Assessing How the Chiefs Can Improve Against Man Coverage
The 2022 Kansas City Chiefs are facing the most man coverage in the league, primarily due to the departure of Tyreek Hill.
On the current roster, there is no player that opposing defenses are afraid of consistently beating one-on-one coverage outside of Travis Kelce. Kansas City added help before the trade deadline with the Kadarius Toney trade but as he gets acclimated to the offense, the team needs to find solutions on how to beat the coverage giving them the most trouble.
The wide receiver group before Toney was a collection of solid players, but none of them was someone who could be trusted to beat man coverage constantly. JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Chiefs' best wide receiver, is best against zone coverage. He is a bigger possession wideout who understands how to find soft spots in the defense. He also happens to be the best on the roster against man coverage because of his route-running prowess. With that said, he isn't as consistent at beating man because he lacks the top-end speed and athleticism most man-beaters have.
Nov 6, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) celebrates after a catch and run against the Tennessee Titans during overtime of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The guys who should be able to give defenders the most trouble are Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes Scantling — speedsters who can simply hit the jets and run away from defenders. Their route-running abilities leave some to be desired, though, which shows when trying to get quick separation. The guy with the skill set to beat man coverage is second-round rookie Skyy Moore.
The problem, however, is that Moore still needs to gain the trust of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. He will need to continue to learn and understand the offense because he should be getting more snaps than he currently is. Someone who does have the trust of Mahomes is Justin Watson. While Watson is a nice piece, he is a big-bodied deep threat who can make the splash play here and there but isn't a consistent wide receiver.
The state of the receiver room is why the Chiefs brought Toney in to be the quick separator against man coverage. He showed flashes of that ability in his first game as a Chief, but he still needs to learn the entire playbook before getting more snaps and being a main staple on offense.
Nov 6, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (19) warms up against the Tennessee Titans prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Some of the problems against man coverage start with personnel, especially when the Chiefs are in multi-tight-end sets. Naturally, tight ends are slower athletes than wide receivers and it's easier to play man coverage against them. Unfortunately, the Chiefs currently lack the explosive speed to offset those slower skill players. Hardman and Valdes-Scantling are fast, but they're more build-up runners than explosive off the line of scrimmage. Going away from those heavy formations when teams are throwing man coverage at them could be a way to improve.
Another way for the Chiefs' offense to improve versus man coverage is to run more traditional man-beating routes. The best way to beat man coverage is to run routes away from defenders, not working into zones or calling for routes that stop. For example, slants and drag routes are very effective against man coverage. Unfortunately, the Chiefs barely run them. Instead, they often run stick, curl or comeback routes. Those stop at a certain point and are timing routes that are harder to run without quick separators.
Those are some ways the coaching staff can help the Chiefs improve against man coverage, but there are some ways the players can do better as well. As everything does, it starts with Mahomes. Five wide receivers are new to the roster, so it has taken time to develop trust. However, we are at the stage of the season where most of the connections should be built. It would help to see Mahomes give the receivers more opportunities to make plays, even when they don't have a step or two of separation.
This has already begun, as Kansas City is throwing more 50/50 and back-shoulder balls. Those throws are about putting the ball in a spot for the receiver to win and then trusting them to come down with it. Mahomes shouldn't put the ball in harm's way, of course, but simply seeing more of those throws or additional other tight-window throws could help improve the offense when facing man coverage.
Nov 6, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
On the receivers' end, they simply need to be better in order to gain Mahomes' trust. They should win their matchup, be in the right spot, and catch the ball when thrown. Unfortunately, there are times when receivers are either in the wrong place at the wrong time or drop very catchable balls, which can cause the quarterback not to have faith in them at all times.
The struggles against man coverage need to be cleaned up sooner rather than later. Kansas City has a few big games left that will determine the division and/or playoff seeding. Having issues against man coverage in those matchups could result in losses and hurt them in the long run. Going even further, the teams they face in the playoffs will try hard to exploit their weakness. If the Chiefs can clean up their issues with man coverage and start consistently beating it, they will become nearly unstoppable and will get where they want to go this season.
