Something needs to change in Kansas City. So, the Chiefs’ head coach apparently is taking matters into his own hands.
Andy Reid will hand over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Matt Nagy in the Chiefs’ Week 13 game against the New York Jets, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Sunday, citing team sources. In other words: Reid is “benching himself.”
As Mortensen notes, Reid still will have “strong oversight” during the game and perform his other normal head coaching duties.
Plenty of NFL head coaches — including the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick — let their offensive coordinators call plays, so Reid isn’t exactly entering uncharted waters. In fact, he’s pulled this move before, handing over play-calling duties to Brad Childress and Marty Mornhinweg on separate occasions with the Philadelphia Eagles and letting Doug Pederson call plays with Kansas City.
Still, it’s a bold (and necessary) move for a free-falling Chiefs team that’s lost five of its last six games in part due to an anemic offense. Kansas City has scored 10 points or fewer in each of its last two games and is averaging just 18 points over its last six contests after averaging 32.8 points in its first five games.
Reid’s bold moves are stopping there, however, as Alex Smith will remain the Chiefs’ starting quarterback despite calls to switch to rookie backup Patrick Mahomes. Smith will be on a “shorter leash” Sunday against the Jets, however, per Mortensen.
