On Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes told the media that Head Coach Andy Reid had instructed the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback to bring back the ariel bombs that set the tone for his career.
Before winning back-to-back Super Bowl Titles, the Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback had more plays over twenty yards or more than any other quarterback in the league. However, that ended when the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins two years ago.
In reality, the Chiefs got the better end of the trade ten times over, but it also meant a change in philosophy from a deep-threat team to one that relies on crossing patterns, yards after the catch, and running the passing game through Tight End, Travis Kelce.
Now, you can argue that despite some bumps last year, the offense did just enough to win Super Bowls LVII and LVIII. Still, with the additions of Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, the return of the big plays is inevitable in Kansas City.
“I think we’ve done a great job of mastering the intermediate and short stuff,” Mahomes said. “But we also want to get back to having that part of the offense. (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) is really pushing us to push it down the field – it’s hard to do against our defense, but we’re trying to make it happen.”
Even without L’Jarius Sneed in the defensive backfield, the Chiefs defense is still one of the best in the NFL. If Mahomes can master defeating them in practice, I can’t see too many teams in the league that can disrupt the inevitable.
If Mahomes has free reign for the big play and Brown and Worthy can run under the deep balls, that opens up every other receiving option for Mahomes. If defenses have to start respecting those speedsters, Kelce, Rashee Rice, Nikko Remigio, Justin Watson, and Skyy Moore will have so much space to work with on any given snap.
Because the Chiefs mastered that short game at the end of last season, the explosive plays will return, and Reid can expand the offense to even greater heights. If you doubt that assumption, Reid and Mahomes have two speedsters this season, Brown and Worthy. Before, it was just Hill as the loan threat down the field.
Reid and General Manager Brett Veach committed to revamping the wide receiver position from a year ago, which shows how in tune they are with the ebb and flow of defenses they’ll face this season compared to last.
Reid and Mahomes lost the battle for much of the season, but when they regained their stride and accepted who they were offensively, they were unstoppable in the postseason.
Now, they will expand their game with a familiar theme, which made the combination of Reid and Mahomes second to none at the NFL level.
Both men are magicians at their craft and are equally committed to the evolution and constant change their jobs require. Where other teams fail to remain true to their offensive principles each season, such as the Baltimore Ravens, it’s not sustainable in the postseason.
Kansas City has mastered the art of change, and now it is diving back into its toolbox to restore its signature weapon.
