Andy Reid deserves blame for Chiefs’ embarrassing loss to Lions
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid was outcoached.
That hasn’t occurred a lot – if ever – throughout Large Pink’s wonderful association with Patrick Mahomes the previous few years.
Nevertheless it occurred on Thursday night time at GEHA Subject at Arrowhead Stadium because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs unfurled their Tremendous Bowl 57 championship banner, then obtained upstaged and embarrassed in a 21-20 defeat earlier than a nationwide TV viewers in prime time.
Positive, the gritty Detroit Lions proved worthy of their preseason hype. And their aggressive coach, Dan Campbell, had his crew ready with the basics to make a press release. Campbell sprung an enormous shock, too, calling for a direct snap that labored whereas in punt formation deep in his personal territory early within the recreation, which saved alive a 14-play TD drive that despatched the sign the Lions certainly got here to play towards the defending champs.
But it wasn’t a lot that Campbell outfoxed Reid.
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No, Reid outcoached himself along with his weird game-management resolution in crunch time.
Trailing 21-20 and holding three timeouts, earlier than the two-minute warning, Reid went for it on fourth-and-25 whereas positioned on his personal 30-yard line. Even with the historical past of miracles that we’ve witnessed from Mahomes, this was a bit a lot, given the chance.
Reid initially meant to go for it on fourth-and-20, however they have been backed up by a false begin penalty by Jawaan Taylor. The situational gap was dug by a holding penalty by Donovan Smith and a dropped cross by Skyy Moore on previous performs.
All that funk and Reid went for it anyway, quite than punt to prolong the sport.
Why?
“I believed we wanted to try this,” Reid mentioned throughout his postgame information convention. “At that individual time, they drove the ball on us…We gave {that a} shot.”
And it backfired..
Mahomes, bless him, practically bailed his coach and his crew out, rolling left after which heaving a cross that Justin Watson might need…
Incomplete.
The choice was all about desperation. Reid might have flipped the sphere place, then left it to his protection to provide you with a cease to get the ball again to his MVP quarterback. As a substitute, he opted not to punt and confirmed completely no religion in a protection that, even with out All-Professional defensive deal with Chris Jones, he praised for its effort.
Perhaps if Travis Kelce, the All-Professional tight finish, was within the lineup, fourth-and-25 might have labored. If the Cheetah, Tyreek Hill, was nonetheless a Chief, they’d have stood an opportunity.
However Mahomes was throwing to a receiver, Kadarius Toney, who dropped 4 passes, together with the one within the third quarter that landed gift-wrapped into the palms of rookie security Brian Department, who raced 50 yards in returning the pick-six.
And, as nice as Mahomes is, this went down on an evening when the Chiefs have been 0-for-7 on third downs within the second half. This was not trending as a great time to go for it on fourth down.
Shocked by the choice?
“It’s a state of affairs the place you’re going to have to get a cease, regardless, three-and-out,” Mahomes mentioned. “Coach Reid determined to put the ball in my palms, and we have been shut to getting it. Clearly, it didn’t work out. However you’re going to have to get the three-and-out, regardless.”
Reid didn’t elaborate on the specifics of what turned out to be the ultimate offensive play. Requested to make clear the design of the play, Reid grumbled, “It was designed to full the son-of-a-gun.”
In fact, the sport wasn’t misplaced on one play. But you can see the one play approaching an evening when the Chiefs offense simply wasn’t clicking, though Mahomes (21-of-39, 226 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) threw just a few stunning dimes and made a handful of deft scrambles. It simply wasn’t sufficient.
There have been different questionable calls, too, comparable to a jet sweep to rookie Rashee Rice on the crew’s penultimate possession within the fourth quarter. The third-and-1 play misplaced 3 yards, blown up by defensive finish Josh Paschal.
However the fourth-and-25 name was unimaginable by itself. Insulting, too, when you have been on the opposite facet.
“No respect,” Lions defensive again C.J. Gardner-Johnson instructed USA TODAY Sports activities. “You’re going for it on fourth-and-20, you’ve obtained no respect for us.”
Gardner-Johnson allowed that the greatness of Mahomes was an plain X-factor in Reid’s resolution, however he nonetheless didn’t perceive the logic.
“That’s not going towards the gamers, it’s the coordinator not pondering we’re going to be ready within the state of affairs,” Gardner-Johnson mentioned.
Reid has a brand new offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy, who held the submit from 2016-17 and is now changing the departed Eric Bieniemy. However Reid nonetheless calls the performs and makes the choices on when to go for it on fourth down.
The buck on this one stops with Large Pink.
“I simply thank A.G. for placing us in the suitable state of affairs to win the sport,” Gardner-Johnson mentioned, referring to Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
The fitting state of affairs. Often, Reid is among the finest within the NFL when it comes to situational soccer. Not this time.
Campbell, in the meantime, mentioned his gutsy resolution to pretend a punt from his personal 17-yard line wasn’t a lot about needing to ship a message or take dangers to slay a champion in a hostile surroundings.
“I believe it says I belief my punt crew,” Campbell instructed USA TODAY Sports activities. “I trusted ‘em, and I’ve obtained lots of religion in these guys. It was the suitable time to do it and the fellows executed.”
If solely Reid had religion in his protection and punted on fourth-and-25. It might need been the distinction that arrange one other Mahomes comeback.
Then once more, Campbell indicated that he wasn’t as shocked as most of us have been with Reid’s controversial game-management in crunch time.
“I additionally know who they’ve obtained,” Campbell mentioned, referring to Mahomes. “They’ve obtained that quarterback, and also you’ve obtained three timeouts in your pocket. Truly, I didn’t suppose it was that weird, actually.”
What?
Standing in a hallway outdoors the festive, noisy visiting locker room within the bowels of Arrowhead, simply as Mahomes walked by headed to the car parking zone, Campbell reiterated his level.
“Yeah,” he mentioned. “Whenever you’ve obtained Mahomes, something can occur.”
Simply not at all times.
