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The Kansas City Chiefs have spent the better part of the last five years as the NFL's most explosive offense. However, the departure of star wide receiver Tyreek Hill has forced head coach Andy Reid to reimagine the offense.
Hill served as the Chiefs' best wide receiver and was part of an offensive passing game that included quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. Rather than replace Hill with a like-for-like replacement, Reid has opted for a host of receivers who play different roles in different situations.
The Kansas City Chiefs' new offensive pieces
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Kansas City signed JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency. Smith-Schuster is a solid receiver who routinely uses his skill-set to make catches in the short to intermediate passing game. Smith-Schuster has capable run-after-the-catch skills, which he put on display for the Pittsburgh Steelers, particularly in his first two seasons.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling
Another wide receiver the franchise added in free agency is Marquez-Valdez Scantling. He's a big and speedy receiver with the vertical skill set necessary to win downfield. Valdez-Scantling brings game-changing ability to the table. However, he lacks physicality at the point of catch and sometimes drops important passes.
Skyy Moore
Rookie Sky Moore is a good route runner with enough athletic ability to win versus man coverage or pressed cornerbacks. He could potentially emerge as a good number-two receiver who can move around the formation and keep defenses honest.
The Kansas City Chiefs' offense has evolved
These three new receivers speak to the changing ethos of Andy Reid's play-calling. Reid in the past ran a vertical-focused passing game that leaned into Mahomes' gunslinger mentality. The focus used to be explosive chunk plays down the field or hitting Kelce in the space created when Hill rampaged down the pitch.
Kansas City have been more pragmatic this season. They are making use of Kelce, Moore and Smith-Schuster as possession receivers and utilizing their running backs more. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco have been chain movers for the franchise in the ground game. The Chiefs no longer get up the field in a hurry, but methodically move the ball as Mahomes makes use of all the weapons around him.
Andy Reid looks to have sacrificed a more vertical explosive passing offense for a more reliable, horizontal, short passing game. The new-look Kansas City offense isn't as electric but it's more efficient. This offense is no longer a knife to the throat but rather a death by a thousand cuts approach. We will see if it can lead them to glory in the 2022 season.
