By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette
For those of you who tuned into Monday Night Football to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Denver Broncos, you might have seen the Chiefs score on a play you either have never seen or haven’t seen in a while. That is, unless you’re an ACGC or similar sized school football fan.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Chiefs were on the goal line, seeming primed to add to their 24-10 lead. The Chiefs have one of the greatest offensive minds in football history leading their team in Andy Reid. The coach, earlier in that game, was caught smiling before his team went for it on fourth down. Reid, almost never smiles. Period. So, it was even more surprising to see the walrus-stached coach flash a grin before Kenneth Walker broke free for a 60-yard TD.
No grin was caught on camera before this Chiefs TD, also scored by Kenneth Walker, which was technically a pass because Patrick Mahomes tossed it forward. The Chiefs executed a wing formation play, which is basically extinct in the modern NFL and largely extinct from all levels of college football. Reid, Mahomes and Walker broke some of it down in the post-game press conference. If you’re an ACGC fan, you’ve been watching plays similar to this one for years.
Teams like ACGC and other schools all over the state have been running power option style offenses like this for decades with incredible efficiency. The Chargers have been dominating the area for years and have barely reached more than 10 passing completions in a season doing so. It completely flies in the face of what “modern” football is to most people. Even Lincoln High School, where I went, ran the Wing T offense during its most successful period of football in the last 30 years. Just look at these highlights. You would never expect to see a 4A or 5A school running an offense like this today. But it worked for Lincoln, it works for ACGC, and it still works at the highest level of professional football.
That is something I love about football. It takes shape in so many different ways. ACGC, old Lincoln, most of A, and 1A football use option, deception and pitches. Look to the bigger schools, and most all of them run some form of spread, air raid, or multiple offense to move the ball.
In the NFL, the entire league has become pass heavy. But in the chess match that is football, leave it to a coach like Reid to break an old classic like he ran on Monday night. The Broncos didn’t even know who had the ball until he was in the endzone. This is one of the many reasons why football is such a great sport. On the surface, it’s one of the most physical and brutal sports one can play. Underneath, a seemingly endless stream of plays, calls, audibles and adjustments exist. And just when you think defenses have started to figure it out, a veteran like Reid breaks out a play most haven’t prepared for since the 1930s.
Reach out with comments, suggestions story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.