Chiefs: Are Andy Reid and Justin Houston the fix?
By Ryan Tracy
The Kansas City Chiefs found their groove with Andy Reid’s run-happy alter-ego calling plays in Oakland.
The question is: Can Andy Reid stick with the offensive philosophy that paid off in Oakland?
The facts are straight forward. is that Reid has two backs that would start for nearly any other team in the NFL. Jamaal Charles cannot be compared to any other active running back, including Adrian Peterson. He is unique. His elite as he enters the peak of his career. He will likely finish that career with the best yards per carry in the sport’s history.
You cannot look past Spencer Ware either. Ware has progressed to the point that he would replace all but the top-5 runners across the league. Like Charles, he is an asset in the passing game nearly as much as he is running the ball. Currently, he has the third-most receiving yards of 2016, behind Jeremy marlin and Travis Kelce. Yet, he leads the team with 17.8 yards per reception, which is an NFL best for running backs (tied with Tevin Coelman).
Our old buddy Herbie Teope, now with the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and Matt Derrick from ChiefsDigest.com are on our podcast to give to preview this week’s matchup with the Saints. Here’s the show:
This Kansas City offensive line is young and still developing at 4 of 5 positions. at this point, they are a drastically better run-blocking line than a pass-blocking line. They are built to run and what out a defense. Oakland proved that.
Reid used all of them both to great effect in Oakland. Reid shocked analysts (especially me) in calling a gameplan that was over 61% runs. It drained the Raiders defense. It helped his quarterback be both efficient and more aggressive in passing. It ate clock and kept Reid from one of his weak points in managing the clock.
It a winning plan for this team. All Reid has to do is stay focused on maintaining it. He can give this team a physical, athletic identity by sticking to it. It starts with New Orleans.