 15 fourth-down attempts.
In last week's divisional-round victory over the Colts, the Chiefs were successful three times in four fourth-down attempts.
Notable about the statistic: They all came with the Chiefs leading and not furiously playing catch-up. They were not taking a fourth-down risk out of desperation. Aggressiveness was part of the plan.
"Every situation is different," Reid said. "I liked it last week. I can't tell you that I would this week."
Against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, the Chiefs could find themselves in similar situations and play it differently.
But things couldn't have worked out better last weekend.
The Chiefs led 7-0 when they faced a fourth-and-1 from the Colts' 47. With fullback Anthony Sherman as the lead blocker, a hole up the middle opened to a point that tackle Mitchell Schwartz didn't find someone to block until he reached the second level.
On the next snap, receiver Tyreek Hill scored on a 36-yard end-around.
One possession later, Williams again got the call with Sherman leading the way from the Indianapolis 35. This one picked up four yards and the drive ended with a field goal.
The next two attempts came on the first possession of the second half. Williams picked up two yards on a fourth and 1 from the Colts' 40. But the drive ended when Patrick Mahomes was sacked on a fourth and 5 from the 33.
On at least two occasions, the Chiefs were too far away to attempt a field goal. And on a snowy and windy day, they chose not to send out kicker Harrison Butker and the field-goal unit for what would have been two long attempts.
Field conditions also play into such decisions.
"It all depends on the situation, what you have there, what you have left on your script, your game-plan sheet," Reid said.
But it's also true that the Chiefs have the NFL's most potent offense. They led the NFL in scoring (35.3) and yards per game (425.6) and yards per play (6.84). They became the first team in league history to score at least 26 points in every regular-season game and put up 31 on a snowy day against the Colts.
Their 15 fourth-down down attempts are the most in Reid's six seasons, and their 80 percent success rate trailed only the Saints, who went 13 of 16 (81.3 percent) among teams with at least 10 attempts.
"It starts off with the guy calling it," Williams said. "You've got Andy Reid saying, 'Let's go for it.'"
It could be argued that the Chiefs' biggest drive of the regular season was fueled by a pair of fourth-down conversions.
Trailing the Ravens 24-17 late, Mahomes scrambled and found Hill for a 48-yard gain on fourth-and-9. The game-tying touchdown came on a fourth-and-3 pass to Williams.
The Chiefs had no choice on those snaps. Miss on either, and if the rest of the season had played out similarly, the Chiefs would not have won the AFC West or been the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
But those occasions are where the Chiefs could've punted or kicked a field goal, and might've at other points in Reid's tenure. But he didn't go conservative, and that approach could serve the Chiefs well again on Sunday against New England.
"I'll always trust whatever (Reid) decides," Mahomes said. "If he gives us the chance we're going to make the most of it."
