Behind Enemy Lines: 5 Questions with KC Kingdom’s Ben Nielsen
By Evan Reller
Dec 15, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) calls a play against the Oakland Raiders in the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
2. Is Alex Smith dynamic enough to lead this team on a playoff run? He’s had the best season of his career, but advanced stats place him in the bottom third of the league (20th in DVOA, 24th per PFF). Can the Chiefs count on him to win a game in crunch time?
Glass half-full people will point to 2011 when Alex Smith was good enough to lead San Francisco to the NFC championship game (which included a late come-from-behind victory against New Orleans). You could argue that if Kyle Williams doesn’t fumble that punt in overtime against the Giants then Smith and the 49ers go on to the Super Bowl and maybe even win it.
Positive people will also point to the considerable improvement in the passing game in the second half of the season. Through the first nine games Smith completed less than 60% of his passes for 1,919 yards, 6.09 yards per attempt, and an 81.4 QB rating. He also had five games in that nine game stretch where he did not throw a single touchdown pass.
The second half has been different. He’s completed 62.2% of his passes, averaged a far more respectable 7.22 yards per attempt, and thrown 14 touchdown passes in six starts (he didn’t play the season finale in San Diego). The difference has been the Chiefs willingness to attack downfield more with Donnie Avery (don’t laugh) and Dwayne Bowe. This has opened up the screen game, which Jamaal Charles owns.
Chiefs fans who have concerns about the offense point more towards the lack of weapons, which is something Smith has to have if he is going to be successful at a high level. You’re right, he’s not a dynamic guy on his own, which is why the Chiefs offense runs through Charles. But when Charles doesn’t have the ball, gaining yards has been a very difficult thing for the Chiefs.
KC has Bowe, Charles and then…. nothing. Avery is the Chiefs second best receiver, McCluster is incredibly inconsistent, and two of the three tight ends the Chiefs were counting on in the medium-range passing game are on injured reserve. Anthony Fasano has been good when he’s played, but he’s missed seven games and been knocked out of another.
It essentially comes down to this for Smith: If Jamaal Charles continues to be all-world and at least one other receiver shows up (not a guarantee) then Smith is good enough to win playoff games. If not, well then Indy fans can go ahead and book their flights to Denver.