Lisa Foxx
The Kansas City Chiefs offense has been considered one of the best in the league for the last several years. Since Andy Reid took over as head coach of the team more than 10 years ago, the team has been a force to be reckoned with. Since Patrick Mahomes took the reins at quarterback in 2018, the team has boasted a top five offense each and every year.
Chiefs fans enjoy the unorthodox nature of the offense. It’s fun. It’s explosive. While putting points on the board. When it fails, however, the trick plays and unorthodox style come into question. People start criticizing, saying that the Chiefs are being “too cute” for their own good. They start demanding that the Chiefs play the way other teams play because clearly the trick plays aren’t working, so they need to get “down to basics” and stop acting like they’re special.
The thing is, the Chiefs are special… because this is exactly who they are!
Head Coach Andy Reid is hailed for his ability to create new and exciting plays for his offense. He even encourages other coaches and players to contribute ideas in what Reid calls “The Lab.” Chiefs fans have heard about “The Lab”, which starts with ideas on a chalk-board and ends with an incredible play on the field… if we’re lucky.
Reid encourages both coaches and athletes alike to contribute to The Lab if they have ideas to share. Sometimes players can see things on the field that coaches can’t see when standing on the sideline. It’s another reason why Coach Reid allows the players to be a part of The Lab and have a say in what happens on the field. Their perspective can help draw up and build plays that may be unorthodox, but are effective.
The ideas from The Lab are tweaked and manipulated until Reid thinks the play can work on the field. That’s when Reid’s brain and Mahomes’ talent come together to create magic in games. However, remember: Andy Reid always has 51 percent of the vote. So, he has final say on which plays make it into the game plan.
Even though the Chiefs are known for out-of-the-box offensive plays, it doesn’t mean those plays have always been received well. When the trick plays Chiefs are known for work out and look spectacular, Kingdom fans are all abuzz for days following the game. If, however, the play fails… then… Chiefs and NFL fans alike criticize the team for “trying to be too cute” rather than running traditional plays, like all the other teams in the league.
In the long run, that’s exactly who the Kansas City Chiefs are, and when those plays do work out –> what a thrill it is!
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Why Trick Plays Are Used…
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• Trick plays are called in an effort to either jumpstart a stalled offense or to keep the offensive momentum going by, hopefully, keeping a drive alive.
• Trick plays are called to make it easier to get a first down or a score.
• Trick plays are called by doing something totally different than what the defense is expecting; something unorthodox.
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Reid is commonly known for drawing up new and interesting plays especially for third downs near the goal line.
One of those plays that the Chiefs perfected, and that many other teams now use, is the underhand shovel pass inside to a receiver, running back or tight end. This play is usually run when the offense has the ball inside the 5-yard line. It has been perfected by the Chiefs. So much so, that many other teams are now attempting the play regularly. It looks easy enough but is more difficult to execute than it looks (0:09).
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The play involves timing, discipline and inside blocking to perfection. Some teams have found success with it, including the Miami Dolphins whose QB recently used the shovel pass to wow the crowd and TV viewers alike with a no-look twist.
Who could forget the “Poe Pass”? Go to the 0:27 second mark to see Poe’s pass (0:37).
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In 2016, Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe became the heaviest player ever in the NFL to throw a touchdown pass. The 6’3” 346-lb defensive lineman was set in the wildcat quarterback position in the 4th quarter of a Sunday Night Football game against division rivals Denver Broncos six years ago. On the snap, Poe faked a run up the middle, but stopped short, then jumped up and threw a pass to tight end Demetrius Harris in the back of the end zone with under 2 minutes to play in the game. That score put the Chiefs up 33-10 to win the game at home.
The reason Poe was able to fake a run effectively is because he also had a rushing touchdown earlier in the season (see earlier in that video), making him the heaviest player to ever rush for a TD. To make that touchdown pass by Poe even more impressive, the big man also had a sack in that same game. He became the first player in the NFL to record both a sack and a touchdown pass in the same season.
Poe accomplished it in the same game. There are other trick plays synonymous with the Chiefs:
More recently, you may remember the 1943 Rose Bowl Parade play. That’s the play that Coach Reid found from the ’43 Rose Bowl game and added his spin to it — pardon the pun — against the 2022 San Francisco 49ers. The play had the players shift by spinning around, putting RB Damien Williams in the wildcat position (0:46).
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Williams ran right up the middle to fall just short of the goal line on 4th and 1 at the end of the 1st quarter, but he made a first down. The Chiefs went on to score on that drive and win the game in San Francisco 44-23 (0:50).
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Snow Globe
The Chiefs received a lot of attention with their “Snow Globe” play last season against the Las Vegas Raiders. The team huddled in a circle and instead of breaking the huddle, the players locked arms and ran in a circle like the Ring Around the Rosies game. Once they broke the huddle RB Jerick McKinnon was behind the center to take the direct snap. McKinnon tossed the ball back to Mahomes, who threw it to WR Kadarius Toney who was waiting across the field (0:18).
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Toney made it into the end zone, but the play was called back due to a penalty. The Chiefs went on to score on the very next play, and the team won 31-13 on the road.
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In their most recent game against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs pulled off a “trick” play that was somewhat traditional, but with a twist. It was a double reverse flea flicker and it worked to perfection. Mahomes received the shotgun snap and promptly tossed the ball to RB Isaiah Pacheco, who was in motion to the right (0:33).
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WR Richie James was in motion to the left and as they passed other Pacheco tossed James the ball, who tossed it back to Mahomes. Mahomes hit tight end Travis Kelce in stride downfield for a 23-yard reception. The pass got the team to the 7-yard line and three plays later the Chiefs were in the End Zone. The final score for that Sunday Night Football game was:
Chiefs 31, Raiders 17.
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The Chiefs have tried the shovel pass over-hand and under-hand (0:04 and 0:04):
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The Chiefs like to have fun and play loose. When they play like that, they’re hard to beat. The players always reference how Coach Reid encourages them to have fun and be themselves. That’s a big reason why the team is so successful.
The NFL is changing, and Andy Reid must be credited with finding a way to adapt as the game changes around him. Young, energetic and creative coaches are coming up in the ranks every year and it is a testament to Reid’s creativity and humility that he finds a way to adjust and thrive in this continuously changing landscape of offensive-focused football. Andy has proven himself and has stood the test of time, yet he continues to evolve.
This is a time to be grateful for a head coach like Andy Reid and his beautiful mind.
So, if the Chiefs try a “special” or unorthodox play and it fails… don’t get upset. It’s just a part of who the Kansas City Chiefs are. They are trailblazers who are willing to take chances and make new plays or try new ways to play the game. It’s not a matter of trying to be cute, it’s a matter of being innovative and pushing the game forward. As long as Reid and Mahomes are teamed up in Kansas City this type of experimentation is in the Chiefs DNA. Plus, if you’re being honest, would you really want it any other way?
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Lisa Foxx — ArrowheadOne
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