I realize that it seems questionable at best to complain after a postseason win, especially under such adverse circumstances as the Mahomes injury. And I certainly don't mean to ignore or downplay Kelce's superhuman performance. But there's one particular burr under my saddle that I just can't tolerate any more…
Would somebody on the Chiefs coaching staff please, please, please realize that Jerick McKinnon is not built to run between the guards? PLEASE?!?! He's not Derrick Henry or Earl Campbell or Christian Okoye or even Barry Word. Please stop pretending that he is!
The number of negative plays thus generated is hardly compensated for by the occasional "successful" 1-yd and 2-yd runs that occur. If you're going to limit yourself in such fashion why not just line up Blake Bell under center and call a QB sneak?
McKinnon's checkered injury history only underscores the point. Used properly he's an important and valuable part of the offense. Why keep risking him in situations where multitudes of 300-pound (or bigger) guys are hitting him as hard as they can or falling on top of him? Surely you can find a better use for him than that…???
Those plays can best be characterized as "little to gain, plenty to lose."
I thought you were going to start a substack entitled "this is off topic, but..." :)
Kidding aside, there's a reason he was doing it so much more this game. The early one (where they gained OK yardage) was for a changeup. The later ones were because they needed him on the field for pass protection and didn't want to have a "tell" for when they swapped up him for Pacheco.
That said, I look forward to Pacheco grabbing an even larger role next year.
It's like Pat has a miniature Trey Smith next to him pancaking fools who try to violate his personal space. It's uncanny the way he consistently stops much larger men in their tracks.
I think that's important, Seth- Andy doesn't want to give the defense any "tells" or free reads. I also wonder if some of it is that Andy is going to run the plays that he has planned, regardless of personnel. That's what I consistently during the "Hennething's Possible" presser. He said "we just keep running the offense". I wonder if Andy sees the RBs (and the WRs, etc.) as interchangeable pieces of the offensive puzzle. The two players that Andy doesn't seem to do that with are PMII and KillaTrav. But when you have two unicorns in your offense...
Thank you for this. I would add "especially inside the 10" as I have been complaining about this all season. (As the people I watch football with could tell you. They are sick of hearing it. They are sick of me predicting it and the outcome when I see the formation) If I had a film archive, I could put up a bunch of plays this season to prove this.
I like Mckinnon. He has an important role. Running it up the middle is not that role, and why they keep trying to force a square peg into a round hole just because it is "his turn" is beyond me.
It feels to me like they did less of this as Pacheco progressed this season. There were a few in the Jags game, but I think this is likely because they wanted McKinnon to get more snaps due Mahomes' injury and they needed Jet for his pass protection.
Jesus. This article was really powerful, Man. A beautiful mixture of analytics and observance. It gave me chills to read. It really is sad that Kelce will retire with so much of Mahomes career left. That man is such an integral part of our offense.
I thought the exact same thing tonight about Kelce. I probably yelled “clutch” nearly every time he touched the ball. Frankly, I shed a tear when they scored on the Henne drive. I could feel his and the other guys’ will to win! They maybe be moons to Patrick’s sun, but they stepped up!
I hope they tag and trade, and use the savings to pay for Chris Jones, Juju and L'Jarius Sneed's extensions. I truly believe the Chiefs can and should draft/train a pair of tackles. there will be growing pains, but once they settle in, they'll be better than our current starters, because they started with Mahomes, and will adjust their habits to Mahomes' unique movement skills, with no prior expectations.
People often argue that Kelce isn't *really* a Tight End. But he isn't really a Wide Receiver either. He's something unique that we've rarely seen before - a 2nd quarterback on the field - one who doesn't throw. That doubles the amount of quarterbacking skill on the field. And he can carry the team like a running QB and just pound the football play after play.
Think about it - Kelce's defining feature is his ability to instantly read defenses and find the spaces no one can cover. That's a quarterback skill.
So Kelce's not a TE, and he's not a WR - he's something new: he's a double-quarter-pounder with Chiefs.
He's a FOOTBALL PLAYER... Chess piece. Could you imagine having more than 1 of him on the field at the same time?!?! SF has several "football" players, but I'd argue Kelce is still better than all of them.
