Chiefs: Andy Reid revealed why Jerick McKinnon has been on fire as of late
The Kansas City Chiefs' offense hasn't been as good as it can be lately, but even then it's still one of the best in the league. They just aren't playing to the best of their abilities, and that is okay, as long as it's fixed before the playoffs start. But, there is one thing that […]
The Kansas City Chiefs' offense hasn't been as good as it can be lately, but even then it's still one of the best in the league. They just aren't playing to the best of their abilities, and that is okay, as long as it's fixed before the playoffs start.
But, there is one thing that has been going right for them the past few weeks. Yeah, you all already know who I'm talking about. Jerick McKinnon, the second-year Chiefs' running back, has been on fire and is probably the hottest running back in the league in the last five weeks.
"You know, he is a quarterback, a legitimate quarterback in college, so he kind of knows how the game works as a whole and he is patient with that," head coach Andy Reid said. "I think that helps him in the run game- knowing how gaps are set up, knowing how secondaries fill for the run, and again he just, he can catch the ball on top of all of that. He can run and he's a good catcher."
McKinnon broke an NFL record on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, as he became the first running back in league history to have a receiving touchdown in five straight games. He has eight total touchdowns in his last five games.
McKinnon has been the best back on the team all season long, and as we saw last season, he gets better as the season goes on, and that's exactly what we are seeing now.
Being a quarterback in college, as Reid said, is a huge reason why he is so good as a running back. We all know that the quarterback almost has to be the smartest guy on the field, and definitely on the offense.
McKinnon can read defenses like a quarterback. He can read gaps, and know what the protection call is better than a lot of running backs, which is why he is also the best pass-pro running back on the team as well.
The Chiefs' offense hasn't been like what we know it can, as we said earlier, but McKinnon can make it that much more lethal when the rest of the offense catches up. They will definitely need it after Week 18.
Featured Image Via Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
