What’s wrong with the Kansas City Chiefs offense? That’s the big question we’re all going to be looking at as the KC Chiefs enter their bye week coming off the blowout loss to the Steelers. The first thing that jumps out to me is that Alex Smith isn’t running the ball anymore. At least he’s not running it well.
Remember last year during the Chiefs winning streak a lot of the talk was the way Alex Smith was playing? In addition to being his usual, turnover-free self, he was rushing the ball really well. I mean, really well. One of the best in the league.
Here are his rushing stats game by game from the start of the Chiefs win streak last year to the Patriots playoff game:
5-78, 6-33, 7-33, 6-35, 5-23, 5-40, 4-17, 6-54, 9-61, 5-27, 9-44
Compare that to this year:
4-15, 2-2 3-3, 1-2
The four games this year would be four of the five worst rushing games all of last season for Alex. That’s a big difference!
Andy Reid said after the Steelers game that the Chiefs problem offensively (one of them) was they couldn’t sustain drives. Last year, only two quarterbacks - Cam Newton and Russell Wilson - rushed for more first downs than Alex Smith. That’s roughly two drives extended each game that the Chiefs are missing.
What is happening this year? Alex Smith has rushed for one first down. Andrew Luck, a freakin’ statue, has rushed for six first downs. (OK as the commenters point out Andrew Luck is more athletic than I’m giving him credit for. Let’s go with Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick have more rushing first downs than Alex)
We’ll dig into what the opponents are doing - surely defenses learned from last year and adjusted - but the Chiefs need to use the bye week to adjust themselves and get back to doing things that made them a dynamic offense.