This Chiefs’ Super Bowl run had unique starting point: Andy Reid’s 1st full-time job
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s first full-time football gig was as the offensive line coach for San Francisco State from 1983-85.
And roughly 40 years ago? Reid still remembers the Gators having one particular sweep play as a staple.
Yep, the same one that the Chiefs pulled out in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII to help defeat the Philadelphia Eagles.
“That was popular at one time in the NFL. I know when I was at San Francisco State, that was one of the plays that we ran a lot of,” Reid said. “I give credit to (Chiefs offensive line coach) Andy Heck for pulling that one out of his file and putting it in the short-yardage situation there. So it was just a matter of having a chance to get it called.”
Let’s rewind. The Chiefs and Eagles were tied at 35 in the fourth quarter when KC faced a third-and-1 at its 47-yard line with 3:37 left. Keep in mind, the Chiefs had struggled in similar third-and-short situations most of the season.
KC — in that critical moment — went to retro football. The team put split backs behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes, with both fullback Michael Burton and running back Isiah Pacheco starting with a hand in the dirt.
Chiefs center Creed Humphrey talked with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer about the call during an interview last week.
“Old-school formation, man, it was awesome,” Humphrey told Breer. “We were fired up about that one, too.”
The run play had history from way back — somewhat similar, in fact, to a sweep call that hall-of-fame coach Vince Lombardi installed with the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s.
Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown, during an appearance last week on the Pat McAfee Show, said Heck had only added this play to KC’s offense in recent weeks.
“He has some older clips from here since he’s been here — KC, and I think maybe even Jacksonville as well — but it’s just something that’s been in his system for years,” Brown said. “It’s like basically a sweep — like a 39 sweep or a 38 sweep — and (shoot) man, we came out and executed it really well. But I’ve got to give all the credit to coach Heck on that one.”
Chiefs players deserve praise too for following through on their assignments.
The Eagles — perhaps knowing the Chiefs often try inside runs on short-yardage downs — countered with a “Bear” front while putting players directly across from KC’s three interior offensive linemen.
That gave more room for the outside run to the left. Brown and Burton pinned defenders to the inside, while guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith pulled around them to clear a path.
Right tackle Andrew Wylie went low on defensive tackle Fletcher Cox to help seal the backside, while rookie receiver Skyy Moore’s “crack” block toward the middle was so good it sealed off two Eagles defenders.
The result? Pacheco came around the edge with only one unblocked player in front of him. That safety — C.J. Gardner-Johnson — made the tackle, but only after Pacheco had gained 10 yards.
“Burt (Michael Burton) did a great job of slicing and dicing the defensive end. And our big fellas got out and pulled and did a nice job with their contact points there,” Reid said. “And then Pacheco executed perfectly.”
How important was the play? The advanced box score at rbsdm.com showed the 10-yard dash increased the Chiefs’ win probability from 55% to 64%.
Extending the drive also eventually led to KC’s game-winning points, as Harrison Butker kicked a 27-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to give the Chiefs their decisive 38-35 lead.
Consider the Chiefs’ sweep the latest example of Reid going back in history to dial up a Super Bowl short-yardage winner.
Previously, in KC’s Super Bowl LIV win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Chiefs used a spinning play from the 1948 Rose Bowl to convert a fourth-and-1 run inside the 49ers’ 5-yard line.
The one from Pacheco remained quaint in its own right — with roots a few decades in the making.
“When those things work,” Reid said, “they’re a thing of beauty to watch.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2023 at 6:00 AM with the headline "This Chiefs’ Super Bowl run had unique starting point: Andy Reid’s 1st full-time job."
