Chiefs vs. Bengals: Making sense of snap counts

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 6-1 by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football.

Here were the snap counts for the Chiefs:

Offense

Defense

Special teams (only)

Starters (offense): WR Tyreek Hill, LT Eric Fisher, LG Cam Erving, C Jordan Devey, RG Andrew Wylie, RT Mitch Schwartz, TE Travis Kelce, WR Sammy Watkins, RB Kareem Hunt, WR Chris Conley, QB Patrick Mahomes

Starters (defense): NT Derrick Nnadi, RDE Chris Jones, LOLB Dee Ford, LILB Reggie Ragland, RILB Anthony Hitchens, ROLB Breeland Speaks, LCB Orlando Scandrick, RCB Steve Nelson, S Jordan Lucas, S Ron Parker, CB Kendall Fuller

Active, but did not play: QB Chad Henne

Inactive: S Eric Berry, RB Darrel Williams, LB Justin Houston, LB Nate Orchard, OL Mitch Morse, OL Kahlil McKenzie, DT Justin Hamilton

Takeaways (in no particular order)

• No Chiefs skill-position player played more than 90 percent of offensive snaps—wide receiver Sammy Watkins and tight end Travis Kelce each had 60 snaps (86 percent), while WR Tyreek Hill had 52 snaps (74 percent).
• Running back Kareem Hunt needed just 46 offensive snaps (66 percent) to record 141 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns. Spencer Ware had 22 offensive snaps in the game. Darrel Williams got in the game for two snaps.
• Offensive lineman Jeff Allen had two offensive snaps in his return to the lineup.
• There were no iron men on defense (100 percent of snaps) this week likely thanks to the big lead. Outside linebacker Breeland Speaks led the team with 57 defensive snaps for 97 percent.
• Coming into the game, linebacker Dorian O’Daniel had 10 defensive snaps. Against the Bengals, due to an injury to Terrance Smith and other factors, which I’m sure we’ll hear more about this week, O’Daniel had 25 defensive snaps (42 percent) and 17 special-teams snaps.
• The Chiefs are working safety Eric Murray back in (22 defensive snaps for 37 percent), but Jordan Lucas stayed in the lineup as the “starter.” Lucas had 50 defensive snaps (85 percent) in the Chiefs win.
• Derrick Nnadi earned his third start in a row but had just 22 defensive snaps (37 percent). Xavier Williams had 19 defensive snaps (32 percent).
• With the Chiefs having a big lead in the third quarter, CB Charvarius Ward, CB/S Josh Shaw, LB Ben Niemann and CB Tremon Smith all saw more action than they may have otherwise.
• Chad Henne had no snaps, which, according to social media and calls on the post-game show last night, not everybody agreed with.