Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has a theory why there were able to dominate against the Miami Dolphins in their Wild Card showdown on Saturday. According to the veteran head coach, he thinks Miami didn’t expect Patrick Mahomes and Co. to utilize the passing game as much as they did in the contest.
Mahomes threw 41 passes in the game and completed 23 of it. While it’s not really the best completion rate, he still managed to gain 262 yards and one touchdown, all while taking care of the ball well. It’s also important to note that Mahomes and the Chiefs did that under freezing conditions–which is probably why Reid theorized that the Dolphins didn’t expect them to pass a lot.
Regardless, the Chiefs’ passing game brought them much-needed stability and allowed them to crawl their way to a 26-7 win. Isiah Pacheco also had one rushing touchdown, while Harrison Butker went 4-of-4 on field goals for 14 points.
“Patrick had a nice day. I don’t think (the Dolphins) anticipated us throwing the ball as much as we did. A lot of quarterbacks can’t do that in this type of weather,” Reid said postgame, per Jeff Darlington of ESPN.
Considering how much the Chiefs’ wideouts have struggled throughout the season as well, Andy Reid’s claim might not be far-fetched. Because of the weather and how poorly their wideouts have played for the most part of the season, it’s only natural for the Dolphins to assume that their passing game would take a backseat on Saturday. Unfortunately for Miami, that’s not the case.
Of course the Chiefs’ defense also played a big role in the win. They held the top-rated offense in the NFL to just seven points, with Tua Tagovailoa completing just 20 of his 39 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Miami’s run game was also slowed down, with Raheem Mostert limited to just 33 yards on eight carries.
Overall, it’s quite the forgettable game for the Dolphins. They had high expectations entering the contest but failed to deliver. As for the Chiefs, hopes are high that it’s the start of their offensive turnaround.
