Andy Reid harkens back to his BYU days for critical fourth-and-1 play call

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt visits with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid before the start of their NFL divisional round football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. | Reed Hoffmann, Associated Press

Andy Reid’s decision to pass the ball on a critical fourth-and-1 play in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 22-17 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in the NFL divisional playoffs had at least some roots in his BYU education.

Needing less than a yard to pick up a first down with just over a minute to play — and knowing a first down would end the game, with Cleveland out of timeouts — Reid’s Chiefs went for it on a fourth-and-inches near midfield with backup quarterback Chad Henne in the game. Henne had come on in relief of All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who left the game and was in the concussion protocol.

Henne rolled out and found wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 5-yard pass, and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City silenced a serious threat from the Browns, after Cleveland rallied from down 19-3 to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter.

When asked by reporters about the decision to pass the ball on fourth-and-short with so much on the line — instead of punting the ball or keeping it on the ground — Reid referenced his time with the BYU program as both a player and graduate assistant.

“I went to BYU. Every down’s a throwing down,” Reid said in a video clip shared by BYUtv’s Jason Shepherd. “I was educated that way by LaVell Edwards — throw any time, any place — and (I) try to keep a little bit of that with me as I’ve gone forward.”

“I went to BYU. Every down’s a throwing down.” - Andy Reid on when 4th and 1 became a passing down#GoCougs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/iCXgRJFIY7

— Jason Shepherd (@jsnshep) January 18, 2021

Reid said there wasn’t any hesitation between himself and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to go for the first down.

“There was no doubt with anybody,” Reid said, per Yahoo! Sports. “I just looked at EB, and I said, ‘You ready to roll?’ (Bieniemy said) ‘Absolutely.’ … To have a play that was ready to go, that everybody liked, there was no flinch on the play.”

With the decision paying off, Reid and the Chiefs will now host the Buffalo Bills in next week’s AFC championship game with the chance to return to the Super Bowl.

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