Chiefs: The Best Offensive QUAD SQUAD

The Dallas Cowboys of the early 1990s made it fashionable to look at the “Trio” any team might have when they touted,  Troy Aikman (QB), Emmitt Smith (RB), and Michael Irving (WR), who are all now in the NFL Hall of Fame. The NBA has made it popular to put together a Super Team by bringing in at least three All Star players. This triad of All World players at key offensive positions has worked before in the NFL:

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• The  early1970s Dolphins had Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield.
• The late 1970s Steelers had Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann (and John Stallworth)
• The 1980’s 49ers had Joe Montana, Roger Craig, and Jerry Rice

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Even the New England Patriots enjoyed the company of many different RB & WR combinations over the past two decades, when they won all their Championships.

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• Wideouts include Randy Moss, Danny Amendola, Wes Welker, Brandon Cooks, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Chad Ochocinco, Troy Brown, Deion Branch, David Givens, and Donte Stallworth.
• Running backs include: Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk, LeGarrette Blount, Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead, Danny Woodhead, and Laurence Maroney.

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Now, the success of a team comes more from the contributions of not only a QB-RB-WR combo, but it includes the TE as well. That’s why the Kansas City Chiefs have been knocking on the door for three straight seasons. Let’s take a look at some other teams with excellent QUAD SQUAD combinations, then the Chiefs.

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Evolution of Success

There was a time when the team who had the best running back was way ahead of the game and carried the best chance to winning a title. Teams like the Cleveland Browns of the 1960s had Jim Brown, long thought to be the GOAT. The the passing game came along and as the decades progressed, the need for a top flight RB regressed. Now, if a running back can also catch the ball out of the backfield, his value shoots up and so do his team’s chances of winning a championship.

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In may, Pro Football Network posted an article called, “Top pass-catching running backs to target in fantasy football in 2021” and listed these RBs:

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• Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
• Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
• Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
• Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears
• D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
• Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

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While these RBs may be great pass catchers it doesn’t mean their team, or QUAD SQUAD, is one of the best in the league. Obviously absent from this listing is RB Derrick Henry. While Henry is hands down the best RB in the game right now. To show you how undervalued RBs are in the game right now, Henry is one of a handful of RBs –ALL TIME — to rush for over 2,000 yards ina season (like he did in 2020, but since he only had 19 total receptions for 114 yards receiving in 2020, he barely makes the QUAD SQUAD with his team mates.

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QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Derrick Henry, TE Anthony Firkser, WRs Julio Jones & AJ Brown

The Quarterback has become the ultimate position player, not only in football, but in all of sports. Ryan Tannehill will never be counted in the top five QBs in the game in any given year and that counts against the Titans in a huge way. PFF has Tannehill as the #12 QB and USAToday has Tannehill at #10 (the highest ranking I find of him anywhere). While RB Derrick Henry is a ground threat, he does nothing to threaten LBs who have to cover him out of the backfield. The addition of Julio Jones may help but the real threat is AJ Brown who had just over 1,000 receiving in each of his first two seasons, while the 32 year old Julio Jones had 771 receiving yards in 2020 with 3 TDs (9 TDs over the past two seasons).

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QB Tom Brady, RB Leonard Fournette, TE Rob Gronkowski, WRs Mike Evans & Chris Godwin

If Brady can actually stave off father time one more year, this group should be able to get a lot done. Am I picking them to return to the Super Bowl? No. Gronk’s best days are far behind him, and while Fournette, Evans and Godwin are all top level talents, it’s going to take soem creative play calling to keep this QUAD a force, and I just don’t know that HC Bruce Arians or OC Byron Leftwich, have that in them.

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QB Baker Mayfield, RBs Nick Chub & Kareem Hunt, TE Austin Hooper, WRs Jarvis Landry & Odell Beckham

Baker Mayfield was #10 in QBR in 2020 and that’s also about where most services have him ranked among the league’s best. The strength of this group is probably at running back where the Browns have two stellar RBs. However, Hunt is a much better receiver and had 304 yard through the air in 2020, but that’s a far cry less than the 455 air yards he had in his rookie year in K.C.. Landry and Beckham can be wonderful receiving options if Beckham can stay healthy and Landry balls out (he had less than 900 receiving yards as the primary receiver in 2020). TE Austin Hooper isn’t even sniffing Travis Kelce’s golf balls.

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QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Aaron Jones, TE Robert Tonyan, WR Devante Adams

If… and that’s still a big if… Mr. Rodgers decides not to go to Hollywood for the remainder of his career, beginning this year, his QUAD is the biggest threat to the Chiefs four. Jones has been a 1,000+ yards rusher in each of his last two seasons and added 829 receiving yards to boot. Devante Adams and Aaron Rodgers have a similar voodoo mind meld as Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. There real weakness is their TE, Robert Tonyan, who has all of 756 receiving yard –> over the past three seasons.

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QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, TE Travis Kelce, WR Tyreek Hill

The Chiefs boast a top two player at each of three positions: QB, TE, and WR. While Clyde Edwards-Helaire is currently the weakest link, his 1,100 all purpose yards (rushing + receiving) in just 13 games, means he’s not nearly a “weak” link, he just doesn’t yet have the resume of Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce. Patrick Mahomes is the GOAT in waiting, so he gives K.C. a decided advantage in any game they’re in for the next 10+ years.

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Honorable Mentions

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QB Jameis Winston, RB Alvin Kamara, TE Adam Trautman, WR Michael Thomas

Any QUAD that has both Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas on it must be mentioned. The unknown of course is Jameis Winston and the very weak link is TE Adam Trautman, which in all likelihood takes this foursome out of the top ten.

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QB Justin Herbert, RB Austin Ekeler, TE Jared Cook, WRs Mike Williams & Keenan Allen

This group could end up in the top five this year if Hebert continues to rise and Ekeler has a better season. The receiving corp of Williams, Allen, and Cook are going to give a lot of teams fits.

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QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott, TE ???, WRs Amari Cooper & CeeDee Lamb

If Dak Prescott has a complete year under center like the way he began the 2020 season, this could turn out to be a very productive group. However, Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz aren’t going to wow anyone. Besides, so much of the Boys success in 2021 will depend on the defensive side of the ball.

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You could easily add the Head Coach to this mix, and we Chiefs fans have certainly done that with the new found Offensive line. Which, makes everyone in the QUAD SQUAD better. Then again, it’s hard to measure the worth of coaching, or even the locker room chemistry. What’s clear to me, is that the current Chiefs are the best when it comes to this fearless foursome (not to be confused with the LA Rams Fearsome Foursome back in the 1960s).

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What do you say? Are you buying in… or selling out?

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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