KC Chiefs didn’t use just one guy as their second receiver. They used 3, and it worked
The talk outside the walls of the Chiefs’ training facility last offseason was about finding a replacement for wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who signed a free-agent deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
Would it be Mecole Hardman? He seemed like the logical choice, especially since he was entering his third year in coach Andy Reid’s system.
If not Hardman, what about fourth-year pro Byron Pringle or Demarcus Robinson, who is in his sixth year with the Chiefs?
As speculation simmered, the Chiefs apparently knew what they were doing the entire time. They didn’t need to designate one individual to step up and replace Watkins’ production alongside clear No. 1 Tyreek Hill as pass-catchers for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In fact, Chiefs receivers coach Joe Bleymaier spelled it out pretty clearly two weeks into the regular season.
“I think you would say a committee,” Bleymaier said on Sept. 23 when asked who the No. 2 wideout would be. “All of our receivers play all the different spots based on any given route concept on any given play. They can be all over the field.”
Have they ever ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Hill did his thing in 2021, of course, recording a career-high 111 catches for 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns. His 111 receptions established a franchise single-season record, breaking tight end Travis Kelce’s previous mark of 105 in 2020.
While the Chiefs experimented with Josh Gordon, the one-time star whom they recently waived and then brought back to their practice squad, the one constant behind Hill has been the trio of Hardman, Pringle and Robinson.
Bringing unique respective skills to the table, each did his share of damage this season. And here’s a bit about why each is so integral to what the Chiefs seek to do offensively.
Mecole Hardman
If the Chiefs needed a Jet-sweep or play to stretch the field, that call frequently went to Hardman, who finished the regular season with two receiving touchdowns and career-highs in catches (59), yards (693) and targets (83). He also rushed for 46 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.
The 5-foot-10, 187-pound Hardman’s rushing ability was on display in the Chiefs’ 42-36 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in last Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round game. With the Chiefs facing a first-and-10 on the Bills’ 25 in the third quarter, coach Andy Reid called a jet-sweep for Hardman, who took the handoff around left end and burst upfield for a 25-yard touchdown.
“When he dials up things up like the jet-sweeps or the pop-passes or the screen plays or anything to get me the ball quickly, I enjoy those moments,” Hardman said. “I know when I get the ball, I can make things happen in hurry. I’m happy he’s allowing me to be part of this team and be part of the game plan to help this team out and giving me opportunities.”
Byron Pringle
Pringle also took advantage of increased chances to contribute on offense this season. And the importance of those contributions has increased lately.
Already the Chiefs’ leading kickoff returner, the 6-foot-1, 204-pound Pringle came into his own as a receiver in 2021. He had a career year, with 42 catches for 568 yards and five touchdowns on 60 targets. He appeared in all 17 regular-season games, making five starts and seeing action on a career-high 586 offensive snaps — well up from the 239 he played in 2020.
Pringle credits offseason training and paying attention to his food intake for helping him prepare for his extended role.
“That was my main goal from the past offseason, and maintain a good weight throughout the season,” he said. “I’ve been doing that well, so I think that was my biggest thing that I wanted to do was maintain my weight and to be able to keep speed.”
This postseason, Pringle has three touchdown catches through two games. More importantly, he has the trust of his quarterback in the red zone: Mahomes threw to a particular spot in the end zone against the Bills, and Pringle did his part by hauling in a 2-yard touchdown catch.
“I knew I wasn’t going to have a lot of time, so I just tried to race back to give my guy a chance to make the play,” Mahomes said. “Pringle went up there and made a tough catch between two defenders.”
Demarcus Robinson
Robinson’s role in the Chiefs’ offense went beyond the box score.
His numbers dropped this season. He recorded just 25 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns. The season before, he’d set career-highs in receptions (45) and receiving yards (466).
But the Chiefs often rely on the 6-foot-1, 203-pound wideout’s ability to serve as a physical downfield blocker and be dependable when the ball comes his way.
Ultimately, Hardman, Pringle and Robinson effectively filled in for Watkins based on production and what the Chiefs asked each to do within the scheme.
Watkins spent three years in Kansas City and never topped 700 receiving yards in a season. Hardman, Pringle and Robinson combined for 1,525 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021. The Chiefs’ committee strategy worked.
The three give opposing defenses something else to think about as they try to corral Hill and Kelce. In the high-powered Chiefs offense, they deepen Mahomes’ wealth of quality targets.
“I think not only having them and their different skill-sets that they have, where they can make big plays happen and everything like that, but just the relationships that I’ve built with those guys over the years,” Mahomes said. “Guys like Byron Pringle, I’ve thrown to him for three or four years now, Demarcus Robinson same thing and then Mecole, I’ve been with him since he entered the NFL.
“Just knowing where they’re going to be, how they play and developing those relationships and chemistry with them I think helps out a ton when you’re on the football field.”
