The sequel to Wasp? Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes also called for a home-run play in 2020
The biggest play in Super Bowl LIV was one that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wanted to run.
“Jet Chip Wasp” resulted in a 44-yard completion to receiver Tyreek Hill that began a fourth-quarter rally that ended with the Chiefs’ 31-20 win.
NFL Films had an in-depth look at that play, and their cameras caught Mahomes asking offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy if there was time to run Wasp.
Fast forward to the Chiefs’ second game of the 2020 season.
The Chiefs trailed the Chargers by eight points in the fourth quarter when Mahomes rolled out to his right and threw a pinpoint pass to Hill that resulted in a 54-yard touchdown. The ensuing two-point conversion tied the game and the Chiefs won in overtime.
During an interview with NBC Sports’ Peter King, Mahomes revealed that he asked if the Chiefs had time to run that play, too.
King had asked Mahomes for an instance of a play that shows the chemistry he has with Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Mahomes picked the touchdown pass to Hill.
“I don’t know if you remember,” Mahomes said. “But early in the season we had that play against the Chargers where Tyreek kind of ran like a triple move and I sprinted out to the right and threw him a touchdown. It actually went off a route that we had ran against the Chargers in the year prior, where he ran a double move and they covered it really well. I went to coach Reid and I was like, ‘You think we have time to let him do three moves?’
“I look at stuff that we do in the game, and games prior, even stuff that Alex (Smith) did when he was here. I say, You think we can do it this way or that way?’ He (Reid) has no hesitation on trying it. I think that’s been the biggest thing. There’s some of them that we run that don’t work at all that we don’t talk about. But he will always give me a chance to try because he feels like if I believe in it, I can make it work.”
That play certainly worked, and while Mahomes didn’t reveal the play’s name, let’s call it Wasp Junior. Or maybe Wasp II.
You can read more about the Chiefs in King’s column here.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
