Andy Reid is changing Kansas City Chiefs’ identity
By Brandon Fry
Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stands on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
The question to pose here, then, is can Reid’s philosophy win Kansas City a Super Bowl? Logic would lean toward yes. After all, he learned from Holmgren who won a Super Bowl and went to three of them with two different franchises.
The year that Holmgren won the Super Bowl with the Packers, Green Bay was ranked fourth in passing and 14th in running. In 2004, when Reid made it to the Super Bowl with running back Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb at the helm, the Eagles ranked seventh in passing and 24th in running.
We can see clearly that neither coach ran the ball with much conviction. Westbrook was a stud running back and still he was underused. This may weigh heavy in the back of Reid’s mind that he can get to the big game without running the ball often.
Since Reid has joining the Chiefs, the offense has certainly improved over previous years. The team struggled to muster much offense in the previous five years before he arrived, ranking 32nd in 2012, 31st in 2011, 14th in 2010, 23rd in 2009, and 26th in 2008.
In Reid’s first year the team was ranked sixth in scoring, the first time the Chiefs had been a top scoring team since 2005. The team dipped back down to 16th in scoring last year as the team battled injuries and poor play from the offensive line, yet the team remained in contention for a playoff spot to the last week of the season.
This organization needed Reid to turn things around, just as much as Reid needed this organization for a fresh start. Chiefs fans will find out sooner or later if this was a match made in football heaven, getting to finally see their team hoist a Super Bowl Trophy.