Arrowhead Pride
Throughout the season, I’ll be looking at one good thing and one bad thing in the most recent Kansas City Chiefs game. It’s a good way to discuss what happened — and identify encouraging (and discouraging) trends that may be developing.
Let’s start with the Chiefs’ 31-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Week 5 edition of “Monday Night Football.”
NFL teams run the ball from two main formations: shotgun and under center. While some teams also mix in a pistol alignment, every team uses the two main types. The differences between them change everything about how a team runs its offense — particularly in the running game.
It’s easier to pass from shotgun, because the quarterback doesn’t have to take the traditional five to seven-step dropback, which allows more flexibility. It’s also much easier to build run-pass options (RPOs) from a shotgun formation.
Kansas City has lived on early-down RPOs for years. Almost every shotgun run that the Chiefs call has a pass attached to it. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s ability to make quick decisions (and throw from any angle), the team can do many different things from these looks.
But there is a trade-off: running more RPOs limits how aggressive you can be in the running game. When there is the potential for a pass, offensive linemen can’t block downfield; blocking angles become restricted. So it’s easier for defensive lines to win the line of scrimmage against RPO-heavy teams.
The Chiefs have struggled with this over the last couple of years. Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt aren’t particularly effective runners in shotgun, because good shotgun backs typically offer elite vision and the ability to make defenders miss in space. That isn’t a strength for either player. So while Kansas City has had a great offensive line, chunk runs have been limited by the running backs’ fit in the system.
One way to fix this is by running more plays from under center, where RPOs are limited because the quarterback turns his back to the defense to hand off the ball. But there’s an advantage, too: it unlocks the play-action game. Going under center also benefits the running game, because offensive linemen can fire off the ball and play more downhill.
In Week 5, the Chiefs leaned heavily into runs from under center.
Since the second half of the Giants game, the Chiefs appear to be sprinkling more under-center runs into their offense. I charted both Hunt and Pacheco’s carries from Monday night’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Chiefs primarily run zone concepts from under center. This fits their offensive line perfectly, because it’s one of the league’s most athletic. All five players are explosive movers who can reach angles that most can’t. In addition, all (except Jawaan Taylor) play with a nasty edge, creating real displacement in the running game. While most zone-based linemen tend to be lighter guys who rely on positioning, Kansas City’s will bash...
