With the Chiefs on their bye week, let’s examine what they’ve shown through 11 games
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has his team atop the AFC West with a 7-4 record. And now it’s their bye week.
The Chiefs started the season with a bang, winning their first four games.
A rash of injuries on both sides of the ball have hurt, literally, but this is a team that should be relatively healthy before Week 13’s matchup against the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium — a Dec. 1 contest with heavy division implications.
The Chiefs’ remaining five regular-season games are intriguing, especially considering the fact that three of them are against AFC West foes. A Week 14 showdown at the New England Patriots also awaits the Chiefs.
Here’s how the Chiefs shape out after 11 games as Kansas City seeks to secure a fourth straight AFC West crown under Reid.
Offense
Notable league rankings, via NFL GSIS and Stats Perform (formerly STATS LLC):
- Third in total offense per game (396.1)
- Second in passing (301.7)
- 22nd in rushing (94.4)
- Fifth in scoring (28)
- 10th in first downs per game (21.8)
- Sixth in third-down efficiency (45.3 percent)
- 23rd in red-zone efficiency (50 percent)
- 23rd in time of possession per game (28:53)
- 29th in average starting position after kickoff (own 23.5)
- First in big plays (20-plus yards), with 56; first in big-play touchdowns (17)
Quarterbacks
From no-look passes to shortstop-like jump passes, Patrick Mahomes is once again marvelous.
The reigning league MVP has completed 212 of 323 passes for 2,808 yards and 19 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He ranks fourth in passing yards, is tied for fourth in touchdown passes and sits third among signal-callers with a 110.0 passer rating despite missing two games recovering from a dislocated right kneecap.
The record-breaking franchise quarterback also set another league milestone in October by becoming the fastest ever to amass 7,500 career yards passing, which he did in 24 games. Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the previous record-holder, did it in 27 games.
Veteran Matt Moore proved highly capable as Mahomes’ backup, going 1-1 and running the offense with efficiency during No. 15’s absence. Moore also threw four touchdowns with no interceptions and holds a 100.9 passer rating.
The Chiefs also have Chad Henne, who returned from injured reserve in Week 9, on their active roster and rookie Kyle Shurmur on the practice squad.
Running backs
LeSean McCoy, Damien Williams, Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson form the backfield, as the Chiefs have utilized a committee approach.
As a team, though, the running game has lacked consistency and punch.
McCoy leads the Chiefs in rushing with 400 yards, and Damien Williams, who missed two games with a knee injury, has their lone 100-yard effort in a single game (12 carries for 125), which came in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings and was aided by a 91-yard touchdown run.
The bye week comes at a good time for this personnel group, as McCoy (head) and Damien Williams (rib) suffered injuries in Week 11, leaving the Chiefs thin in the backfield.
Fullback Anthony Sherman’s contributions have mostly come on special teams, where he leads the team in snaps (225) as a core contributor.
Wide receivers
Tyreek Hill leads the wide receiver group with 543 yards, and his five touchdowns ties rookie Mecole Hardman for the team-high in that category. For an idea about Hill’s worth, his production comes with four missed games as he recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in Week 1.
Hill will also benefit from the bye week after suffering a hamstring injury early in Monday’s win over the Chargers in Mexico City. The injury is considered minor, so extra rest will do the explosive receiver good.
During Hill’s four-game absence, Hardman, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and Bryon Pringle took turns stepping up with big games.
Watkins currently ranks second on the team in receptions (42) and third in yards receiving (538).
And Hardman has flashed his potential with big plays, with 23 catches for 450 yards — a healthy and team-best 19.6 yards per catch.
Tight ends
Travis Kelce continues to cement his status as one of the NFL’s elite tight ends with 63 catches for 833 yards, which leads the Chiefs, and four touchdowns. The seventh-year pro is well on his way to recording a fourth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign.
With 473 career receptions, Kelce established an NFL record in September by becoming the fastest tight end in league history to 425 receptions and 5,500 receiving yards (83 games) in the Super Bowl era.
Blake Bell and Deon Yelder round out the tight end group on the Chiefs’ active roster, but both are typically utilized as blocking components in the team’s “12” personnel package (one running back, two tight ends).
Offensive line
When 100 percent healthy, the Chiefs boast one of the league’s best starting front fives. But this offensive line has endured numerous injuries in the first half of the season.
Left tackle Eric Fisher missed eight games while recovering from a mid-September sports hernia surgery; left guard Andrew Wylie missed three with an ankle injury; and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif missed two with an ankle injury.
Then, backup offensive lineman Martinas Rankin, who filled in during Wylie’s missed time, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10. And backup Greg Senat landed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.
During Fisher’s extended absence, Cam Erving filled in at left tackle. The Chiefs signed center/guard Stefen Wisniewski for depth during the season, and have Nick Allegretti and Jackson Barton in reserve.
