CAN’T STOP THIS
With Chiefs' improvement against man-to-man coverage, teams can only hope to contain them
How the Chiefs turned a weakness into an afterthought
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 24-year-old quarterback led a 24- point comeback, breaking single-game and singlequarter NFL records, closing in on career franchise marks and putting the AFC Championship Game inside Arrowhead Stadium for a second straight season.
There's more. More to like about the Chiefs' 51-31 victory against the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round last weekend.
All of that damage Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs unleashed Sunday came against man- toman defense. You know, those coverages once labeled the kryptonite of the Kansas City offense. The so-called Achilles' heel propelling the midseason drought.
Now? That's a suddenly obliterate storyline.
“I feel like nobody in the NFL can guard any of us,” Chiefs wide receiver and former Oklahoma State standout Tyreek Hill said. “That's no disrespect to nobody, but just the confidence I got in myself and the wideouts I got around me, including the tight ends and the running backs.
“I feel like no (defensive back), no secondary, no linebacker can guard any of us. Man to man is just easy for us to beat. And if you just allow us to run through zones, it's even easier.”
It stands as little coincidence that the Chiefs' in-season improvement against man- to- man coverage arrived as Hill returned from a shoulder injury. But it's more than that.
According to The Star's film review, the Texans played manto- man in 29 passing situations last Sunday. Mahomes completed 18 of 29 throws for 223 yards and four touchdowns — and his receivers dropped four of his 11 total incompletions.
Compare that to early in the schedule. In a loss to the Colts in Week 5, Mahomes finished 12 for 29 against man-toman and a perfect 9 for 9 against zone coverage.
Hill's return helped — his deep routes prompt a safety to follow. But it wasn't the sole factor. The Chiefs found considerable success Sunday in creating congestion early in routes. Crossing patterns. Quick-hitting throws.
On several occasions, coach Andy Reid's play design tasked an inside receiver to break toward the sideline and the outside receiver to cut inside, generating natural picks in the secondary. By the time the opposing linebackers and defensive backs caught on, it
was too late.
The throw was gone, and the receiver was, too.
Mahomes fired two touchdowns last weekend that fit the description — a 17-yard quick pass to Damien Williams out of the backfield on a play in which tight end Travis Kelce's presence got in the way of a defender, and a fourthquarter toss to tight end Blake Bell.
` I think we've gotten better at releases. We've gotten better at working off each other and working with each other in certain situations, which ends up being important in that,” Reid said. “I think we've done a better job coaching it — I'll take responsibility for that. We've spent a lot of time at that.”
They had to.
In Week 4 in Detroit, a game the Chiefs won, the Lions pressed manto-man coverage on the outside and even with Kelce. That started the blueprint for opposing defenses. The Colts followed suit. Others did, too.
The Texans tried. And here's the ongoing relevancy to this weekend's game against the Titans: Tennessee defensive coordinator Dean Pees prefers man- to- man coverage.
The Chiefs will see it again Sunday.
“This team is similar. They mix it,” Reid said of the Titans. “Coach Pees will throw a few different looks at you, so you have to be ready to go.”