Will Fuller adds speed for hard-todefine Texans offense.
Each offense has a dynamic young quarterback — but a different scheme
Growing up, Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph was a big fan of the San Francisco 49ers. Joseph delighted in watching quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, master practitioners of the West Coast offense crafted by the late Bill Walsh.
What the Kansas City Chiefs are doing offensively with an attack that ranks sixth overall in total offense, fifth in passing and fifth in scoring has gone way beyond the concepts popularized by Walsh and passed down to Mike Holmgren and then to Andy Reid.
“You talking about the West Coast offense with two split backs back there and one guy will take off to the flat and curl up and run a seven-yard route? That West Coast offense,” Joseph said with a smile heading into Sunday’s AFC divisional round game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. “I haven’t seen that West Coast offense. The 49ers were my team. I know what the West Coast offense is supposed to look like.”
The Chiefs do run a variation of the West Coast offense, which is built on timing and short routes. Their version, though, is much more explosive and vertical and tailored to the special talents of strong-armed quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a speedy receiving corps headlined by wide receiver Tyreek Hill working in tandem with elite pass-catching tight end Travis Kelce.
This is the West Coast offense 5.0, run under the vision of Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy.
“I think Andy has done a good job of molding it to the players he has,” Joseph said. “Obviously, they have a lot of speed at the skill positions. Go back to his time with the Philadelphia Eagles with Terrell Owens and Brian Westbrook. They’ve put that type of offense together. With that kind of speed, you don’t want to waste it.”
The Chiefs have also incorporated some elements of the wideopen Air Raid offense that Mahomes used to light up scoreboards at Texas Tech.
“With that type of speed and Patrick Mahomes’ pocket awareness and arm, he can make all the throws,” Joseph said. “Obviously with a quarterback like him, you’re going to put things in the offense to make him more comfortable.”
Texans corner Bradley Roby has played against the Chiefs for years, including twice a year when he was with the Denver Broncos.
“West Coast offense: great quarterback, fast receivers, good pass-catching tight end, fast running backs,” Roby said. “They like to get the ball out in space and throw the ball deep. Aggressive passing offense.
The Texans’ offense is much different than the Chiefs. Everything hinges on the free-wheeling style of quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson is capable of beating defenses with his arm, feet and mind. He plays fast and thinks fast.
The Texans have a vertical element to their offense, especially when wide receiver Will Fuller is healthy. They can play a smashmouth style with running back Carlos Hyde.
They have a ball-control aspect with All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins working shorter to intermediate routes with the occasional deep strike like his 41yard reception during a playoff win over the Buffalo Bills. They have some run-pass option plays that they’ve dialed back significantly since the first meeting with the Chiefs, a 31-24 win in October.
“It’s tough,” Watson said when asked to describe the Texans’ style of offense. “I mean, it’s really no style, honestly. We can run the ball, we can throw the ball, we can finesse, we can run downhill, we can do pretty much everything.
“That’s the way we’re built. If we’re all on the same page and execute and understand each situation and see it through the same set of eyes, we’re tough to stop.”
And so are the Chiefs, particularly with Mahomes at the controls.
The NFL MVP a year ago when he threw 50 touchdown passes, Mahomes has overcome injuries this season and has thrown only five interceptions with 26 touchdown passes.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said. “It’s the challenges of playing against a great quarterback, a guy who you know can obviously run around and scramble and make throws on the run because he has an extremely strong arm, but also guy who’s extremely intelligent, smart, leads their offense well, knows how to get them into good plays, knows how to put them in the right situations and knows how to deliver the ball.
“Whether it’s a short pass or it’s long pass all the way down the field, he can do everything. It’s a great challenge. It’s the NFL playoffs. Really looking forward to it and love that type of competition.”