Chiefs’ snaps vs. Broncos: Le’Veon Bell sees his first duty, plus other revelations
The Chiefs improved to 6-1 Sunday with their 10th consecutive win over the Denver Broncos.
Kansas City turned in a complete game, too, using all three phases to score touchdowns in the first half before cruising to a 43-16 victory.
Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire kicked off the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run, then safety Daniel Sorensen recorded a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown. And wide receiver Byron Pringle got the Chiefs’ special teams in the act with a 102-yard kickoff return for a score.
The win allowed the Chiefs to open a three-game lead over the Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) in the AFC West.
Sunday was a total team effort from the Chiefs, and these snap counts reflect the contributions of many.
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (41), Chad Henne (10)
For the second straight week, the Chiefs didn’t need to rely on Mahomes’ arm. He finished the game with 200 passing yards and a touchdown, which gives him 17 straight games with a passing score, before giving way to Henne midway through the fourth quarter.
Henne completed both of his passes for 10 yards and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run late in the game.
RUNNING BACKS: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (27), Le’Veon Bell (17), DeAndre Washington (10, 12 on special teams), Darrel Williams (1)
Edwards-Helaire totaled 46 yards rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries, adding one catch for 17 yards. The rookie’s 11-yard touchdown run in the first quarter marked his second touchdown of the season.
Bell produced 39 yards rushing, including two 16-yard runs, on six attempts in his debut as a Chief and drew compliments after the game.
“It was great to get Le’Veon in and get him going,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I thought he was very productive. There are a couple things he’ll learn from, just with the offense, but I thought the run game part of it was excellent. He had good, positive yardage and ran hard.”
The Chiefs effectively utilized Bell and Edwards-Helaire as a one-two punch against the Broncos, and put both players in the backfield at the same time for one play in the second half.
Washington saw his first action of the season and chipped in three carries for 5 yards.
As a team, the Chiefs totaled 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Tyreek Hill (37), Demarcus Robinson (34), Byron Pringle (31, 7 on ST), Mecole Hardman (22, 7 on ST), Marcus Kemp (10, 19 on ST)
Hill paced the wide receiver group with a team-high six catches for 55 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.
A week after recording no catches, Hardman totaled two catches for 57 yards, averaging a healthy 28.5 yards per reception. The second-year pro also produced a 13-yard run on a designed end-around play in the first quarter.
Pringle didn’t record a target on his 31 offensive plays, but he made his presence felt on special teams with his 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Kemp, who was elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, made one of the key blocks on Pringle’s return.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (40), Deon Yelder (14, 11 on ST), Nick Keizer (12, 21 on ST)
Kelce snagged three passes for 31 yards while Keizer, who lost a fumble in the first half, recorded two catches for 36. Yelder was not targeted in the game.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Eric Fisher (51, 8 on ST), Andrew Wylie (51, 8 on ST), Mike Remmers (51, 8 on ST), Nick Allegretti (51, 8 on ST), Daniel Kilgore (41), Austin Reiter (10, 8 on ST), Yasir Durant (8 on ST)
With Mitchell Schwartz inactive with a back injury, Remmers filled in at right tackle. Allegretti drew his first career start as a pro, which came at left guard.
Reiter, who gave way to Kilgore as the Chiefs’ starting center for the second straight game, saw action late as the Chiefs made some substitutions in the rout.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Tanoh Kpassagnon (66, 3 on ST), Frank Clark (51), Tershawn Wharton (47, 1 on ST), Chris Jones (40, 2 on ST), Demone Harris (38), Derrick Nnadi (26, 3 on ST), Mike Pennel (24, 3 on ST), Khalen Saunders (15)
Members of the Chiefs’ defensive front applied consistent pressure on Broncos quarterback Drew Lock and made their presence felt in the box score.
Jones and Kpassagnon each recorded a sack and two quarterback hits. Clark recorded two tackles and a fumble recovery on Denver’s botched flea-flicker. Wharton produced two tackles and a forced fumble, which came on a hustle play as he tracked down Broncos running back Melvin Gordon from behind and punched out the ball.
With Taco Chartlon (knee) inactive and Alex Okafor (hamstring) landing on injured reserve over the weekend, Harris saw his first action of the season and recorded three tackles.
Saunders made his return to the lineup after spending time on injured reserve and recorded a tackle in a rotational role.
LINEBACKERS: Damien Wilson (53, 8 on ST), Anthony Hitchens (45, 1 on ST), Willie Gay Jr. (39, 19 on ST), Ben Niemann (32, 13 on ST), Dorian O’Daniel (22 on ST)
Wilson made eight tackles to lead the linebackers group while Hitchens totaled four tackles and a quarterback hit. Hitchens also applied the inside pressure that led to safety Daniel Sorensen’s pick-6 score.
Gay, who played just two defensive snaps in Week 6, saw action on 39 snaps and totaled four tackles, including one for a loss, and two passes defensed.
Niemann produced two tackles and made a key sealing block on special teams to help spring Pringle free on the 102-yard return for a touchdown.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Bashaud Breeland (69), Charvarius Ward (64), Tryann Mathieu (60), Juan Thornhill (52), Daniel Sorensen (49, 13 on ST), Rashad Fenton (31, 9 on ST), Tedric Thompson (17), Antonio Hamilton (13, 22 on ST), Armani Watts (8, 22 on ST), BoPete Keyes (8, 12 on ST)
Sorensen was all over the field with bone-crushing hits and finished the game with nine tackles, which tied Ward for the team lead Sunday. Sorensen also returned an interception for a touchdown, marking the second pick of the season for the veteran safety.
Mathieu had five tackles, an interception, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery. Breeland chipped in three tackles and a forced fumble.
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (17), Tommy Townsend (11), James Winchester (11)
Butker accounted for three field goals, but missed his fifth extra-point attempt of the season.
DID NOT PLAY: Guard Danny Isidora
The Chiefs elevated Isidora from their practice squad over the weekend to provide depth. He was their only active player to not play in Sunday’s game.
INACTIVES: Tackle Mitchell Schwartz (back), wide receiver Sammy Watkins (hamstring), defensive end Taco Charlton (knee), running back Darwin Thompson, linebacker Darius Harris
Schwartz’s streak of 134 consecutive career starts ended Sunday, while Watkins missed his second straight game.
