Chiefs-Cardinals snap counts: leaning into running-back-by-committee

The Kansas City Chiefs opened the 2022 season with a dominating 44-21 road victory against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Let’s see how the Chiefs used their players in this impressive victory.

Starters (offensive): WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Mecole Hardman, LT Orlando Brown Jr., LG Joe Thuney, C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, RT Andrew Wylie, TE Travis Kelce, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, QB Patrick Mahomes and RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Starters (defensive): DT Derrick Nnadi, DT Chris Jones, DE Frank Clark, DE George Karlaftis, LB Nick Bolton, LB Willie Gay Jr., CB Rashad Fenton, CB L’Jarius Sneed, CB Trent McDuffie, S Juan Thornhill and S Justin Reid.

Did not play:

Inactive: RB Ronald Jones, QB Shane Buechele, DE Joshua Kaindoh, T Darian Kinnard, WR Daurice Fountain and DE Malik Herring.

Offensive takeaways

• At least to begin the season, Kansas City’s starting lineups suggest that Mecole Hardman is the third wide receiver behind JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Valdez-Scantling. That is also borne out by their respective offensive snaps. Justin Watson and rookie Skyy Moore were both on for about one in five offensive snaps.
• After being elevated from the practice squad for the game, Daurice Fountain was inactive
• Nick Allegretti had 37 snaps filling in for injured right guard Trey Smith.
• In a departure from normal trends, tight end Travis Kelce was used more often on running plays than on passing plays. Both Noah Gray and Jody Fortson were on the field more often on passing snaps. This is presumed to be because Blake Bell is on injured reserve, so Kelce is taking at least some of the snaps Bell would see as a blocker.
• Running-back-by-committee is alive and well in Kansas City. No back was on the field for more than 39% of the snaps. Both Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon saw plenty of snaps in the passing game; there is no obvious indication that either was considered unfit in pass protection. Rookie Isiah Pachceo, however, was used predominantly on running snaps — which could be because most of his snaps were in the final part of the game, while the team was running out the clock with a big lead.
• The Chiefs passed on 59% of their snaps — a lower percentage than we have usually seen. Some of that was due to how the team approached its last few drives — but some of it was also apparent in the game’s opening drives.

Defensive takeaways

• In defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme, we would typically see the starting safeties and outside cornerbacks on the field for nearly every play. But it appears that on Sunday, the team had three corners and two safeties on the field for nearly every snap. Sub-packages with a third safety were only rarely used. Until late in the game, safety Bryan Cook only saw four snaps — and Deon Bush didn’t appear until the final two drives, when it was clear starters were being rested.
• Following cornerback Trent McDuffie’s injury, Jaylen Watson had 33 snaps in relief.
• Rookie defensive end George Karlaftis played through the entire game — even after the reserves came on — except for two drives in which Carlos Dunlap was on the field.
• According to Pro Football Focus, defensive tackle Chris Jones continued to see some use at defensive end — but at a very low rate. He had just seven snaps on the edge. Tershawn Wharton also saw some limited use on the outside.
• For all the controversy surrounding linebacker Elijah lee’s presence (or non-presence) on the active roster, he was used almost exclusively on special teams after being elevated from the practice squad for the game. His only defensive snaps took place in the final two drives.

Editor's Note: Arrowhead Pride obtains snap count data from the NFL's game stats and information system, which allows us to break out snap counts by run or pass on offensive and defensive plays. Because GSIS data ignores plays that were nullified by penalties, total offensive and defensive snap counts will vary from other sources, which get their data from NFL Gamebooks