Let’s put Chiefs’ running game, wide receivers’ workload under snap-count microscope
The Chiefs let one get away in Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
While the two AFC powerhouse teams combined for 830 total yards of offense, the Bills won the turnover battle, recording two picks off Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
And the miscues ultimately contributed to the Chiefs’ loss.
“Two good teams playing against each other, the team that made the least mistakes ended up winning the game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Turnovers – we’d talked about this during the week – when they win the turnover battle, they’re undefeated over the last few years here.”
The loss dropped the Chiefs to 4-2 ahead of Sunday’s Week 7 matchup at the San Francisco 49ers.
Here’s how the Chiefs’ snap counts worked out in Week 6:
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (67), Chad Henne (did not play)
Mahomes put up numbers to the tune of 338 yards passing and two touchdowns, which were all good. He added 21 yards rushing on four carries.
The bad? He threw two interceptions.
Sunday marked just the eighth time in 69 career regular-season games that Mahomes threw two or more interceptions in a game. Two of the eight games have come against the Bills, with the previous occurrence also in a 38-20 loss in Week 5 of the 2021 season.
RUNNING BACKS: Jerick McKinnon (29, 5 on special teams), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (28), Isiah Pacheco (10, 8 on ST), fullback Michael Burton (3, 12 on ST)
The Chiefs failed to consistently run the ball against Buffalo’s stout defense, which limited Kansas City’s ground game to 68 yards rushing on 18 carries (3.8 yards per attempt).
Edwards-Helaire paced the backfield with 33 yards rushing on nine carries; Pacheco had 9 yards on two carries; and McKinnon totaled 1 yard on two carries.
McKinnon and Pacheco helped out in the passing game, with McKinnon snaring three catches for 29 yards and Pachco totaling two receptions for 9 yards.
On special teams, Pacheco contributed three kickoff returns for 43 yards, while Burton had one kickoff return for 9 yards.
WIDE RECEIVERS: JuJu Smith-Schuster (59), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (55), Mecole Hardman (30, 1 on ST), Skyy Moore (20, 1 on ST), Justin Watson (7, 1 on ST)
Smith-Schuster scored his first touchdown, which came on a 42-yard effort, in a Chiefs uniform and finished the game with five catches for 113 yards on five targets.
Hardman had three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, while Moore contribute a catch for 24 yards.
A week after totaling six catches for 80 yards, Valdes-Scantling didn’t record a catch on three targets. Valdes-Scantling was Mahomes’ intended target in the back of the end zone in a play that resulted in Mahomes’ first interception of the game.
Watson was targeted once in the game and didn’t record a reception.
Hardman and Moore contributed on special teams as a punt returner. Hardman had one return for 10 yards, while Moore logged a return for 6 yards.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (52), Noah Gray (28, 15 on ST), Jody Fortson (14, 11 on ST)
Kelce totaled a team-high eight catches in the contest for 108 yards, marking the second time this season he totaled 100-plus yards receiving in a game. The last time he did came in the season opener when Kelce had 121 yards.
Gray totaled three catches for 13 yards, while Fortson wasn’t targeted for a second straight game.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Joe Thuney (67), Creed Humphrey (67, 5 on ST), Orlando Brown Jr. (67, 5 on ST), Andrew Wylie (67, 5 on ST), Trey Smith (67, 5 on ST), Prince Tega Wanogho (5 on ST), Geron Christian (5 on ST), Nick Allegretti (5 on ST)
The Chiefs got Smith back in the lineup after he didn’t play in Week 5 with a pectoral injury, but the pass protection didn’t do a good job against the Bills’ pass rush.
Bills outside linebacker Von Miller was disruptive and totaled four tackles – including two stops for a loss – two sacks and two quarterback hits.
Buffalo finished the game with three sacks and nine quarterback hits.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Chris Jones (70), Frank Clark (61), George Karlaftis (41, 4 on ST), Khalen Saunders (29, 4 on ST), Derrick Nnadi (27, 4 on ST), Carlos Dunlap (27), Mike Danna (25, 2 on ST), Malik Herring (10, 1 on ST)
Jones had three tackles and a sack, the only one recorded on Josh Allen, and a quarterback hit.
Clark totaled four tackles, including one for a loss, and a quarterback hit, while Saunders played a season-high 29 snaps and totaled two tackles and a quarterback hit.
As a unit, though, the Chiefs defensive front didn’t do enough to consistently apply pressure on Allen or stop the Bills’ ground game, which totaled 125 yards on 31 carries.
LINEBACKERS: Nick Bolton (73, 2 on ST), Darius Harris (56, 4 on ST), Leo Chenal (20, 6 on ST), Cole Christiansen (18 on ST), Jack Cochrane (14 on ST)
Bolton paced the linebacker group with a team-high 13 tackles, which included two for a loss. Harris chipped in with six tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass defensed, while Chenal totaled two tackles.
Cochrane and Christiansen, who was activated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, each recorded a tackle on special teams.
The position group receives a boost this week with the return of Willie Gay Jr., whose four-game suspension ended Monday.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: L’Jarius Sneed (73, 2 on ST), Juan Thornhill (73), Justin Reid (72, 4 on ST), Jaylen Watson (72, 4 on ST), Joshua Williams (55, 6 on ST), Deon Bush (18, 18 on ST), Dicaprio Bootle (1, 7 on ST), Chris Lammons (18 on ST), Zayne Anderson (14 on ST), Nazeeh Johnson (4 on ST)
The Chiefs cornerbacks had issues defending Bills wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Diggs totaled 10 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown, while Davis notched three catches for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Williams, who saw extensive action with Rashad Fenton (hamstring) not playing, was in coverage on both touchdowns. But the rookie wasn’t feeling down after the performance.
“All the coaches, my teammates, the (defensive back) crew, keep me in good spirit,” Williams said after the game. “I don’t feel defeated. I know at the end of the day I’m going to get better from this. I’m going to be a fantastic player regardless of what people think. I’m just going to keep going, keep working, keep getting better.”
Williams led the defensive backs group with nine tackles; Sneed had four tackles; and Watson totaled six tackles.
Reid left the field for one play to get his right ankle re-taped, and he recorded five tackles and a pass defensed. Thornhill totaled four tackles and a quarterback hit.
Anderson and Bootle were activated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (9), Tommy Townsend (8), James Winchester (8)
Butker returned to action for the first time since Week 1 and drilled a team-record 62-yard field goal. He added a 44-yard field goal and converted two extra points, but missed a 51-yard attempt in the third quarter.
Townsend had three punts for 173 yards, averaging 57.7 yards per punt. One of his punts landed inside the Bills’ 20-yard line.
INACTIVES: Cornerback Rashad Fenton (hamstring), safety Bryan Cook (concussion), running back Ronald Jones, quarterback Shane Buechele, offensive lineman defensive end Joshua Kaindoh, offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth
This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 11:46 AM.
