Reid Vs Kingsbury Coaching Matchup: What To Watch For

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The players are the ones who win the game on the field. But a major sticking point to watch for each week, is how the coaches will scheme up their gameplans. What new wrinkles will be shown to kick off the season? What players may be highlighted heavily in Week 1 by each head coach? Those are just some of the items that fans will be watching for on Sunday from both Andy Reid and Kliff Kingsbury.

Obviously, the experience and tenure of Coach Reid outweighs that of Coach Kingsbury, far and away. It is hard to believe that this is already the tenth season for Reid in Kansas City. Whereas with Kingsbury, he enters a crucial fourth season in Arizona. Kliff has increased his win total in each season with the Cardinals. However, pressure is beginning to grow for this team, especially when you consider how weak the NFC is as a whole.

Both of these coaches are known for their offensive attack and creativity. That will be just one of the things that fans should keep in mind when watching the Chiefs and the Cardinals on Sunday. Meanwhile, there are some other stats and notes that people should be aware of. What kind of impact may these have on the actual outcome? Some of these items to watch for are more coincidental than anything else. Nevertheless, these are signs to point to when considering the history of Reid and Kingsbury. Let’s kick it off.

Strong In September

For the most part, these two head coaches have started the season out on the right foot. In 30 September games as Chiefs head coach, Reid has a record of 23-7. Kingsbury has been barely above .500 in September, registering a 5-4-1 mark in that month as Cardinals head coach. But in recent showings, Kingsbury has found his groove a lot sooner. Of the September games in the last two years, Kingsbury has gone a combined 5-1.

There is something to be said for teams starting the season as well-oiled machines. With the constant movement on rosters and the uniqueness of each team’s play style, September showings can often be forgotten about by season’s end. Certainly, teams can get hot in the second half of the season and make a playoff push. You cannot win the season in September. Yet, your team’s campaign can definitely be derailed by a bad opening month.

In Reid’s case, he will look to build early chemistry and momentum with an entirely new core. At seemingly every skill position, the Chiefs are looking towards new faces to help lead them to their ultimate goal. As for Kingsbury, he will have to weather the storm without Arizona’s best wide receiver, as the Cardinals will initially be without DeAndre Hopkins because of a suspension. Kingsbury has started off hot in each of the last two seasons. Even still, the dreadful second half finishes and last year’s playoff exit have to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

Offensive Tendencies

Overall, the offensive tendencies of these two head coaches are very similar. The passing game is designed to spread the ball all around the field and to heighten the pace at which it attacks defenses. Reid has been known for creating a lethal screen passing game with his running backs and tight ends. In addition, the Chiefs have benefitted from his ability to draw up plays that force defensive backs to make quick decisions. Whether they are in man or zone, opponents are often left having to guess at which receiver they should shade.

Kingsbury’s passing attack has been successful at hitting on vertical passing concepts. Much of that has to be attributed to the specific arm talent of Kyler Murray. Despite his smaller stature, Murray has above average arm strength and pinpoint ball placement, especially into tight windows. Kingsbury may still have some improvement to show, when it comes to attacking zone coverage. Adjusting to a quicker passing attack at times may be something the Cardinals look to do more of this season.

Mahomie

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Both of these head coaches were able to be a part of Patrick Mahomes‘ career. As head coach of the Red Raiders, Kingsbury was able to have Mahomes at his disposal for 32 college games at Texas Tech. The quarterback accounted for over 11,000 passing yards in three seasons, as well as a touchdown to interception ratio of 93:29. Of course, the Big 12 Conference is known for their high volume of passing attempts and everyone seemingly obliterates opposing defenses, lighting up the scoreboard. But with Mahomes, there was always something that seemed different for him than other Big 12 quarterbacks.

Fast forward to his NFL career, there is a certain evolution that Mahomes has helped create for other passers, simply because of his partnership with Reid. It has not always been perfect during his time in Kansas City. Though, Mahomes has been able to show noticeable improvement with his fundamentals each year. His base and lower half is more under control. On the other hand, Mahomes has made minor adjustments to how he reads defenses, thanks to the tutelage and wisdom of Coach Reid.

With each head coach having a part in the success of Mahomes, it will be interesting to see how each leader utilizes their quarterback on Sunday. Will Mahomes be constantly letting it rip for deeper passing attempts? Does Kingsbury give Murray freedom to play out of structure early on during the first contest? Either way, Mahomes and his mentors already know that anything is possible when he is involved.

Learning From Mistakes

It is easy to see the accolades of Reid and how they exceed what Kingsbury has done at the NFL level so far. On one hand, Reid could have even accomplished a lot more during his stops along the way. Kingsbury has shown growth and likely has won more games to begin his NFL coaching career, compared to what many may have expected.

There are some moments and items that each coach must still learn from, however. The teams lost playoff games last postseason simply because of their failure to finish and modify their attacks. Reid has discussed running the ball a little more and becoming somewhat more balanced in the last couple of years. Will he truly trust in the run game more when it comes to this season?

Looking at Kingsbury, the Cardinals have never been able to stop the storm when it begins to snowball. How will he change if things begin to go awry? Will he look towards different players to step up? Or, will Kingsbury be able to make more constructed coaching decisions in vital moments? Time will tell if Reid and Kingsbury can still figure out how to better manage the moments that have drastically hurt them in the past.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis to end the week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.