Chiefs Offense: Christmas In July

 

 

It’s Christmas in July. Here’s a review of the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos December 25th game in 2016. This was a game reported as a “Rout of the Broncos” and ended at 33-to-10 in favor of the good guys. I’ve long believed that you can learn as much from your wins as your loses so, let’s take a peek and see what can be gleaned.

 

I’ll be focusing on the Chiefs offense since it was very successful that day. Yes, the defense held the Bronks to 10 points but it is the offense that many are wondering whether or not they can climb the championship mountain this year, which is exactly what they did that day… faced with the reigning Super Bowl Champions and first place in the AFC West still up for grabs. The game began when Denver won the toss and elected to receive but then went six-and-out.

 

Here’s where the Offensive story begins for the Chiefs.

 

When Andy Reid has an effective running game in his pocket he likes a game plan that is typically “inside-then-outside.” Meaning, he likes to first bludgeon the defense between the tackles and then run plays that stretch the defense by going outside, or, down the sidelines. This is exactly what Reid did on this day by making his first play a hand-off to RB Spencer Ware up the middle for a four or five yard gain. Almost every play the Chiefs attempted in this 7 play 77 yard rive was working like a charm bracelet in charm school.

 

The most notable, or memorable, plays included an End-Around-Right, which has become famously known as a Jet Sweep. Since the Chiefs employ the fastest man in football, why not use a play that netted some big results in 2016? The two part graphic below shows Tyreek Hill’s path as he is so fast that he literally ran right past the outstretched arms of Superman Von Miller. In the second half of this play you can follow the yellow brick road… err… the red dotted line, to see that he weaves back and forth once turning the Safety around and gaining 28 yards in the process.

 

 

 

 

One of the great things I love about this play is watching the Broncos defender on the right side of the bottom part of this two-piece graphic completely getting upended.

 

The other play on this drive that stands out is Alex Smith’s Option-Left when he kept the ball and ran around the well executed block by Travis Kelce for a touchdown. Take a look.

 

 

 

 

With the Chiefs driving down the field, on first-and-goal, Alex Smith glides into the end zone untouched. For the Chiefs to be successful in 2017, the game plan will need to include a few of these plays to keep the defensive ends from teeing off.

 

Next, Denver goes 5 plays and out and K.C. takes over at their own 19 yard line. Reid goes up the middle again but RB Ware can only get one-yard out of it. This is a typical play by Andy Reid that drives me nuts sometimes. He wants to establish the running game up the middle so he takes EVERY first down play to do that. It becomes to predictable for my blood and the use of some “outside-then-inside” game planning is in order and should bring about the same results he’s looking for. Especially with the speed of Hill and the cleverness of Kelce.

 

The next play is a crossing pattern over the middle of the field to Travis Kelce for a first down. See, why couldn’t Reid lead with that play and go to Ware on second and short between the tackles? He achieves the same affect.

 

So… on first down, where does Reid go? Back up the middle to Spencer Ware for a one-yard gain.

 

Next, is perhaps one of the most important plays as far as determining how the Chiefs will game plan in 2017: the 70 yard TD-run by Tyreek Hill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, it’s fun to look back at plays like this just for the pure enjoyment of it. However, I think this is a significant play because of Alex Smith’s limited ability to throw long with accuracy. Instead of teams having to respect the long routes that Chiefs receivers might run, Andy Reid is not only playing the “inside-and-outside” game but to stretch the field he is going to place players like Tyreek Hill in positions to create the big play.

 

Look back at the first photo in this sequence and notice that the Broncos were stacking the box “inside.” They not only had dedicated 5 defensive linemen between the tackles but they used four more linebackers within five yards of the line-of-scrimmage to make sure they could stop the run. This is one reason Andy Reid was continuing to run up the middle so as to force Denver to stack the box. Reid’s answer to this was not to go long… because he knew what the odds of that being successful would be… but he decided to give the speedy Hill a chance to run the ball and when he faked like he was trying to run it up the middle the Broncos linemen all got sucked in and Hill simply popped it outside and away he flew, like the down of a thistle (sorry, had to throw a little bit of Christmas cheer in there).

 

With 5:17 left in the first quarter the Chiefs led by a score of 14-to-0. While I want to focus on the offense today, a 14 point lead does wonders for a defensive schemer like Bob Sutton. Forcing other teams to play from behind does a big favor for players like Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and Dee Ford who usually have multiple responsibilities but when the other team is forced to throw the ball… as when they’re playing from behind… the Chiefs rushers can tee-off.

 

So, the Chiefs defense forced a three-and-out and took the ball back with 4:09 left to play in the first quarter. That’s when Alex Smith served up an INT which Denver turned into a TD. However, that wasn’t hard to do from the six-yard line.

 

When the Chiefs got the ball back Andy Reid went back to his “inside-outside” tactics by running Spencer Ware up the middle for four yards. Then, the team responded the way good teams should… by answering a TD immediately with their own TD. This play was a very memorable play in which Travis Kelce caught the ball in the flat then weaved his way all the way to the promise land.

 

 

 

 

 

Any time you having scoring threats from 80 yards and 70 yards… “that” will stretch the field as much as a speedy wideout. Now, I believe Tyreek Hill can be that speedy WR for the Chiefs, but having players who can produce excellent after-the-catch results will produce the same effect.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the game: the Broncos went 5-and-out and the Chiefs drove deep enough to try a Field Goal but missed. The Broncos then drove and after 6 plays they kicked and made a Field Goal, 21-to-10. That was followed by a series of punts and the score remained the same at the half.

 

 

The second half began the way the first half ended. Both teams punted twice and then the Chiefs kick and made a Field Goal with 5:59 left in the third. 24-to-10.

 

The Broncos fumbled the kickoff and six plays later the Chiefs kick another Filed Goal, 27-to-10.

 

After six plays Denver RB Devontae Booker fumbles and when Bronco RT Donald Stephenson is called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct, the Chiefs take over at their own 42 yard line.

 

So… you can guess what Andy Reid called on this first play of their drive. That’s right, a running back (this time it was Charcandrick West) up the middle. One yard gained. That was followed by a 15-yard penalty on the Broncos.

 

Since there was less than seven minutes in the game and the Chiefs were up by more than two scores, you can also guess where Andy Reid went again. Up the middle for three yards (West again). Then… you guessed it… RB West up the middle again. (noticing a pattern here?). How about the next play? Right again, West up the middle… making a first down.

 

Next, Charcandrick West bounces it outside to gain 7 yards along the left sideline. Then… West up the middle. West then gets to the one-yard line for another first down and second-and-goal from the three, and West makes it back to the one-yard line.

 

What happens next will go down in Chiefs lore as one of the best moments in history as Dontari Poe lines up in the shotgun as the quarterback. You can see that the Broncos are lined up to make sure no more running plays are going to make it into the endzone up the middle with what looks like ten players lined up along the line-of-scrimmage.

 

 

 

 

 

In the picture above you can also see that TE Demetrius Harris, Poe’s intended receiver, is lined up to the right side, #84.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While it’s at times frustrating to watch as Andy Reid rams the ball up the middle again and again you can see that even the play that’s become known as the Hungry Pig was set up perfectly by the constant battering of run plays that sucked the Broncos defensive backs in enough for Demetrius Harris to get that wide open. Thank God he held onto the ball because if he had not, we would not be having this conversation right now.

 

What do you think of the play calling? The overall game plan? This time Reid’s game plan appeared to work. What about when it doesn’t? Let me know what you think.

 

 

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