The Chiefs want to expand Mecole Hardman’s role. He could be a factor in the opener
The play that sparked the initial postseason comeback wasn’t even a touchdown. When it was over, in fact, the Chiefs were still scoreless, still down 24 points to Houston just 19 minutes into the AFC Divisional Round.
Mecole Hardman stood on the goal line as the football reached his gut, and within the matter of a few strides, he hit full speed. Cut right. Cut right once more. And 58 yards later, the kick return had energized Arrowhead Stadium for the first time that afternoon.
You know the rest: Kansas City scored 51 of the game’s next 58 points, winning 51-31.
“He got better and better as the year went on, and it kind of culminated in that game against Houston with that (58)-yard return that propelled us and kind of got us going in the right direction,” Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said.
Seven months later, the play remains relevant for a couple of reasons. First, the Chiefs open Thursday against that same Houston team. A year ago, the Texans ranked among the best five teams in football in both kickoff and punt coverage. In one swift cut, same as last January, Hardman can throw a wrench into the best coverage plans.
But second, and more importantly, the play represents a symbol of what the Chiefs expect in Year Two.
More of it.
“I think he’s going to take major strides in his kick return ability,” Toub said. “I think he’s on the verge of being really, really good and explosive. He’s explosive already, but he’s going to be even better. We’re excited about him and the way he’s developed.”
An uncommon theme developed as Hardman’s rookie season aged. He became a more consistent factor on special teams — finding the end zone on a return for the first time in the season finale against the Chargers — while becoming less of a factor in the offense. After seeing at least 43 offensive snaps in each of the first four weeks of the season, Hardman played 25 or fewer in eight of the final nine games.
He went out to change that this offseason. While he flashed an ability for big plays as a rookie — four of his six receiving touchdowns were 42 yards or longer — he wanted to become more than a deep threat. More than a guy known for his speed.
“My fundamentals, different releases, getting better at the line with my hands and the top of the route,” Hardman said of his offseason concentration. “I know I can go deep. I know I can run the deep ball very well. I’m basically just trying to become a more complete receiver with the intermediate routes and the short game and try to improve in that area.”
Hardman says he would like to mimic Tyreek Hill’s maturation as a receiver, and the comparisons are natural. They’re both on the smaller side for wideouts. Both extraordinarily fast, even by NFL standards.
But the development piece will require more than that. Hill became an adept route runner. His cuts became more crisp. He’s often open. His football intelligence provides a security for quarterback Patrick Mahomes that he will be in the right spot at the right time. The growth appeared in the numbers. Hill had 593 yards and six scores as a rookie, then 1,183 yards in his second season and 1,479 in his third before injuries cost him a month last year.
Hardman caught 26 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie — awfully similar numbers to what Hill accomplished in his first NFL season. The objective is to mirror the trajectory from here.
Which starts with finding a way to get onto the field.
The Chiefs share that goal.
“We just wanted to see Mecole grow in our offense,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “It’s tough as a young player coming into this offense because of the enormous amount of information we’re giving them. One thing I thought he did a great job of last season was learning the offense. We want to expand his role even more in the offense and just keep him involved.”
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM.