'They have a diverse attack' – Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on facing the Kansas City Chiefs' offense
During their victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs had arguably their best offensive performance of the season. The Chiefs put up 27 points, scoring on five of nine offensive possessions. They could have easily scored a sixth time, but running back Kareem Hunt opted to slide down instead of crossing […]
During their victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs had arguably their best offensive performance of the season.
The Chiefs put up 27 points, scoring on five of nine offensive possessions. They could have easily scored a sixth time, but running back Kareem Hunt opted to slide down instead of crossing the goal line to run out the clock and end the game. Kansas City also controlled the ball for nearly 34 minutes and didn't record a turnover.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes did a great job of spreading the ball around to his playmakers, connecting with eight different receivers on the day. Mahomes, Hunt and Isiah Pacheco combined for 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly of all, Mahomes was only sacked one time on 46 drop backs.
K.C.'s wide receiver corps is really rounding into shape. DeAndre Hopkins is a veteran who is a savvy route runner and can make can make tough, contest catches. Xavier Worthy's route running is becoming very crisp, and of course his speed is second to none. Then there's Hollywood Brown, who made an immediate impact on the Chiefs' offense against the Texans and provides more elite speed.
The Chiefs are now challenged with traveling to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers on a short week for a Christmas Day matchup. It will be a daunting task, and both teams have plenty to play for. While speaking to the media about how he's preparing his team to face Kansas City, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin praised it's offense's diverse attack.
"They have a diverse attack," Tomlin said. "It makes them a tough nut to crack in terms of the ability to utilize all those people and be inclusive in terms of how they distribute the ball. Certainly, they have some guys that are routinely involved in in their assault. [Xavier] Worthy, can't say enough about him as a young guy. He consistently makes plays week in and week out and is a splash playmaker for him. You see some schematic things that they do to highlight his talents, his speed. He's run some reverses. He'll take the top off of coverage in terms of stretching things down the field."
"Obviously, the acquisition or the return of Hollywood Brown gives them another guy that's down the field in that way," Tomlin continued. "[Wide receiver] JuJu [Smith-Schuster] is a tough guy. Oftentimes, he's a point of attack type of a guy in the run game, as is [Chiefs wide receiver Justin] Watson. And so they’ve got a nice, diverse and deep division of labor among their eligibles. And behind the sticks of it all, obviously, is [Chiefs quarterback] Patrick Mahomes and [Chiefs coach] Andy Reid, man. There's a reason why they're pursuing their third straight championship."
There probably isn't a better pair of coaches in the NFL than Tomlin and Reid that can handle playing three games in an 11 day span. They will certainly have their teams prepared as well as possible, and Reid's offense squaring off against Tomlin's defense will be an excellent chess match. The Chiefs can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a victory over Pittsburgh, which will allow them to rest most of their starters in the season finale against the Denver Broncos.
