The K.C. Chiefs Offense:
What Ails This .672 Hitter
Laddie Morse
The Kansas City Chiefs are 43-and-21 in regular season games in the past four years, a .672 average. Furthermore, the team went 12-and-4 in 2016, a .750 winning percentage and they won the AFC West. So, what’s everyone so upset about? No, the Chiefs didn’t win the Super Bowl, like 31 other teams in the league. However, they won a boatload of games this year, they have one of the top two tight ends in the league, the best punter in the league, the best special teams — and special teams coach — in the league, the fastest player in the league and there is now a great absence of anyone like a Barry Richardson or even a Mike McGlynn.
The Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey said this week that, “I think this year, we kind of took a step moving forward….” So, it begs the question: did the Chiefs take a step forward in 2016… or not? There’s a lot to like about the way this team came through at crunch time. It happened in a lot of games. There’s a lot to like about the way that this team came together. It’s hard to recall a more cohesive bunch in the history of the franchise. However, when you lose a home game in the divisional round of the playoffs and miss advancing to the conference championship game by a field goal, it’s been hard to grin and bear it.
Plus, it’s not like the offense is what has delivered all the victories in these games either. Some, yes, but there clearly are issues that need addressing.
With the team outperforming the previous regimes by a few miles, I’m not going to focus this piece on the coaches. After all, John Dorsey, Andy Reid, and his collection of coaches, are the big difference since the team transitioned from the Scott Pioli era.
So, what is the offense needing? I’m not going to turn this into a dialog about how much the Chiefs need to get a new quarterback because Alex Smith is here to stay, and probably for the next two seasons so, a discussion about how to replace him will not be helpful. When you think about all the injuries on the defensive side of the ball and how they still played at or near championship level — after all, holding the Steelers to 18 points and 6 FGs in their last game was stellar — you have to wonder why the offense was so inconsistent. You can give the typical answer of “play calling” but the bottom line is execution. I’ve heard Andy Reid hotly criticized because he called too many… passing plays — and — I’ve heard Andy Reid hotly criticized because he called too many running plays… at the end of a game. Not being aggressive is one thing… and not executing is another.
Then the question becomes: can Andy Reid reasonably expect the players he’s asking to execute a play, be expected to carry out that play with a high degree of confidence? Confused? Here’s what I mean. If you had the speedy RB Jamaal Charles available, you might call one play, whereas you might not call that play for any other player. Here’s another example: a jet-sweep using Tyreek Hill is a high percentage play while a jet-sweep using Travis Kelce is not. This is part of what I believe Andy Reid means when he says, “I’ll take responsibility for this loss.” He knows he’s asked players to do what they may not be able to do so well. Not within a certain play calling progression anyway.
Beyond that, I don’t want to focus on the limitations of Andy Reid today either because — for now — he is not a changeable piece of the organizational machinery. He is also here to stay so a discussion about his limitations is a moot point.
That leaves us with the players. The team… and we’re talking specifically about the offensive players.
The skill position players first:
Runningbacks
Spencer Ware
There are very few running backs in the NFL who can serve as a “featured back” so teams must now platoon. Even so, I don’t see Spencer Ware as a #1 RB, even in a platoon system. Yes, he could platoon just as the Atlanta Falcons share time between their two running backs, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. However, in comparison to either of those two, Ware will never be that good. How much was Ware to blame for the lack of execution? He was being asked to win a lot of the third-down situations and although he did convert some critical first downs at the end of games to preserve some victories he was asked to plow between the tackles at times which he was unable to do. Ware is not JC nor is he Christian Okoye so he needs help to be successful. Help from another running back and help from his offensive line.
I’m not down on Spencer Ware, I think he is a very good back. However, his 921 yards rushing and 447 receiving yards are sub-standard for a primary running back in Andy Reid’s West coast approach.
