The first play Andy Reid called as coach of the Chiefs was a calculated gamble.
He dialed up a slow-developing, play-action boot for quarterback Alex Smith that was designed to get the ball deep to tight end Anthony Fasano. For the play to work, Smith would need enough time for Fasano to sneak across the formation and upfield on a backside wheel route.
“He called it, like, four days before. He was like, ‘We’re doing it,’” said Smith, an 11-year veteran.
“And I remember (being) like, ‘Gah, this is weird. What if it’s, like, awful?’ Because it’s kind of like a hit-or-nothing play.