One play in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 9-0 start illustrates why the players like playing for new coach Andy Reid.
It happened late in the first half of an Oct. 27 home game against Cleveland. Kansas City had a first down at the Browns’ 28. As the offense broke the huddle, the Chiefs lined up in trips right: three receivers in a row outside the right tackle—wideout Dwayne Bowe, slot receiver Dexter McCluster and tight end Anthony Fasano, left to right.
Before you learn what happened, you need some history. The Chiefs had run this play earlier in the half, and Bowe noticed one of the Cleveland defensive backs clapping his hands twice and nodding toward Bowe. When the ball was snapped on this play earlier in the half, two defenders blanketed Bowe as he sprinted up the right seam, and quarterback Alex Smith had to look elsewhere.
So when Bowe went to the sidelines after that series and Reid saw him, the coach said, “Hey 82, what do you see?” Bowe told him on this play, Z Out Zebra Post, he thought if Reid called it again, McCluster should do what Bowe had done on the first play, run a deep seam route, and Bowe, instead of streaking downfield, should run a short out, to take two cover men with him. That way, McCluster would be singled and, with his quickness, get a step on his man.
So here came that chance, late in the half. Coaches told Bowe and McCluster to switch their routes, and Z Out Zebra Post was Reid’s call. At the line of scrimmage, Bowe got the double-clap again and he knew he’d get doubled, and at the snap of the ball, Bowe ran an out-route with safety T.J. Ward and corner Buster Skrine bracketing him. Streaking straight downfield, McCluster got two steps on corner Joe Haden. Smith threw. McCluster stretched for the ball at the goal line. Bingo. Easy touchdown.
“Hey 82 … 82!” Reid said to a grinning Bowe when he returned to the sideline. “You got a job doing this coaching thing someday.”
That touchdown made the score 20-7. The final was 23-17, Kansas City. Dwayne Bowe, as it turned out, designed the winning play to make Kansas City 8-0. And his head coach called it.
“I’ve never had input like that as a football player,” said Bowe. “Some coaches have an ego. Some coaches want to win. Andy’s that [second] kind—he just wants to win.”
Dwayne Bowe, assistant coach. Quite a change out there in Missouri.
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