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Alex Smith’s Limitations Spell Big Trouble for Chiefs in AFC West
- Updated: November 25, 2016
The AFC West has become the NFL’s best division in 2016. Three of the division’s four teams sit at 7-3 or better.
One team, the division-leading Oakland Raiders, features one of the league’s best offenses and a potential MVP candidate in quarterback Derek Carr.
Another team, the Denver Broncos, is the defending world champion. They possess arguably the NFL’s best defense and a Defensive Player of the Year contender in outside linebacker Von Miller.
Then there are the Kansas City Chiefs—a team that does many things well but nothing especially well. They don’t have Oakland’s high-powered offense. They don’t have Denver’s punishing defense.
And if quarterback Alex Smith doesn’t ratchet up his game in a hurry ahead of Sunday’s showdown with the Broncos in Denver, the Chiefs aren’t going to have much of a shot at winning the division or making any real noise in the AFC playoffs in 2016.
At first glance, Smith’s numbers last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t look bad at all. Smith completed over 75 percent of his passes. His yardage total on the afternoon was his third-highest of the season. And Smith’s passer rating checked in at just under 100.
However, upon further examination, any shine from Smith’s afternoon quickly wears off.
Yes, Smith posted his third-best game of the season yardagewise—at all of 261 yards. It was also just the third time he’s topped 250 passing yards in a game. For the sixth time in nine games, Smith threw fewer than two touchdown passes.
And most importantly, the Chiefs lost to the Buccaneers—at Arrowhead, no less.
At this point, some will no doubt point out that it’s not solely Smith’s fault that the Chiefs lost to Tampa. They will also point out that the Chiefs are 7-3 and still very much in the hunt in the division. And they will say that while Smith’s numbers are down in some categories relative to last year, they are up in others.
Those are all valid points. …
