Wanya Morris’ big-man touchdown showcases latest trick in Andy Reid’s playbook

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Creative play call designs and formations are a staple of the Andy Reid led Kansas City Chiefs offenses, especially in the last half-decade-plus of football authored by Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

On Sunday, Kansas City added to its catalogue of unique play calls on the opening drive of the second half of the second game of the season. With first and goal at the 1-yard line, Andy Reid called a play that featured linebacker Leo Chenal as a fullback and offensive tackle Wanya Morris as an eligible receiver.

“Death row personnel is what I like to call it,” Chenal said.

In the past, the Chiefs have run “Hungry Pig Right,” “Snowglobe,” and “Ferrari Right.” But for those wondering about the name for Sunday’s latest Reid masterpiece, there is none, at least according to Reid.

“It’s too early in the season (for a name),” Reid said.

According to Morris, the play was called “Baseline.” Regardless of the name -- or lack thereof -- the play-action pass that Mahomes sold to rookie running back Carson Steele resulted in a wide open Morris.

“I was in the huddle and they were telling me they were going to call it,” Morris recalled. “If the cameras were on me, I tried to make it look mad discreet and tried not to give it away.

“When I saw the alignment of the defensive end, and I seen he was about to crash, I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to be wide open’ before he even snapped the ball,” Morris said. “My job was just to not get too excited and rush it. I was just waiting on the ball and it took forever. I turned around and I’m like, ‘OK, it’s in the air, it’s in the air, it’s in the air, it’s in the air, OK I got it.’”

Morris said the play was installed this week in the lead-up to a rematch of the 2021 and 2022 AFC Championship games.

“We hear about it in the meetings. ‘Wanya, Wanya,’” Morris said imitating teammates’ voices during the install. “There’s no need for (a hands competition amongst offensive lineman). We know I’ve got the best hands.”

With Kansas City averaging more than five yards per carry for most of the afternoon, Mahomes said Reid dialed the play call up at the perfect time.

“Wanya had been in blocking for a couple plays as an extra o-lineman,” Mahomes explained, “and right when they thought they were going to shoot and make a play we released him into the flat. If you look at the play, Wanya was open and I threw it and Travis was also open.

“That comes with getting the run game going. If you get the run game going it helps out the entire offense.”

The 1-yard touchdown grab was the third touchdown pass in Mahomes’ distinguished career to find the hands of an offensive lineman. It also was Morris’ first touchdown since high school.

“In high school they handed it off to me my senior year and we ran it in,” Morris, a native of Loganville, Georgia, said. “That’s my only other one. I was really cool with my head coach, it was the end of the year and we were playing a team that you could do that (against).”

Although the Bengals were a taller task than Morris faced during his previous touchdown escapade, some late heroics from kicker Harrison Butker helped Kansas City escape Week 2 unscathed.

Once he found the end zone, Morris said he tried his best to emulate a dance he’d seen wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy doing throughout the week.

“They’ve been doing that dance all week,” he said. “I just took it from them.”