Charcandrick West
It’s hard to evaluate the 2015 “starting” RB for the Chiefs. It’s almost as if West went away this year. However, he sure doesn’t see himself out of the “running” (no pun intended) in 2017 because he said recently while at the Super Bowl, “We plan on being here next year.” West had basically 35% of all offensive snaps in 2016. That was surprising for me to read. Does it surprise you? He was such a non-factor that I can see him not making the roster and being replaced by a draft pick or practice squad phenom Darrin Reaves. Following is an abbreviated Fox Sports injury report on Charcandrick West but it is missing his week 11 concussion in 2016.
While West is no Ware, remember, Ware is no Coleman or Freeman (using the Super Bowl participants as a standard should be the goal every season). If the Chiefs want to upgrade their offense, they must improve the running back position. I imagine that may not include Charcandrick West. While I just don’t see him as a playmaker, he could have a bounce-back year and take Knile Davis’ spot. So far, he’s just been a serviceable running back.
Knile Davis
I’m not going to spend much time on a player who, 1) has been cut by the Chiefs already and will likely be cut again before camp ends and 2) his best move is to get through a huge (yeah, right) hole that the offensive line has created or 3) is most serviceable as a backup-backup kick returner.
FB Anthony Sherman
The Sausage master has seen his role diminished each year with this regime. JARD (John-Andy-Reid-Dorsey) brought him to the team in a trade with Arizona in 2013. Sherman was in on only 16% of the offensive snaps in 2016 whereas he had a much bigger role in 2013 appearing in 35.6% of the offensive plays. Back then Jamaal Charles was the featured back and Sherman’s blocks helped to spring him on many a jaunt. However, I think Sherman is used far too little now and his 18 catches in 2013 made the offense more unpredictable than the 4-reception-season he had this past year. For the Chiefs to get better in 2017, they must re-invent the use of Anthony Sherman or release him and move on without a fullback. However, Sherm’s contributions on special teams likely keeps him on he roster.
Wide Receivers
Jeremy Maclin
Had Jeremy Maclin had the kind of season he had in 2015 in 2016, the Chiefs fate might have been very different. Maclin was not half as productive, with 536 receiving yards in 2016, and 1,088 yards in 2015. If the Chiefs are to take a step forward, Maclin must return to form and what appeared to be a strong on-field kinship with QB Alex Smith must be rekindled.
Tyreek Hill
Rookie Tyreek Hill turned out to be an exciting addition on offense. He was the Chiefs leading wide receiver with 593 yards. The Chiefs will need to figure out how much of a role they intend him to take within their offensive strategy throughout the season. Use him too much and you place his effectiveness on special teams at risk. On the flip side, if Andy Reid forgets that he has Hill on his roster, as he appeared to do on occasion (in 5 games Hill 5 or fewer touches) then the offense loses some of it’s most dynamic playmaking possibilities. Ten to fifteen touches per game for Tyreek Hill on offense doesn’t appear to be too much for him… but that only happened twice last year. Hill must also address his fumbling problem as he coughed it up four times in 2016. For the Chiefs to take a step forward in 2017, more plays for Tyreek Hill are needed on offense.
Chris Conley
Chris Conley is a physical beast at 6-foot-3-inches and 205 pounds. He had 530 yards receiving in 2016 and averaged 2.7 catches per game. He’s become a very reliable, sure-handed, option on third downs but his skills simply aren’t being incorporated into the offense enough. Conley is getting open and creating separation for himself but he may not be getting time to be seen by his quarterback who is challenged in going through all his progressions or reads (and perhaps that is because his offensive line is not giving him time).
Without getting into Alex Smith’s head here, sometimes the play calling can be simplified to help a QB in his reads. Instead of asking the QB to go through 4 or 5 reads from left to right across the defensive backfield, you can begin to set up your route tree so that, for example, you send your inside WR on a post route while the outside wide receiver runs a down-and-in, or what’s commonly called a Dig route. That way, you have your QB take a 3 or 5 step drop and look for the speed receiver running the post first and then if he’s not comfortable with his read of the Safety, he can bring his eyes straight up field — right in the same line-of-sight — to the wide receiver running the dig if he’s free of the linebackers. For the Chiefs to take a step forward in 2017, Chris Conley needs to be involved in some of these “abridged” Reader’s Digest version “read progressions.” Plus, Conley’s leaping ability must be used at the goal line, my God, he’s got a 45″ vertical jump which is 3 inches short of four feet and is the current NFL Combine record (up to this moment). In two years, you would think the Chiefs could have thrown Conley the ball at the back of the end zone in a jump ball situation.
