Matt Nagy on Chiefs' Run-Pass Balance and Andy Reid's Gameplans

As the Chiefs look for their first 30-point performance of 2023, Chiefs OC Matt Nagy shared his view on how the Chiefs utilize the ground game.

The Kansas City Chiefs have the best quarterback in football and one of the greatest offensive minds in the history of the sport. It would be silly to ask them to be a run-heavy offense. However, in light of a bizarre first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Chiefs' run-pass ratio came into question.

In the first half, the Chiefs had four carries for 14 yards. Two of those carries (and 12 yards) came from Patrick Mahomes. Isiah Pacheco had one rush for four yards and Jerick McKinnon had one for a loss of two. Mahomes threw the ball 21 times and was sacked once. In the second half, the Chiefs started with the football and handed it to Pacheco on the first play. He took it for a 31-yard gain, more than doubling the team's first-half rushing total.

On Thursday, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was asked about the impact of that long run to start the second half and how big plays benefit KC's offense.

"It’s big," Nagy said. "Any big plays, explosives – and especially in the run game, that’s an easy breather for the quarterback, it’s a great momentum builder for the o-line, it sets the defense because now play action is better because you are running it, and then when you do it the first play of the third quarter, that’s momentum as far as being able to just get going and get points," Nagy said. "So, that was great."

Nagy was then asked to expand on the Chiefs' run-pass ratio as a whole, and he referred to Reid's game-week strategies.

"Well, every game you always have an idea of what you think you want to do, and then you get into the game and you have to adjust to what’s working and what’s not working," Nagy said. "I think Coach Reid does such a great job since the day he started coaching of being able to really formulate how we want to win, start off that way, and then personnel-wise and whatever it is schematically. And if the run game is going, then we’ll go ahead and get to that. If the pass game is going – it just so happens there's been a few more passes recently. I think if you know Coach Reid, that probably doesn’t shock you. That’s who we are, and we want to be able to be balanced and we have great players to be able to do both.” 

As Mahomes noted after the game on Sunday, it's not as simple as calling more runs or fewer passes. With RPOs (run-pass options) in the Chiefs' offense, Mahomes often has to make the final call for if and when the ball stays on the ground.

"You have to take what's there," Mahomes said in his postgame press conference. "We had a couple run plays called, but ... heavier boxes that threw through some of the advantage throws on the outside, RPO type stuff. I missed some. ... There are some missed reads by me. I got to handle the ball. But, yeah, we're going to get the run game going. I think you saw in the second half it was getting going better even though it was tough four-, five-yard carries – obviously the big one – are important. We'll continue to work that stuff. But we have the talent. Offensive line has the talent. We have the talent blockers on the outside as well. But it's a new offensive line. They had to gel together and figure it out with the running back. So, I'm excited because I know we can do it. In order for this offense to take the next step we are going to have to get it going for sure."

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