The Chiefs finally had all five starters in the lineup at the same time in Week 11, marking the first time since Week 2 their starting offensive line was intact to start a game. The unit suffered a scare, though, as center Austin Reiter briefly left the Chargers game in the NFL’s concussion protocol before returning.
Defense
Notable league rankings, via NFL GSIS and Stats Perform:
- 26th in total yards allowed per game (375.7)
- 12th against the pass (232.6)
- 17th in total passing touchdowns allowed (17)
- 30th against the run (143.1)
- 28th in total rushing touchdowns allowed (12)
- Sixth in total sacks (32)
- Fifth in interceptions (10)
- Sixth in total takeaways (16)
- 13th in third-down efficiency (37.1 percent)
- 30th in first downs allowed per game (22.7)
- 20th in points allowed per game (23.3)
- 21st in big plays allowed (20-plus yards)
Defensive line
Like their counterpart on the offensive side, the front four of the defensive line experienced numerous injuries.
Defensive end Frank Clark missed two games with a neck injury; defensive tackle Chris Jones missed three games with a groin injury; defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle; defensive tackle Xavier Williams is on injured-reserve with an ankle injury; and defensive end Alex Okafor has missed four games, including the past three contests with an ankle injury.
The Chiefs have relied on a variety of players to help pick up the slack in the interior alongside Derrick Nnadi: notably, rookie Khalen Saunders and veteran Mike Pennel, who joined the team in mid-October.
The unit is trending up, though, as a healthy Clark had five tackles, a sack, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble in Week 11.
Jones has also put together a nice three-game run since returning to the lineup in Week 9, totaling 11 tackles, three sacks, five quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Linebackers
After the first six games of the season saw opponents gouge the Chiefs’ front seven on the ground, they finally settled on Anthony Hitchens, Damien Wilson and Reggie Ragland as the nucleus in Week 7.
Wilson leads the team in tackles, with 65, while Hitchens is second, with 61. The run-stuffing Ragland has 18 tackles, 16 coming since his return to the starting lineup five games ago.
The Chiefs have Ben Niemann, Darron Lee and Dorian O’Daniel in reserve, with the latter two contributing mostly on special teams. O’Daniel hasn’t played a defensive snap this season, one year removed from totaling 302, but his 208 snaps on special teams are the third-most on the team.
This linebacker group has stiffened over the past month, but there were still moments of coverage lapses against running backs catching passes out of the backfield.
Cornerbacks
Charvarius Ward and Bashaud Breeland anchor a pass defense that has been above average one year removed from being one of the league’s worst coverage units.
Ward ranks first on the team in passes defensed (9), third in tackles (55) and defensive snaps (741), and is tied for first with safety Tyrann Mathieu in interceptions (2). Breeland ranks third in passes defensed (5), seventh in tackles (35) and fourth in defensive snaps (666).
Kendall Fuller has been sidelined since undergoing thumb surgery in Week 7, and the Chiefs have leaned on a rotation of Morris Claiborne and Rashad Fenton over the past month in nickel packages.
Fenton had a big game in Week 11, totaling three tackles, an interception and a pass defensed.
Safeties
Mathieu has more than proved his worth as one of the Chiefs’ big offseason signings, ranking second in passes defensed (6) and fourth in tackles (49) on a team-high 788 defensive snaps. One of the clear vocal leaders on the back end of coverage and in the locker room, Mathieu also has a sack, two tackles for a loss and a quarterback hit.
With Mathieu commanding the spotlight as the anchor of the defensive secondary, rookie Juan Thornhill has quietly gone about his business. Thornhill’s 753 defensive snaps are the second-highest on the team and he ranks fifth in tackles (42). The rookie also has an interception and three passes defensed.
Daniel Sorensen continues to do a lot of the dirty work in personnel packages and had a game to remember before the bye week with eight tackles and the game-clinching interception against the Chargers. Sorensen ranks second on the team with 217 special-teams snaps.
Jordan Lucas and Armani Watts round out the safety group. Both are core special-teams contributors. Watts has fourth-most snaps on special teams (204), while Lucas has totaled the fifth-most (199).
Special teams
Notable league rankings, via NFL GSIS and Stats Perform:
- Second in league in field goals made (24)
- 18th in league in kickoff-return average (22.8)
- 12th in punt-return average (7.9)
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub recently declared that it’s been “a rough year” for his unit. Toub’s assessment came on the heels of a Week 10 nightmare, where a botched snap and blocked field-goal attempt contributed to a 35-32 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Placekicker Harrison Butker has been among the league’s best at his position. He garnered AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Week 9 after hitting all four of his field-goal attempts against the Minnesota Vikings, including the game-winner as time expired.
Punter Dustin Colquitt’s 44.2 yards per punt currently ranks 25th in the league.
The Chiefs started the season with De’Anthony Thomas as their primary returner, but have since gone to Hardman following Thomas’ release on Oct. 22.
This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 1:16 PM.
