Did Happy learn how to putt? The Chiefs, the run game, and utilizing MVS/Juju
Looking at how Andy Reid's squad unlocked aspects of the offense in a dominant performance against a tough Tampa Bay defense
Warning; Writing about NFL teams early in the season can lead to whiplash.
One week you’re doing a play-by-play breakdown of 31 failed offensive plays against a mediocre opponent and wondering whether or not the flaws on display that day were fatal or merely fluky. The next you’re wondering whether there’s a defense in the league that can slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. By the way (though that’s not what this piece is about), the short answer is “not when he’s doing stuff like this:”
But I digress. As much fun as it is to talk about Mahomes breaking the league (and a few laws of physics), his otherworldly performance against the Buccaneers isn’t what caught my attention the most Sunday night.
No, for me it was more about new faces. Well, some new faces, and some old faces being used in new ways. The overall picture, though, is an offense that (after a disastrous Week 3 performance) seems to be growing into itself and unfolding to reveal new aspects that make it more… well, the word I’d use is “multiple.”
What do I mean by that? What I mean is that against one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Chiefs offense was essentially unstoppable (of their failed drives, two were due to drops and one due to a “we’ve got this game wrapped up, let’s go for it” unforced pick by Mahomes). And it wasn’t just due to Mahomes playing at a demigod level. I mean, it was partly that. But there was more to it as well.
And that “more” came in the form of the Chiefs unlocking (finally) a devastatingly effective run game on the back of an angry offensive line, as well as in a pair of new wide receivers (Marques Valdes-Scantling and Juju Smith-Schuster) showing where they can fit in and move the needle with their particular skillsets. These new wrinkles, combined with the usual blend of Mahomes/Kelce magic and Andy Reid, fit together perfectly to create a scenario where the Bucs had no good choices to make on defense. No weaknesses to exploit. No flaws to pick at and cheat against. Winning in (wait for it) multiple ways.
In other words, there’s a real chance that Happy learned how to putt. Let’s talk about it, starting with MVS and Juju starting to assert themselves in the offense and then looking at a run game that bordered on dominant and was used in a plethora of ways.