Every couple of years, the NFL flirts with pass happy variations like this and the run and shoot. The reason they fail is that the QB and receivers end up getting hit a lot. What defenses do is blitz and lay back a bit. They will hit your QB and give you 5 yards and bang your receiver. It is hard to find consistent success running this kind of offense. I see it as a wrinkle and it can be effective if used that way. The NFL defensive players are just too fast to run this offense game after game without it taking it’s toll. Chan is scrambling playing this way. He is trying to maximize today so the players can develop. However, this is a double edged sword. Eventually, it will cut the other way.

What convinces you that the Chiefs won’t continue to use the spread or some variation on it? Keep in mind the NFL is a copycat league and that just everybody in the league is now experimenting with it. In fact, people are starting about whether Mike Leach’s next move will be to the NFL.

If Chan Gailey can continue to introduce a new wrinkle or two with it every week and defenses continue to be flumoxed by it then I see no particular reason why it can’t continue to thrive in some form or another. If the defense chooses to blitz, you can go with either the hot read or a draw for a potential big gain. If the defense stays back and you’ve a got a mobile QB, that gives you even more options because then you’ve 4 or 5 receivers in one-on-ones, bootlegs, reverses, qb runs. As with any offensive scheme, it’s mostly about the line handling their assignments.