Whenever possible, Coyotes prefer to hunt by crashing down on unsuspecting prey. Chasing prey takes a lot of energy, and has a low chance of success. Much better to make short work of a tasty rodent when it’s least expecting it.
A favored technique is to specialize in legally blind gophers who are able to see movement and not much else. When hunting less visually stunted prey, it can help to find a vantage point from which to wait for something to emerge from the underbrush. (On this occasion, northing emerged.)