Chiefs changed up their passing game vs. Saints. Will it be a weapon moving forward?
Most of the Kansas City Chiefs’ best passing plays against the New Orleans Saints had one characteristic in common.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, for a majority of the big gains, was under center. And though that stylistic shift hasn’t always been a big staple of coach Andy Reid, recent success might mean the Chiefs could lean more into it.
“We’ve done a little bit more of that this year,” Reid said Wednesday. “Listen, it’s one more thing that we like to use, and we’re able to use it a little bit more.”
The Chiefs’ longest gain from their 26-13 home win against the Saints was in this setup. Mahomes faked a fourth-quarter hand-off to running back Kareem Hunt, flipping his hips before finding JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 50-yard gain.
This ended up being the most ideal format for the Chiefs when they played the Saints on Monday. Mahomes had six play-action passes from under center against New Orleans, according to Sports Info Solutions (SIS). The result of those six attempts?
• 15-yard pass to tight end Noah Gray
• Incompletion to Hunt
• 15-yard pass to Hunt
• 14-yard pass to Gray
• 50-yard pass to Smith-Schuster
• 13-yard pass to Smith-Schuster
It was different from many other Chiefs gameplans. Before the New Orleans game, KC had run play-action from under center on just seven combined pass plays in five weeks.
The production means it could be worth tinkering with again, including in Sunday’s road game against San Francisco.
“I think the running backs love that part, obviously,” Reid said. “But it’s a good change-up.”
So what’s the reason for the recent success? The Chiefs having an improved run game could be playing a part, as their ability to grind for yardage with downhill runs could be forcing defenses to respect that more than in the past.
Another factor: Under center might allow KC to play to its current personnel strengths. For example, the Chiefs lead the NFL in 13 personnel snaps (one running back and three tight ends) on under-center plays per SIS, utilizing that on 35 snaps this season.
Mahomes also appeared more comfortable in the pocket when going under center against the Saints, even if that somewhat goes against logic. Play-action passes under center require a quarterback to turn his back on the defense completely, offering a few seconds where he’s completely blind to the pass rush.
The stats were pretty clear that Mahomes found a rhythm in this setting, though. Against the Saints, he went 7-for-8 on passes under center (play-action and no play-action), with his 117 passing yards leading the NFL in Week 5.
It’ll be an area worth watching Sunday.
Both teams are among the NFL’s most efficient when dropping back under center, with the 49ers averaging 11.1 yards per pass attempt (third) and the Chiefs just behind at 9.3 yards per attempt — a tally that ranks eighth.