Albert Wilson
A.W. had a fake punt return for a touchdown. I hope he’s cut. He dropped 20 passes in 2016. The Chiefs passing game would be better off with him gone.
Tight Ends
Success among Chiefs tight ends begins and ends with Travis Kelce in 2016. Literally. The other tight ends are so bad that… writers who write about them can’t even think up metaphors for how bad they are. Kelce is a knight in shining Red & Gold. His 85 receptions for 1,125 receiving yards makes him a weapon that Andy Reid must use liberally. However, if the Chiefs are to move forward in 2017, they must, 1) find another tight end who can hold onto the ball when it hits him in the hands and, 2) stop using their tight end on jet sweeps.
~ ~ ~
Offensive Linemen
LT Eric Fisher
Pro Football Focus rates Eric Fisher as the 34th best tackle overall in 2016 with a score of 76.7. Since PFF groups all tackles together you can do the math and see that Fisher comes in at about the 17th best overall LEFT tackle. On the other hand, Fisher also came in as the 47th best pass blocker with a score of 59.9. That’s his downside because Fisher came in as the 10th best run blocker among left tackles with an 83.2 score. I’m not one to accept PFF rankings and ratings as gospel but it’s hard to debunk what we already seemingly knew, Fisher is a much better run blocker than a pass protector. Hopefully, he gets better as a pass protector because for the Chiefs to take a step forward in 2017, they must improve at pass protection.
RT Mitchell Schwartz
PFF ranks Schwartz as the 27th best right tackle at 80.7, the 22nd best pass protector with a score of 83.3 and the 37th best run blocker with a score of 73.6. Perhaps Schwartz’ second year in Andy Reid’s system will produce better results because I doubt these are the results John Dorsey signed him up to produce. Still, these numbers confirm what we thought, that Schwartz is better at pass protection than run blocking. For the Chief to take a step forward in 2017, Mitchell Schwartz will need to be better.
Center Mitch Morse
PFF ranked Mitch Morse as the 20th best Center in the NFL with a rating of 81.1. They also gave him an 80.5 pass blocking score and a 73.3 run blocking rating. Fisher, Morse and Schwartz are very likely here to stay for two more years barring injuries so for the Chiefs to step it up this year, all three will need to improve, especially at pass protection.
Right Guard
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, PFFs 27th best Guard, 78.4. 14th best at pass protection at 85.4. 44th best run blocker at 68.0 which is horrible of course. While LDT took a big step forward in 2016 from his “not good enough to start” competence level in 2015, his improvement may have convinced Andy and Andy (Reid and Heck the O-line coach) that he’s capable of taking another step forward in 2017. This means that unless John Dorsey has a windfall… either more cap money to sign free agent Guards, or he hits the draft day jackpot of Guards… LDT will most likely be starting at right Guard in 2017. If that happens… for the Chiefs to take a step forward in 2017, LDT will need to make a giant leap in both run blocking and pass blocking but especially in pass protection.
Zach Fulton
Zach Fulton ranked 38th among all Guards with a 75.6. In 2014 Zach Fulton was the 78th best Guard out of 78 Guards. Meaning, that’s right, he was the worst Guard in the league. The reasons Fulton may have been better than that this year has to do with the improved pieces around him plus two years of experience. Zach Fulton might not even be a good option as a backup Guard but he sure should never be counted on to be a starter. For the Chiefs to improve in 2017, Zach Fulton can not be one of their starters.
Parker Ehinger
Parker Ehinger was tied for the 48th best Guard position by PFF. Ehinger showed some promise as a run blocker but his pass blocking was abysmal (49.9). While Ehinger looked good in the preseason his regular season performances didn’t measure up. For the Chiefs to improve in 2017, they MUST get an excellent Left Guard. Ehinger may be a good interior backup but for the Chiefs to fix their offensive problems… that job begins with the offensive line, specifically Left Gaurd.
