Why It’s Time For The Chiefs To Give Up On Alex Smith
Although Kansas City has enjoyed winning seasons in each of the last four years, Alex Smith has held them back from true greatness. It’s time to move on from number eleven.
Kansas City has reached the playoffs three of the last four seasons. The Chiefs have one of the league’s most dominant defensive units to thank for that. The running game has also been a large component of the team’s success under Andy Reid, mostly consisting of current Denver Bronco Jamal Charles.
Omitted from Kansas City’s strengths is their passing game. Alex Smith has been at the helm since 2013, never having a worse record as a Chief than 9-7 in 2014. So before we throw the former first overall pick under the bus, there have to be some strengths to his game that have kept him as the starter since his arrival in KC.
Last year’s statistics truly showed his positive and negative attributes. He has been a remarkably efficient passer, with last year’s completion percentage ranking seventh in the league. Smith also doesn’t throw many picks, turning the rock over only eight times through the air. In other words, he’s quite skilled at delivering dink and dunk short throws.
However, his shortcomings are impossible to overlook. In 2016, he finished in the bottom half of the league’s starters (22nd) in passing yardage. The man only racked up 233 yards per game through the air, coming in at 22nd in the league once again. Finishing 27th in the league in passing touchdowns doesn’t help matters either. Also, Smith was sacked only 28 times, fewer than eighteen other signal-callers, so a lack of time to throw didn’t cause Smith’s poor numbers. His passer rating of 91.2 sat at sixteenth in the league, displaying mediocrity at it’s finest.
While his receivers may not be the best in the league, they certainly are a capable receiving staff. Travis Kelce was one of two tight ends to cross 1,000 receiving yards in 2016, finishing 52 yards ahead of Greg Olsen. He also had had the twelfth-most receiving yards in the league. Jeremy Maclin, Chris Conley and breakout star Tyreek Hill all finished with 500+ receiving yards. Running back Spencer Ware even finished with 447 receiving yards, not including the 921 yards he racked up on the ground. There’s more than enough talent there to get the job done.
The moral of the story is Smith’s play has been uninspiring while the talent around him shouldn’t be discounted. Smith doesn’t feel comfortable tossing the rock deep down the field, completing only 39 passes for more than 20 yards, good for 21st in the league. If the statistical flaws aren’t enough for the Kansas City faithful to move on from Smith, the front office certainly gave them a more compelling reason to do so.
Kansas City selected former Texas Tech star quarterback Patrick Mahomes II tenth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. They moved up from the twenty-seventh overall pick via a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Mahomes certainly brings the deep ball to the table, something Smith certainly does not. In other words, the Chiefs appear ready to move on from the short-field tactics that the ex-49er quarterback lives on sooner rather than later.
Smith himself knows that the clock is ticking on his time as the starter at Arrowhead. Mahomes could come in and steal the job at some point in the 2017 season if Smith can’t get the job done. However, the thirteen-year veteran leading the Chiefs through the end of next season is the more likely scenario.
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At this point, it appears Mahomes will learn all he can from number eleven and hold the clipboard for the season. John Dorsey, Kansas City’s General Manager, was the guy who acquired Smith in 2013. He’s also the same guy that just drafted Mahomes. It appears everyone is ready for a change of guard under center. That change is likely coming in 2018 in the form of Patrick Mahomes II.