The Kansas City Chiefs could hardly have asked for a better start to the season. They cruised past the Denver Broncos 31-10, but the win meant more than just an early divisional victory for Andy Reid.
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After the game, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt entered the locker room carrying two game balls. One was for Reid, who had just picked up his 150th regular-season win with Kansas City. The other went to general manager Brett Veach for his 200th NFL win.
“There are a lot of guys in here who deserve a game ball today. But two very special people are celebrating milestones. Andy Reid, your 150th regular-season win with the Chiefs. And it’s Brett Veach’s 200th win in the NFL,” Hunt said.
Reid’s reaction suggested he wasn’t keeping track of the milestone himself. The veteran coach has never seemed interested in pausing to celebrate individual numbers, and his response after receiving the game ball was no different.
“I don’t look at it the other way,” Reid said about reaching the milestone. “I haven’t sat down and 150 – I didn’t even know we were at that number, but let’s get the next one. We’re on that.”
Reid arrived in Kansas City in 2013 after spending 14 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, he has helped turn the Chiefs into one of the NFL’s defining teams of the era.
His Kansas City tenure has included five Super Bowl appearances and three championships, along with seven consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances.
The 150th regular-season victory is different from the milestone Reid reached in 2013. He had already recorded 150 career wins by then, but this marks his 150th regular-season victory specifically as the Chiefs’ head coach.
Reid is now the first head coach in Chiefs history to reach this milestone with the franchise, further cementing his place as the winningest coach in Kansas City history.
And, as Hunt handed him the game ball, Reid once again appeared more focused on what comes next than the number he had just reached.
Veach also had his own milestone to celebrate. As Hunt handed over his game ball, Reid couldn’t resist quoting the Chiefs’ general manager.
“Brett Veach said you guys are awesome, baby,” Reid blurted out.
But the biggest talking point from the win wasn’t only the milestones. The Chiefs also unveiled a play that had been sitting in Reid’s playbook for decades.
Patrick Mahomes explains the play that helped beat Broncos
With Kansas City looking to extend its lead, running back Kenneth Walker finished a drive with a two-yard touchdown. The play itself, however, was anything but ordinary.
The Chiefs revived a play dating back to 1936, with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields and Travis Kelce lining up closely in the backfield in an unusual formation. The team had been working on it throughout training camp before finally unleashing it against Denver.
Mahomes called the play “Heisman” and admitted that the original footage was difficult to make out.
“It was called Heisman,” Mahomes said. “I can’t remember who exactly ran it because it was black and white. It was very scratchy when we were watching it.”
Mahomes also credited Andy Heck for bringing the play to the team and suggested Reid had a role in adapting it for their offense.
“I’m sure Coach Reid had his imprint on it as well, and we designed it, and I just knew it was going to score,” Mahomes added.
The play worked, and the Chiefs walked away with a 21-point victory. Reid, though, wasn’t taking all the credit.
According to the veteran coach, the idea came from an unexpected source.
“Chris Berman sent me that play, so that’s a 1936er right there,” Reid told reporters. “It was honestly, it was a great play, you know, they executed it well. We did it at training camp.”
Reid admitted the Chiefs had used the play before, but their execution against Denver was much cleaner.
The Chiefs now have their opening win, another milestone for their head coach and a few more tricks to keep opponents guessing. If Reid is willing to dig this far into the history books for one game, it is safe to say that Kansas City’s offense could have a few more surprises waiting in the weeks ahead.