The Kansas City Chiefs are aquiring enough offensive playmakers to install this system in a limited or Base scheme. The Spread offense is dominating the college world at this moment as more teams adopt certain principles of its scheme. The New England Patriots use some of the techniques and this has made Wes Welker a Star from the Slot WR position.

The Air Raid Offense refers to an offensive scheme popularized by such coaches as Mike Leach, Hal Mumme, Sonny Dykes, and Tony Franklin during their tenures at Valdosta State, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Louisiana Tech, and now Washington State.

The system is designed out of a shotgun formation with four wide receivers and one running back. The formations are a variation of the run and shoot offense with two outside receivers and two inside slot receivers. The offense also utilizes trips formations featuring three wide receivers on one side of the field and a lone single receiver on the other side. - Wiki

How could the Chiefs use this in their Offense? Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston would be the Right and Left WR's respectively. A combination of Jonathan Baldwin, Dexter McCluster, and Devon Wylie with Tony Moeaki all capable of playing Slot WR's roles. Of Course, Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis could start in a two back set and motion into a 4 WR single back look. Matt Cassel in a shotgun works very well. The so-called negative of this scheme is:

Many in the media tend to chide the quarterbacks coming out of the Air Raid offense as merely system quarterbacks with average or below average arm strength. Similar accusations made to quarterbacks coming from the run and shoot offense. On the other hand, it relies on quick decision making and incredible accuracy in the short (0 to 10 yards) and intermediate (10-15 yards) range. While it doesn't ask much of wide receivers in terms of running routes, it demands that the wide receivers have lateral agility and the strength to break tackles after making the catch.

It also allows the QB to:

The audible system is extremely important to the Air Raid offense and Mike Leach gave his quarterbacks almost unheard of control in changing the plays he called at the line of scrimmage. As such, as many as 90 percent of the run plays would be called at the line of scrimmage when the situation presented itself as an advantage. During the course of a season, the quarterbacks would throw the ball as much as 70 to 75 percent of the offensive plays called.

Would we like to see that:)

What does it look like?

The three biggest plays in the offensive scheme are what is known as the Shallow Cross, the Receiver Screen, and the Mesh series. The Shallow Cross was originally invented by Mike Shanahan, a coach who learned the west coast offense from George Seifert while with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Wide Receiver screen:

via americanfootballmonthly.com

Shallow Cross:

via playbooks2012.com

Mesh:

The Chiefs have the players to run these plays. We have proven Receivers in abundance, how can we get more of them on the field at the same time? I ran a www.profootballfocus.com screen on 2011 WR's that participated in 75% of their teams Offensive snaps (32 in all) and then ranked it by Completion percentage. Steve Breaston ranked 6th and Dwayne Bowe ranked 8th, Wes Welker ranked #1 by nearly 6% at 72.2 completion percentage.

Geaux Chiefs