The Chiefs’ offense benefits from Travis Kelce’s new signature move: the lateral – Blogging Sole

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A special element of the Chefs The offense this season has brought coach Andy Reid smiling and laughing on several occasions.

“He’s been doing it for a few years,” Reid said Monday of the tight end. Travis Kelce. “We do it every day in training. It’s not just something we throw out on game day. It’s something we do. Everything is fine with that – as long as you complete them.

Kelce, a 12th year veteran, has a pretty unassailable resume. He is a future Hall of Famer, three-time Super Bowl champion and tight end who holds the record for most touchdown receptions in Chiefs history (76, with Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez ).

This season, however, Kelce has added another quirk to his game: he has perfected the lateral pass.

During the Chiefs’ victory Friday against their rival Las Vegas RaidersKelce’s most memorable moment came when he avoided being tackled in the middle of the field by throwing the ball backwards toward the ball carrier. Samaje Périnewhich then received a first critical essay.

“Yeah, man, right place, right time,” Kelce said on Wednesday’s episode of “New Heights,” the podcast he hosts with his brother Jason. “I’m happy it worked. … It’s just an instinct I had and I’m lucky we were able to get another set of downs.

Kelce hasn’t had any issues with Reid this season as he successfully completed both of his lateral attempts, throwing the ball to Perine each time to help the Chiefs reach the red zone.

“It started out as kind of a joke,” the quarterback said Patrick Mahomes said of Kelce’s combination of skill and daring. “Now it has become one thing. As long as he completes it, the coach will continue to let him do it.

THE RETURN OF THE LATERAL‼️ pic.twitter.com/tdHOSCHOLH

– Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 29, 2024

That thing helped the Chiefs score their only touchdown against the Raiders in the second quarter, just before the two-minute warning. On third-and-10 just outside the red zone, Mahomes completed a short pass to Kelce, who immediately made eye contact with Perine, who came out of the backfield into the flat. With an unusual move, Kelce leapt forward and threw a pass like he was Mahomes, a perfect spiral for Perine.

The Arrowhead Stadium crowd roared as Perine finished the play with a 15-yard gain. Perine recognized Kelce by designating him as a NBA player recognizing his leader after an assist on a fast break.

“Remember, he was a quarterback (in high school),” Amazon Prime analyst Kirk Herbstreit said of Kelce after the highlight. “It’s a no-look pass. It’s just an impression. It’s something you play with in practice, and it becomes so comfortable that all of a sudden you’re able to bare it and do it in a match. This ball is thrown perfectly.

Three plays later, Mahomes threw a perfect lofted pass to the receiver Justin Watson for a six-yard touchdown.

After the game, some analysts and fans wondered if Kelce’s lateral was an integral part of the Chiefs’ play call.

“It’s not designed at all,” Mahomes said. “(Kelce) is the only person who would do it. I know sometimes it seems (designed), but it’s more him being in this offense so long that he knows where the guys are that are running different routes.

Mahomes said he hoped Kelce would gain at least eight yards on the play, so he could persuade Reid to let the offense stay on the field for fourth down.

A similar scenario occurred in early October during the Chiefs’ victory against the New Orleans Saints. In the second quarter, the Chiefs faced a third-and-21. Mahomes threw a short pass to Kelce, who drew three defenders to midfield before making a sneaky throw to Perine.

Kelce with the pitch on 3 and 22 😂

📺: #NOvsKC on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/PW8dXNhIrx

– NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2024

“I saw it and I said to myself: ” Shit ! »“Right Guard Trey Smith said after this match. “It’s classic Kelce, just making a play when the team needs it. It was really awesome, man. Anytime you see something like that, it’s really cool.

The Chiefs gained 20 yards on the play, leading to Reid keeping the offense on the field to convert a fourth-and-1 snap to continue the drive.

“It wasn’t scripted, I tell you,” Perine said, smiling. “I saw him do it several times in training. I was just staying (ready) just in case. Indeed, I saw him pass the ball (into his right hand) and bring his arm back. I was ready for this.

The first time Kelce attempted a lateral was during the Chiefs’ 2019 championship season in a comeback win over the Detroit Lions. With the Chiefs near midfield, Mahomes started the fourth quarter rolling to his right before connecting with Kelce, who caught the ball in the middle zone of the field. Realizing he was about to be tackled before he could gain any yards after his reception, Kelce returned the ball to the running back. LeSean McCoywho gained 23 more yards for a high point of 33 yards. The Chiefs ended the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Not counting late-game desperation, Kelce has passed the ball to a teammate five times since the start of the 2019 season, according to TruMedia. Aside from the Chiefs, only six teams have made more offensive lateral plays than Kelce himself during that span. And only four teams have more in the first half than Kelce’s four.

“It’s the most underused rule in the game,” Kelce said of the lateral on his podcast. “I think I heard (NFL Network broadcaster) Rich Eisen mention that early in my career. I was like, “Damn, he’s not lying, man, it’d be nice if we were here just to flip him every room.” That’s what football was.

Kelce knows the best scenarios to unleash his turn. He has enough experience to anticipate when the opposing defense will play soft zone coverage. He’s also caught enough passes in the middle of the field during his career to predict where certain defenders should be and the spacing between them and his teammates.

“Or you catch them in one-on-one (coverage) and you beat your defender and now all of a sudden you know there’s only one guy for every other route around you,” Kelce said on the podcast. “This is what happened (against) Buffaloironically, last year.

It didn’t count, but Kelce’s lateral late in the fourth quarter in a loss to the Bills last season was probably his biggest midgame assist.

Kelce surprised everyone at Arrowhead when he threw a lateral to the receiver Kadarius Toneywho appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown while fans let out wild cheers. The viral highlight, however, was spoiled by a penalty: Toney started the play offside while lining up in the neutral zone.

“Honestly, man, it was such a big (decision),” Kelce said on the podcast a few days after the game. “I caught (the ball), I turned upfield, I saw the safety in single height and I knew it was man coverage and I knew I broke the angle control of the guy who was chasing me.

“When I broke the safety angle, I knew there was only one (defender) left on that side of the field. I knew (Toney) was there because of the route he ran and I saw him out of the corner of my eye in the sideline position. I knew if I could get him the ball, I knew he had space to score a touchdown.

TRAVIS KELCE SIDE TO TONEY IS RECALLED 😭

(via @NFL)

– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 11, 2023

The next time Kelce tried out for a fullback was in late July during training camp. During team periods, Kelce experimented with arm angles — underhanded, an end-to-end throw and a two-handed chest pass — for his laterals toward the ball carrier. Isiah Pacheco.

Perine, a seventh-year veteran, joined the Chiefs on August 30, less than a week before the team played its season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. In his first practice with the Chiefs, Perine was stunned when Kelce sent him the ball sideways.

“He plays football in the yard,” Perine said, smiling. “Just experiencing it was crazy. But it’s fun.

(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)