Tyreek Hill touched the ball just four times against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. In four touches, he scored two touchdowns and racked up 111 yards of total offense.
There was a time when some would consider Tyreek Hill to be just a “return specialist”, or a player that only had tremendous speed. Hill was and still is a great returner despite not getting nearly as many looks in that role, and he is the fastest player in football, but he is also so much more. Hill has solidified himself as a top receiver in the game, and perhaps the most explosive player of all time.
The three catches he had netted 79 yards and one score, averaging 26.3 yards per catch. The one carry he received on a reverse was for 32 yards and a touchdown as well. There aren’t too many players in the history of football that can boast that slash line, but seeing it in action week after week makes it all the more impressive.
One of the underrated parts of Hill’s game is his vision, which was on full display on the reverse. Hill has the ability to see downfield and find small openings that only he can hit with his speed. All it takes is a few out of position players and one bad angle on defense for Hill to travel to the endzone. Andy Reid has known for much longer than us how special Hill is as a player, and he never ceases to find new and innovative ways to use him in the Chiefs’ offensive attack.
Innovative ways to move the football and get Hill in space are always fun, but seeing Patrick Mahomes wind up and know that he is about to unload a bomb to Hill is even more fun. This play isn’t really innovative, but more or less it’s just Hill showing off the blazing speed that he has dazzled the NFL with. This kind of play is not supposed to happen vs two high safeties.
As fans of the Chiefs (myself included) we have become so accustomed to this mystifying duo of firepower, the likes of which have never been seen before. This is not normal, and every time we see them connect on any type of deep ball everyone should be excited as if it were the first time we have ever seen it. Greatness deserves to be celebrated, no matter if it is routine.
The best part of Hill being so explosive and devastating with game-breaking plays is it allows him to pick up easy completions in the underneath game, which the Chiefs did have to go to for some time earlier this season when teams were showing them.
The short game will never make the highlight reels, but it is often where Reid chooses to use Hill to seal games for the Chiefs. On the crucial fourth down, the Chiefs went again to Hill on the sprint out protection with Mahomes. We saw them use this in an earlier matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this season, but we get to see once more the Chiefs use another variation of a favorite concept. This time Andy Reid made sure to get his best playmaker in space yet again, using just a simple out route with Hill and having Kelce run the in drawing the defenders his way. Hill is Andy’s go-to when the game is on the line and once more they went back to him.
The NFL has never seen a game breaker like Tyreek Hill. Speed, power, ball skills, explosion, and a will to be the best on every play. It is no secret when Hill scores he likes to celebrate, but he deserves every minute of it. With a quarterback with the arm of Mahomes, and the most creative head coach in football, Hill has a chance to go down in history as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time.
The NFL has never before seen a player with his level of playmaking, and every year he has added new pieces to his game, and new depth that makes him an elite player. Hill is in a position right now to go down as one of the all-time greats at the position. By the time all is said and done, he could very well be mentioned with the likes of Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, and Calvin Johnson. His speed is what makes him unique, but it is his competitive fire that makes him special.
