It’s no secret that the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ high offensive weapon is TE Travis Kelce. The 33-year-old tight finish simply recorded 10,000 profession receiving yards and his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. He has a popularity for being powerful to defend. One of many purpose’s that he’s so powerful to defend is that Kansas Metropolis has finished a superb job of discovering a participant to counter the work he does in the midst of the sector.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke a bit concerning the crew’s pursuit of Smith-Schuster on Wednesday, explaining how he completes their offense.
“We had been hoping that he may type of counter (Travis) Kelce – and this offense is greatest when you may type of do this,” Reid defined. “We had Sammy (Watkins) after which (Byron) Pringle developed into that as we went. And that’s when it rolls the most effective. And so, he’s are available and (has) finished that and does a pleasant job with it. He’s acquired an excellent really feel for the sport. He’s acquired nice really feel in area. After which he’s actually powerful to convey down and I type of forgot about that half (laughter). After he will get that ball in his fingers, man, you attempt to hit him in his decrease physique, he can shrug it off like a working again. That’s particular to have that.”
It’s not only a matter of what Smith-Schuster does to counter Kelce on the designed performs, although. Smith-Schuster defined that three of his receptions in Week 14 got here on routes the place he improvised. That included his landing reception behind the endzone, together with his quarterback Patrick Mahomes shopping for time for him to get open.
“He simply stayed alive,” Mahomes mentioned of Smith-Schuster. “He’s a man that’s going to draw folks, so he can get Travis (Kelce) open and clearly they dropped proper into the place we wished to throw the soccer. So as an alternative of simply working off and letting the play finish, he simply saved working. You possibly can see it I feel from the again endzone view of he’s simply transferring facet to facet, simply looking for a solution to give me a spot to throw the soccer so he acquired open (and) I used to be capable of get him the ball in a giant second. It’s going to take that. Not each play’s going to be good, we’re going to have to have the ability to make some performs at any time when the play name isn’t good. I believed he did an excellent job of constant to work and never giving up on it.”
Kelce and Smith-Schuster’s means to assist get one another open, on each designed and improvised performs, has the offense acting at a excessive degree deep into the common season. When one participant attracts consideration, the opposite seemingly has the flexibility to get open.
Smith-Schuster is at present pacing to file his second profession 1,000-yard receiving season and that’s all with lacking per week because of a concussion. With the postseason quick approaching, Smith-Schuster will likely be leaned on much more in large conditions to assist hold this offense acting at a excessive degree.