I suspected the Chiefs’ offensive coaching staff to be relying on their base playbook to beat the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders — but I had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case during Thursday Night Football in Los Angeles. And it wasn’t.
The opening drive consisted of designed plays to quickly get the ball into the hands of wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Then a screen pass to fullback Michael Burton was set up perfectly for a 20-yard gain. Throughout the drive, they ran the ball — but not just the typical zone runs; I saw a guard-tackle counter, off-tackle stretch runs and then their classic short-yardage play: a fullback dive to Burton that turned into a game’s first touchdown.