The Super Bowl champion Chiefs were a video game offense in 2019. They had the best QB in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes. They had the 2 fastest receivers in the NFL, Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill. Also, they had the league’s best pass catching tight end in Travis Kelce.
Their embarrassment of riches on offense led to a lot of points being scored. Andy Reid is a master at manipulating defenses with motion and vertical pass designs. A west coast mind, Reid continues to evolve to tailor his offense to his personnel.
Reid is famous for taking plays from the college game and even high school. As NFL offenses become more and more like college, it is not a bad idea to incorporate air raid and spread concepts from college teams, especially when they fir who you are.
In week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, Reid manipulated their 3 deep coverage with short motion from Sammy Watkins. Below is the initial formation.
Watkins motions in, forcing the nickel and safety to the bottom of the screen to adjust.
The Ravens play a 3 buzz coverage. The safety to the bottom of the screen jumps the sit route by Watkins, who motioned in. That leaves speedster Hardman running free down the seam. Even the corner, playing a deep 1/3, cannot play the seam because Hardman is too fast. Mahomes holds the deep safety so he cannot help on Hardman.
Later in this hame on 3rd down, the Chiefs align in a staple formation, 3×1 with Kelce as the single receiver.
The Ravens have their dime LB, Anthony Levine, aligned head up on Kelce, indicating he will cover him man to man.
Instead, the Ravens rotate to a Tampa 2 coverage. Reid manipulates Levine with a simple hi-lo concept.
Levine bites on the running back to the flat, because he knows he has a safety over the top. The safety is too deep to help, and Kelce makes the catch for a 3rd down conversion.
On a 2nd and 9 from the red zone, Reid uses motion by Hardman to get the Ravens again. Hardman is in ZZ motion, where he will go from one side back to his original side.
The defense is in man to man coverage. Reid rolls out Mahomes forcing the nickel to run with Hardman on the motion. Reid makes this look like Mahomes is going to roll out and hit Hardman in the flat.
Instead, Mahomes will turn back and throw a screen to the running back, LeSean McCoy. McCoy sells like he will protect the backside, as he would in a turnback protection. The result is a TD, and the defense was gassed.
The next play comes from Week 8 vs the Packers. Mahomes did not play in this game, but Reid once again worked his magic. the Chiefs initially align in a 3×1 formation, with a nub TE, Kelce.
Reid uses jet motion and they brings Tyreek Hill across the formation after the snap.
The post by the only receiver left to the top of the screen occupies the corner and post safety. Veteran backup QB Matt Moore buys enough time to throw the ball back to Kelce, who is left uncovered.
Kelce released underneath, and the linebackers had no idea what was going on with all of the chaos in the backfield. Kelce runs underneath and then turns upfield. The Packers were in man coverage, but the corner who initially had Kelce got held up by the motion coming to his side.
In week 14, Mahomes and the chiefs went to Foxborough and easily defeated the Patriots. The Patriots were a tough out, especially with how flatbed their secondary is.
The Patriots were forced to play 2 man, because the Chiefs have 2 speedsters. This coverage allows corners to trail receivers, jumping anything underneath with helming over the top.
The weakness of 2 man is the middle of the field. Reid sends Hill, aligned at the top of the screen on a deep dig route. Reid knows Hill will outrun the corner and make the catch.
Mahomes does a good job buying time to throw it. he throws it low and away from the defender, so Hill can go down and get it.
Reid is a master at design plays to beat specific coverages. Even the best defenses give up big plays against the Chiefs because of how good their QB and skill players are. Lastly, it helps to have Reid, who is elite at designing and calling plays.
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