... so you're saying that he often places opposing defenses in a pickle???😸 And that he makes it difficult for opposing offenses to ketch up? (Sorry but it was just sitting there on a tee! How could I resist? I'll do my best to refrain from yielding to further temptation....)
Kelce is at his best when he's improvising. As fate would have it, he happens to have the master of improv playing QB. He is the peanut butter to Pat's jelly. The mind meld between the two is unmatched. It's a connection that transcends football. It's a friendship off the field and mutual respect for one another that intensifies the connection. Just a couple of GOATs making it look easy.
Thanks Seth for helping celebrate a really clutch win. No doubt Kelce was amazing, and is cementing his legacy after another incredible year.
I guess I’m becoming a spoiled Chiefs fan, because I can’t appreciate this win as much as I should. Can’t shake the idea we’re going to get smoked next week. Mahomes is on one leg. High ankle sprains take months to heal. I’d rather see the Bills reach the SB than the Bungles, so I guess I’m a Buffalo fan tomorrow. Is this too pessimistic?
I was prepared to accept defeat last night. Silly me. I think we are all nervous about next week but this team is resilient. With you on the Buffalo SB preference, but another game at Arrowhead would be epic.
Can you please look into why JuJu, MVS, Moore etc were apparently not open all night or was it that 15 just didn't have that great of a game understanding what he was seeing so it was so heavily Kelce?
Also - ESPN Get Up / NFL Live kept showing over and over how bad Jax was at covering TE's so why didn't KC go with more multiple TE's in the game???
Great article Seth. Honestly I think one of your best. Not to get too sappy, but this article made me feel. Kelce is a unique talent for sure. When paired with Mahomes they make each other that much more incredible.
I share your wife's sentiment, how great would it be to have Travis and Patrick together for their entire careers. It is magical to watch while it lasts. We should certainly not take it for granted and enjoy the ride.
Tony Go was the greatest TE ever to play the game. Gronk & Kelce had better QBs for much of their careers. Gronk has more rings, & has more playoff catches. Kelce is blessed w/ PM15, but he has a chance to be “the difference-maker” at TE of all-time. Last night was another exhibit for the Prosecution that he is the greatest “difference-maker” ever to play the game. I call him a “difference-maker”. You call him “Atlas”. He is the personification of PM15’s call for “playmakers” that opens “Defending the Kingdom” podcasts. Make no mistake, we are watching greatness! I’ve been following the Chiefs since I was 5 years old in 1969. God granted me the joy of that SB 4 season as a child.
Moses wandered in the Wilderness for 40 years. As a Chiefs fan, I metaphorically wandered w/ the Red & Gold for 50.
I sat in my Dad’s hospital room in Durham, NC in 2014, shortly before he passed, watching that heartbreaking meltdown to the Colts. That was the last Chiefs game we watched, together. He didn’t get to see this. I am truly blessed to witness this greatness. Chiefs Kingdom is too, whether they realize it or not.
I cried reading this. Nights like this brings memories back from 24-0 against texans, 10 pts down in SB with 8 mins left, FG down with 13 secs on the clock. And the feeing it leaves me with is hope. There are times when you are down, had a really bad day, nothing in the world seems to be working right. But some of those times you see a injured man limping on the field refusing to sit and rest, you see a man fight like a bull knowing he is going to get targeted every time. One of those times you feel you are thrown in the deep end but you have not lost, there’s still time on the clock and brothers in arms. Thank you for the poignant writing Seth.
Lyrical Seth is the best. "And there, Atlas returned." Is one of the better lines in an article I've read, gave me the same chills as seeing the touchdown play at the time.
I realize that it seems questionable at best to complain after a postseason win, especially under such adverse circumstances as the Mahomes injury. And I certainly don't mean to ignore or downplay Kelce's superhuman performance. But there's one particular burr under my saddle that I just can't tolerate any more…
Would somebody on the Chiefs coaching staff please, please, please realize that Jerick McKinnon is not built to run between the guards? PLEASE?!?! He's not Derrick Henry or Earl Campbell or Christian Okoye or even Barry Word. Please stop pretending that he is!
