How KC Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill became more than just an NFL deep threat this season
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Chiefs vs. Bills Preview
The Chiefs are back in the Divisional Round of the NFL postseason for the fourth consecutive year, even if they took an unconventional route to get here — this time by actually playing a game last weekend rather than enjoying a weekend off at home.
This Sunday’s 5:30 p.m. game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is a prime opportunity for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to avenge this past October’s loss to Josh Allen and the Bills.
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Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill entered the 2021 season as one of the most-feared deep threats in the NFL.
A 4.29 time in the 40-yard dash will do that.
But opposing defenses, following a blueprint utilized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, tried something new this season: They adjusted to quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the high-octane Chiefs offense in hopes of taking away the deep pass. They played their safeties well off the ball, sometimes 15-20 yards from the line of scrimmage, in “shell coverage.”
The strategy succeeded as well as it could’ve, especially early in the season, as the Chiefs sputtered to a 3-4 start.
But for every NFL action, there’s an NFL reaction ... so the Chiefs adjusted, too. Instead of asking their top receiver to blow the top off those opposing defenses on virtually every play, the Chiefs deployed the speedy Hill closer to the line of scrimmage.
“Tyreek ... has done I think a phenomenal job of getting himself open in very tight situations, whether it’s man, whether it’s zone, whether he’s doubled or not,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “And, most of all, our quarterback has a lot of trust in those situations.”
No longer asked to burn cornerbacks at every turn, Hill thrived in other ways.
“I think our guys have done a great job of just adjusting to how teams have been defending us,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “Obviously Tyreek would like to think of himself as the fastest man in the universe, because we also know that he wanted to race one of the fastest men in history (true story — Bieniemy was referring to the challenge Hill once issued to Olympian Usain Bolt). But he’s had a heck of a season.
“He does some great things,” the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator continued. “He has the skill-set to be a great possession receiver as well as a deep threat. I like what Tyreek has brought to the table, and I like that he’s showing everyone that he’s capable of not just being a deep threat, but also someone who can make plays with his feet after the catch, as well.”
PROOF IN THE NUMBERS
Hill gained 11.2 yards per reception this season, the second-lowest average of his six-year career.
But he also hauled in a career-best 111 catches for 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns. He recorded his fourth 1,000-yard season, and his total receptions established a new single-season franchise record, breaking tight end Travis Kelce’s previous high-water mark of 105 in 2020.
“I think I said it when he got the record, that one is supposed to be held by a wide receiver,” Kelce said. “The tight end isn’t always the focal point of the offense, and I think Tyreek has done an unbelievable job over the course of his career taking his game to the next level.”
It started with exploiting what defenses were giving him. Hill talked about that after the Chiefs’ Week 10 victory over the Raiders, a 41-14 rout in which he went for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns on seven receptions.
“It’s hard, man, especially for me, because I’m used to going 80 (yards on) every play,” he said. “Coach Reid has just got to keep calm on the sideline because I’m a head case, man.
“Like I said, I’m used to going down the field. Now, guys got me running 12-yard ins. That’s not something I’m used to.”
Here’s the rub for opposing defenses who think they’ve got Hill and the Chiefs figured out: He remains perfectly capable of ruining their day. In Week 1, his 11 catches went for 197 yards and a touchdown. In Week 4, it was 11 catches for 186 and three scores. And in Week 15, he racked up 148 yards and a touchdown on 12 receptions.
In short, Hill has become a tough, possession-type receiver who‘s blown up the narrative that all he can do is go deep.
“He’s always asking to run different routes and more types of routes and more variety, so at times, I just remind him, ‘You were asking for these routes back in the day when you were just running down the field,’” Chiefs receivers coach Joe Bleymaier said. “It’s more mentally just the role in the offense, how to get going, what we need from you.
“If the teams are giving us completions short, catch (the ball), get what you can, get back up, do it again. And that’s what we’ll do down the field, as opposed to just running past them.”
AND NOW, THE REMATCH
This brings us to last weekend’s Chiefs-Steelers Wild Card Game, and Hill’s not-so-subtle reminder of what he can do to a defense that’s foolish enough to present a single-high safety look.
With the Chiefs facing second-and-12 on the Steelers’ 31, Hill lined up on the right side. After the snap, he found himself covered by cornerback Cameron Sutton and, ostensibly, Steelers safety Minkah Fizpatrick. And therein was the mismatch.
Hill easily got past Sutton with an inside move, then burst upfield with a several-yard cushion. When Mahomes unleashed a deep pass toward the goal line, Fitzpatrick couldn’t make it over to help in time.
Touchdown Chiefs.
“He’s really evolved his game,” Mahomes said. “And at the end of the day, whenever he gets into those man-coverage situations like he did this last weekend (against Pittsburgh), you can always hit him over the top for touchdowns.”
That sort of play, combined with Hill’s ability to wreak havoc underneath, figures to serve the Chiefs well against Buffalo in Sunday’s AFC Divisional Round showdown at Arrowhead. The Bills played their safeties back during a Week 5 victory, but Hill still caught seven balls for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Whether that game was the starting point for Hill’s evolution is debatable, but this do-it all Chief has the Bills’ attention ahead of Sunday’s rematch.
“He presents all kinds of problems,” Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “They have targeted him more underneath, but they still threaten you down the field, as well, so you’ve got to protect yourself and just kind of find a way to tackle.
“He’s a heck of a runner after he catches the football going, back to his punt-returner days. We’ve got to do a good job of trying to slow him down.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott agreed. But he also knows it will be easier said than done.
“When you look at him, he’s arguably one of the top receivers in the league,” McDermott said of Hill’s growth and progression. “He gets deep, he does it underneath, the run-after-catch throws, the screens and everything, the reverses. He’s extremely dangerous just when he steps on that field.”
This story was originally published January 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "How KC Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill became more than just an NFL deep threat this season."
