The Jamaal Charles fumble: What could have been…

Poor execution.

That’s right, I’m laying this loss squarely at the feet of the men on the field.  Oh sure, some of Andy Reid’s play calls had me confused, but that’s commonplace now.  And it’s something the Chiefs have proven time and again to not be a problem as long as they execute.  But, yes, Andy’s playcalling can be puzzling.  Some times it is down right infuriating.  This game was no different, as I had my share of moments of exasperation.

The same is equally true when Reid calls a great play and the guys on the field don’t execute.

That’s what happened late Thursday night in a moment that Chiefs fans will have a hard time forgetting.  You see, Andy Reid had a great idea.  With the Broncos expecting some sort of aerial attack, Reid was going to get the ball in the hands of his top playmaker with plenty of space to work with.  A draw play.  Simple, yet if designed right, could get Jamaal Charles out into space where he could make people miss, gain yards, and get out of bounds…if not score!  Here’s the set up…

Andy Reid had a play set up to get Charles into space.

First, look at the initial blocking.  Jah Reid, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Ben Grubbs, and Donald Stephenson have cleared an excellent pocket to eliminate the front line defenders.  You can also see the second level blocks being set up.  Travis Kelce is squared up to lock horns with his defender.  Mitch Morse is in prime position to get on a linebacker, and Albert Wilson has an edge block just calling his name that will spring Charles to the outside.  There is a huge running lane available for Jamaal Charles, complete with an excellent cutback lane behind he blocks of Morse and Kelce.  This is a PERFECT set up.  Unfortunately, this is the best that this play will ever look…

Not even a second later, we have our first missed block.  Nope, not on Ware.  Stephenson effectively got him away from Charles.  That’s not the problem…yet.  No, it’s actually Travis Kelce.  Somehow, he has just been brushed aside like he’s not even there.  He’s too far out in front of the play for this to be a feint.  No, he simply missed his block.  This isn’t the end of the play.  No, Kelce would get mirroring performances from some teammates…

Uggh!  Kelce is now thoroughly beaten, which takes away the cutback lane.  To make matters worse, Morse has been passed through like a subway turnstile.  And, for reasons no one may ever know, Albert Wilson doesn’t take a free shot at the defender.  This is all further exasperated by Donald Stephenson…who has apparently forgotten about Demarcus Ware!  Suddenly, we see that the huge running lane that was originally in front of Jamaal Charles has been virtually erased.  Now, we all know what happens from here.  However, there is one more thing I want to show you…

If the blocks had held up, Jamaal Charles would have been one on one with Bradley Roby…I’ll take that any day.

See that guy in the red circle?  That’s Bradley Roby.  Eventually, he will scoop up the fumble and take it to the endzone to win the game.  But that’s not why he’s circled.  No, he is circled because he was the ONE man that Jamaal Charles would have to beat had his blockers even halfway done their job.

More from Kansas City Chiefs News

• Multiple Chiefs execs mentioned as strong GM candidates in 2024
• Former Chiefs cornerback in legal trouble in Las Vegas
• Chiefs news: Travis Kelce wants to host fan ‘chug-off’ in Germany
• KC Chiefs send Dave Merritt to NFL coaching accelerator
• Creed Humphrey lands on PFF’s Top 25 Under 25 list

You see folks, that’s why it all comes down to execution.  You can be frustrated with a play call…but sometimes the coach knows what he’s doing.  Andy Reid knew what he was doing here.  He was going to get Jamaal Charles out into space against a cornerback.  And not even one of the Broncos better corners.  Folks, I’ll take that matchup all day long.

Andy Reid makes his share of mistakes, that’s well known and documented.  However, he is also a brilliant offensive mind.  And he understands, better than maybe anyone, the importance of getting the ball into the hands of a playmaker with room to work.  That’s why he called this play.  It was, in theory, a low-risk/high-reward play call.  The only possible downfall to this play…was exactly what happened.  The ball carrier fumbled, and the other team picked it up and ran it in.  The odds of that happening?  Almost incalculable.  But it did.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to execution.  That was the difference Thursday night.