‘They call me big hippo’ — Chiefs veteran being recognized by his teammates for doing the dirty work
Making splash plays isn’t the only way to contribute.
A good NFL offense is more than just flashy plays.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been proof of that this season. While they are capable of making big plays, they are also very balanced. The Chiefs rank in the top 10 in both passing and rushing offense, fifth in total yards, and fourth in total points scored.
That takes a complete effort from all 11 guys. One area in particular where they have excelled is short-yardage situations. Because of that, coach Andy Reid has been very aggressive going for it on fourth down this season.
Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster plays pivotal role in success during short-yardage situations
“I think coach believes in us and our mentality as a group,” Smith-Schuster told the media on Friday. “When we’re in a huddle and it’s fourth and 1 or inches, there’s no doubt we’re going to get this first down. We all truly believe that. We believe in our running backs to make the play. We believe in our offensive line to make the right blocks.
“This week, they call me big hippo, because I’m one of the big guys on the line of scrimmage making those blocks. It’s a belief. It’s the belief that we’re going to be aggressive every single play, and especially on those fourths and inches because it keeps the drive minimum going. That momentum crushes them (opposing defenses). I think for us it’s just about making our plays and getting those stops.”
Smith-Schuster went on to reveal that “big hippo” isn’t the only thing his teammates call him, and credits Reid for the nicknames.
“I think we also added little-big pony,” Smith-Schuster continued. “Coach is funny with it.”
Smith-Schuster isn’t usually someone who’s going to make a deep catch down the field, but he has been very reliable on short-to-intermediate routes and as a run blocker. Many of his receptions have come on third down.
As a whole Smith-Schuster has caught 24 passes for 289 yards and one touchdown on the season. He is the veteran leader of the Chiefs’ WR corps, and is the type of player you love to have on your team, but hate to play against.
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