The number of negative plays thus generated is hardly compensated for by the occasional "successful" 1-yd and 2-yd runs that occur. If you're going to limit yourself in such fashion why not just line up Blake Bell under center and call a QB sneak?
McKinnon's checkered injury history only underscores the point. Used properly he's an important and valuable part of the offense. Why keep risking him in situations where multitudes of 300-pound (or bigger) guys are hitting him as hard as they can or falling on top of him? Surely you can find a better use for him than that…???
Those plays can best be characterized as "little to gain, plenty to lose."
I thought you were going to start a substack entitled "this is off topic, but..." :)
Kidding aside, there's a reason he was doing it so much more this game. The early one (where they gained OK yardage) was for a changeup. The later ones were because they needed him on the field for pass protection and didn't want to have a "tell" for when they swapped up him for Pacheco.
That said, I look forward to Pacheco grabbing an even larger role next year.
And is he ever skilled at pass pro! 🥳🤩👍
It's like Pat has a miniature Trey Smith next to him pancaking fools who try to violate his personal space. It's uncanny the way he consistently stops much larger men in their tracks.
Yes! I hope Isiah is seeking instruction from him. Would be dynamite if he learned those skills.
I think that's important, Seth- Andy doesn't want to give the defense any "tells" or free reads. I also wonder if some of it is that Andy is going to run the plays that he has planned, regardless of personnel. That's what I consistently during the "Hennething's Possible" presser. He said "we just keep running the offense". I wonder if Andy sees the RBs (and the WRs, etc.) as interchangeable pieces of the offensive puzzle. The two players that Andy doesn't seem to do that with are PMII and KillaTrav. But when you have two unicorns in your offense...
Thank you for this. I would add "especially inside the 10" as I have been complaining about this all season. (As the people I watch football with could tell you. They are sick of hearing it. They are sick of me predicting it and the outcome when I see the formation) If I had a film archive, I could put up a bunch of plays this season to prove this.
I like Mckinnon. He has an important role. Running it up the middle is not that role, and why they keep trying to force a square peg into a round hole just because it is "his turn" is beyond me.
It feels to me like they did less of this as Pacheco progressed this season. There were a few in the Jags game, but I think this is likely because they wanted McKinnon to get more snaps due Mahomes' injury and they needed Jet for his pass protection.
Truly incredible!
Jesus. This article was really powerful, Man. A beautiful mixture of analytics and observance. It gave me chills to read. It really is sad that Kelce will retire with so much of Mahomes career left. That man is such an integral part of our offense.
I thought the exact same thing tonight about Kelce. I probably yelled “clutch” nearly every time he touched the ball. Frankly, I shed a tear when they scored on the Henne drive. I could feel his and the other guys’ will to win! They maybe be moons to Patrick’s sun, but they stepped up!
In regard to Orlando Brown, have you ever been less excited about a player who might get the franchise tag?
Getting the franchise injured seems like it would hurt his chances of getting the payout he wants.
I hope they tag and trade, and use the savings to pay for Chris Jones, Juju and L'Jarius Sneed's extensions. I truly believe the Chiefs can and should draft/train a pair of tackles. there will be growing pains, but once they settle in, they'll be better than our current starters, because they started with Mahomes, and will adjust their habits to Mahomes' unique movement skills, with no prior expectations.
People often argue that Kelce isn't *really* a Tight End. But he isn't really a Wide Receiver either. He's something unique that we've rarely seen before - a 2nd quarterback on the field - one who doesn't throw. That doubles the amount of quarterbacking skill on the field. And he can carry the team like a running QB and just pound the football play after play.
Think about it - Kelce's defining feature is his ability to instantly read defenses and find the spaces no one can cover. That's a quarterback skill.
So Kelce's not a TE, and he's not a WR - he's something new: he's a double-quarter-pounder with Chiefs.
He's a FOOTBALL PLAYER... Chess piece. Could you imagine having more than 1 of him on the field at the same time?!?! SF has several "football" players, but I'd argue Kelce is still better than all of them.
Loved the “with Cheese” substitution!
