At some point, the Kansas City Chiefs coaches sat around and hatched the following idea.
On the goal line, why not line up with 346-pound defensive tackle Dontari Poe split out, and throw the big man a screen pass? Yeah, that’s the ticket!
What’s even more amazing than the invention of that play is that it actually worked.
In the third quarter the Chiefs were at the Oakland Raiders’ 1-yard line and motioned to get Poe to Alex Smith’s right. If the Raiders were confused, it’s understandable. They probably weren’t thinking Poe was going to be a primary receiver there. Then Smith got the snap, turned and threw to Poe, who caught it and crashed into the end zone behind his blockers.
Just imagine how giddy the players and Poe himself must have been the first time the Chiefs installed this play and practiced it.
Now that we’ve seen what Poe can do in the passing game, it’s time to open up his route tree. Maybe toss the big fella a fade or two, or just line him up in the slot on all third downs.
This much is true: No cornerback would be thrilled to be in coverage against Poe. Go ahead and try jamming him at the line.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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