Film Room: How the Chiefs can advance to Super Bowl 53
By Grant Tuttle
The Chiefs are hosting an AFC Championship for the first time in NFL history. Here’s how the Chiefs can beat the Patriots and advance to the Super Bowl.
Yes, it is true. The Kansas City Chiefs are playing for not only an AFC Championship but an opportunity to face off with the NFC Champion in an actual Super Bowl. Holy smokes!
After dominating the Indianapolis Colts, the Chiefs will face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday in the next round of the NFL playoffs. As we are all well-aware, this is no easy task. That being said, here is how the Chiefs can defeat the Patriots and make it to the Super Bowl LIII.
Offensively:
Use crossing routes to beat the Patriots with speed
The Chiefs have more speed than the Patriots can match up with. With Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins, there are two automatic mismatches due to speed. If the Chiefs run crossing routes, the Patriots will struggle to keep up in man or zone coverages. I would like to see the Chiefs put Hill on some drag routes early in the game to establish the intermediate passing game.
On this play, Sammy Watkins runs a drag route and in the middle of his route, he loses his defender. The Mahomes hits him as he breaks toward the sideline. The space created by the route works to perfection and the Chiefs get a first down.
Run some flood plays and/or create space for playmakers to get open
The Chiefs would be wise to create favorable one on one matchups. One way to do so is with loading up one side of the field and hitting the receiver in man coverage on the opposite side of the field. Another way to do it is to isolate a receiver cutting across the field to the side of the field with no defensive backs.
On this play, the Chiefs send Hill to the other side of the field, away from the bunch. Because of this, the Chiefs get a favorable matchup and it is too easy for Hill to beat his defender. I expect the Chiefs to get receivers in space early and often.
After you spread out the defense, hit them with delayed hand-offs
This is where the Chiefs can really make the Patriots hurt. In recent weeks, the Patriots have struggled against the run. What would benefit the Chiefs is to spread their defense out and once they are on their heels, hitting them with a quick or delayed hand-off. If Kansas City can control the clock and line of scrimmage, they will control the game.
On this play, Jaylen Samuels takes the hand-off and on a delay and pull block, Samuels gets a big opening. If the Chiefs effectively get the Patriots on their heels, running Damien Williams in the middle of the defense should be very effective. A draw play or misdirection play added into a high volume passing attack could be very useful against any defense nervous about defending against Patrick Mahomes.