... so you're saying that he often places opposing defenses in a pickle???😸 And that he makes it difficult for opposing offenses to ketch up? (Sorry but it was just sitting there on a tee! How could I resist? I'll do my best to refrain from yielding to further temptation....)
Stop it!
😆
No! We want more! I need more material for my grandsons.
I really do not care what official title or role, WR, TE, QBII: as long as we have TK, and make some more of him!!
Groan! Lol. But in a good way!
Kelce is at his best when he's improvising. As fate would have it, he happens to have the master of improv playing QB. He is the peanut butter to Pat's jelly. The mind meld between the two is unmatched. It's a connection that transcends football. It's a friendship off the field and mutual respect for one another that intensifies the connection. Just a couple of GOATs making it look easy.
Once again I'll reiterate: these are the good old days.
Totally agree. Revel in it.
Patrick said several times last night they are watching the games together today.
Thanks Seth for helping celebrate a really clutch win. No doubt Kelce was amazing, and is cementing his legacy after another incredible year.
I guess I’m becoming a spoiled Chiefs fan, because I can’t appreciate this win as much as I should. Can’t shake the idea we’re going to get smoked next week. Mahomes is on one leg. High ankle sprains take months to heal. I’d rather see the Bills reach the SB than the Bungles, so I guess I’m a Buffalo fan tomorrow. Is this too pessimistic?
I was prepared to accept defeat last night. Silly me. I think we are all nervous about next week but this team is resilient. With you on the Buffalo SB preference, but another game at Arrowhead would be epic.
GREAT article Seth. My buddies and I literally said when Henne got to the goal line.
KELCE.
And yup; an easy TD followed...
Can you please look into why JuJu, MVS, Moore etc were apparently not open all night or was it that 15 just didn't have that great of a game understanding what he was seeing so it was so heavily Kelce?
Also - ESPN Get Up / NFL Live kept showing over and over how bad Jax was at covering TE's so why didn't KC go with more multiple TE's in the game???
Amazing article again, Seth!
Great article Seth. Honestly I think one of your best. Not to get too sappy, but this article made me feel. Kelce is a unique talent for sure. When paired with Mahomes they make each other that much more incredible.
I share your wife's sentiment, how great would it be to have Travis and Patrick together for their entire careers. It is magical to watch while it lasts. We should certainly not take it for granted and enjoy the ride.
We’ll said
Tony Go was the greatest TE ever to play the game. Gronk & Kelce had better QBs for much of their careers. Gronk has more rings, & has more playoff catches. Kelce is blessed w/ PM15, but he has a chance to be “the difference-maker” at TE of all-time. Last night was another exhibit for the Prosecution that he is the greatest “difference-maker” ever to play the game. I call him a “difference-maker”. You call him “Atlas”. He is the personification of PM15’s call for “playmakers” that opens “Defending the Kingdom” podcasts. Make no mistake, we are watching greatness! I’ve been following the Chiefs since I was 5 years old in 1969. God granted me the joy of that SB 4 season as a child.
Moses wandered in the Wilderness for 40 years. As a Chiefs fan, I metaphorically wandered w/ the Red & Gold for 50.
I sat in my Dad’s hospital room in Durham, NC in 2014, shortly before he passed, watching that heartbreaking meltdown to the Colts. That was the last Chiefs game we watched, together. He didn’t get to see this. I am truly blessed to witness this greatness. Chiefs Kingdom is too, whether they realize it or not.
I cried reading this. Nights like this brings memories back from 24-0 against texans, 10 pts down in SB with 8 mins left, FG down with 13 secs on the clock. And the feeing it leaves me with is hope. There are times when you are down, had a really bad day, nothing in the world seems to be working right. But some of those times you see a injured man limping on the field refusing to sit and rest, you see a man fight like a bull knowing he is going to get targeted every time. One of those times you feel you are thrown in the deep end but you have not lost, there’s still time on the clock and brothers in arms. Thank you for the poignant writing Seth.
Lyrical Seth is the best. "And there, Atlas returned." Is one of the better lines in an article I've read, gave me the same chills as seeing the touchdown play at the time.