Innovative Design: Reid shows offensive genius with Chiefs' version of Hail Mary
Andy Reid is one of the most innovative offensive minds in the NFL, and the Kansas City Chiefs coach provided the latest electrifying example in Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys.
After the Cowboys scored a touchdown with 13 seconds left, Dallas was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the kickoff, giving the Chiefs the ball at their own 37-yard-line. After a quick 12-yard pass moved the ball to the Chiefs' 44, they were faced with 56 yards to the end zone with only two seconds left.
It was Hail Mary time, right?
Wrong.
Reid realized it was a tall ask for Alex Smith to heave the ball over 60 yards in the air to a pack of people, so he called a brilliant alternative that would provide one of the highlights of the year.
Prior to the pass
Dallas opted to rush three linemen, and keep a linebacker right around the line of scrimmage as well, leaving them seven men in coverage. Realizing the defense would post those players near the end zone, Reid saw the opportunity to get Tyreek Hill, arguably the fastest player in the league, the ball with a ton of space to go. Looking at the above shot, the distance between the four Dallas defenders at the line of scrimmage and the rest of the defense is staggering.
After the catch
Hill caught the short pass and followed his blockers down the middle of the field. While the Cowboys clearly have the numbers advantage, with at least five defenders coming against two blockers, notice the amount of space to Hill's left for him to still exploit. For a man who has run a 10.19-second 100-meter dash, a tiny bit of space is all he needs.
Hill in space
Thanks to that space on the left from the previous shot, Hill holds the advantage despite Dallas having seven defenders in the picture to just two Chiefs blocking. Hill is hard enough to slow down from a standstill, but with a head of steam he's damn near impossible. This picture shows how Hill crossed the 15-yard line with a clear look at the improbable touchdown.
One final move
One final cutback to evade a desperate tackle attempt was all Hill needed to waltz into the end zone and stun the packed AT&T Stadium with no time left in the first half. It was an absolutely stunning play, and while the defense can certainly be blamed for a very poor setup, Reid showed yet again that he's a master of using his talent in perfect situations.
(Photos courtesy: NFL/Twitter)
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