It's Time Chiefs HC Andy Reid Went Old School With Offense

Due to expected massive changes to the offense, the Chiefs should rewind the clock with their scheme.

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and defensive line coach Joe Cullen looks on from the sideline of Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Andy Reid wasn't always a head coach. A true student of the game, Reid has developed his offense by learning under some of the best minds to ever be associated with football. One of those minds was Mike Holmgren and together in Green Bay, both men helped the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI.

Before there was Patrick Mahomes, a different kind of funky moving, rocket arm, athletically underrated quarterback was lighting up the NFL and his name is Brett Favre. Back in the 90s, the Packers a power run, lighting pass attack to shred defenses.

Principles of the offense included placing Favre under center, drop back passes, the use of blocking running backs, and the run setting up the play action. Favre himself was so athletic that he would just take off on scrambles. Throughout the 90s, the team was stacked with burners like Andre Rison and Antonio Freeman. The Packers could strike at any time.

It was a lot like the Legion of Zoom, except the early years of Mahomes had a greater use of the shotgun. The problem with offenses nowadays is that the common formations used call for a nickel or dime defense in response. That used to work because the nickel corner would be the team's third-best corner so a solid slot receiver could torch them.

In the modern age, as defenses have caught up with modern offensive schemes, the nickel corner is sometimes the second-best corner on the team and, in a few cases, the best corner.

As a result, the 4-3 or 3-4 base defenses have gotten weaker as teams do not put the same investment into their linebacker core or interior defensive line depth. Had the Chiefs put Mahomes under center with a running back in the backfield and two tight ends, the Eagles would have had to counter with Jordan Davis in the 3-4 defense instead of Cooper DeJean, thus the Chiefs could have run the ball a bit more effectively than their shotgun approach.

Once they accomplish that, Jordan Davis is going to start to tire out, then you hit the Eagles with a play-action passing attack that evolves into a short game "long handoff" passing attack as well and once the defense subs, run the regular offense against rotational players.

NFL defenses are evolving to the point that the pass is no longer an effective way to move the football. As defenses go forward, offenses must fall back to counter them.

The Chiefs have a lot of potential but considering it's unlikely that the team will be able to drastically improve their offensive line this summer and the Eagles look likely to repeat as NFC champs, Kansas City needs to find a way to beat Philadelphia's defensive line and putting Mahomes under center is the solution.

If you want Mahomes to throw against one-on-one coverage again, it's time to make it look like 1997.

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