For the second straight week – and third time this year – Chiefs head coach Andy Reid dialed up a little swing pass in the flat on a big fourth-and-1 play, and for the third time, it worked.
While not as huge as the Divisional round pass from Chad Henne to Tyreek Hill in the grand scheme of things – at least not yet – Reid decided to leave his offense on the field on fourth-and-one from the Buffalo 23 with just over one minute left in the first quarter of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
The Bills held a 9-0 lead at the time, and had they made stop, they would’ve taken over just outside their own red zone; instead, Tyreek Hill motioned into the backfield behind Patrick Mahomes in a pistol formation, and after a play fake to Hill, Mahomes swung the ball out to Darrel Williams – who was beside him in the formation – for a nine yard gain.
Four plays later, Mecole Hardman, whose punt muff set up a quick touchdown for Buffalo in the first quarter, made it count with a three-yard TD catch to cut the deficit to 9-7.
Of course, the Henne to Hill pass in last week’s game was the huge one, as the five-yard completion was – which came on fourth-and-one from the KC 48 with just over a minute to go and the Chiefs leading 22-17 – was a game-clincher.
That was the second time the Chiefs had run the play, though, as they also did so in Week 14 vs. Miami. That play, a 22-yard pass from Mahomes to Hill, came with 2:31 left and KC at the Miami 40 leading 30-24; they would go on to kick a field goal to make it 33-24, in a game they won 33-27.
Perhaps, then, it should be called the KC Special?
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