Chiefs seize early mojo:
Play-calling shift, re-emergence of Kareem Hunt have K.C. racing toward the playoffs.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs offense is revitalized, just in time for a playoff run.
Quarterback Alex Smith is hitting deep passes and protecting the ball. Running back Kareem Hunt is churning out 100yard games. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill is outracing opposing defensive backs.
This was the offensive recipe for the Chiefs early this year as they raced to a 5-0 record, but it largely disappeared during a midseason slump. But now Kansas City is back to scoring in bunches and has averaged 29 points per game over the past three weeks, including last weekend’s 30-13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
“During that stretch, it just felt like it was one thing off,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “Sure enough, we have all manned up and taken it upon ourselves to be more accountable to each other.”
So how did the Chiefs rediscover their offensive mojo?
The decision by head coach Andy Reid earlier this month to cede play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is the most notable change, though the two largely share the same style, and Reid still plays a heavy role in the creating the game plan.
“They’re all having input, but certainly Nagy has done a heck of a job,” Smith said.
Nagy has managed to find ways in recent weeks to feature Hunt, the Chiefs’ standout rookie. Hunt broke 100 rushing yards in four of his first five games but didn’t reach that mark again until last week, with 116 yards in a win against Oakland.
Against the Chargers, he rushed for 155 yards with one touchdown, while catching seven passes for 71 yards and another score. He believed he caught another touchdown pass but it was ruled incomplete upon review when replays appeared to show the tip of the ball touching the turf, even though the ball did not move.
And while Hunt did much of his work against the Chargers between the tackles, Nagy has found new ways to get Hunt freed up in space, whether that’s running pass routes or catching option pitches from Smith.
He did the latter against the Chargers and watched, stunned, as Smith kept running in front of him and threw a block on a Chargers safety.
“I was like, ‘Al, you all right man, throwing that block? Don’t do that, I got you,’ ” Hunt said. “That is a quarterback that wants to win.”
Smith did not throw an inter- ception against the Chargers, and his ball security has been a key part of the Chiefs' success this season. He did not throw an interception during the Chiefs’ 5-0 start, and only one of his five interceptions this season has come in a win.
The Chiefs (8-6) can clinch the AFC West with one win in the final two weeks in games against the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.
“These were a big two weeks, they just get bigger though,” Smith said. “I think all of us realize how things can flip, either way. I think we just want to keep this edge we’re playing with, keep that mentality. I think we have a good thing going and certainly you just try to keep it going.”