Numbers never lie, right?
There are so many statistics to parse through during the NFL season that some can be misleading. After each game, it’s a good exercise to review NFL “Next Gen Stats” and “Premium Stats” from Pro Football Focus and find the numbers that paint a picture not only of the game, but of what to expect from the Kansas City Chiefs moving forward.
1. No Chiefs defender earned more than one QB pressure in Denver
Five Chiefs players tied for the team lead in quarterback pressures against the Denver Broncos, according to PFF. All with just one.
- Defensive end R Mason Thomas
- Defensive end Ashton Gillotte
- Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah
- Defensive end George Karlaftis
- Nose tackle Khyiris Tonga
Karlaftis
recorded one sack, but PFF’s metrics show no other hits on quarterback Bo Nix.
The biggest absence on the list is defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has generated pressure at one of the lowest rates among Chiefs defenders this season. In the two losses, Jones recorded just one pressure and no tackles; PFF marked him with two missed tackles against the Seahawks.
2. Chiefs wideouts average 5 yards per target against Broncos
On 17 passes thrown their way and 13 completions, Chiefs wideouts averaged just 5.2 yards per target against the Broncos, even with No. 1 receiver Rashee Rice (7 catches for 53 yards) back in the lineup. Over the last two weeks, Chiefs wideouts have averaged just 4.5 yards per pass.
In the Week 1 beatdown of the Broncos, Chiefs wideouts gained just 37 yards on 10 targets.
As defenses have seen more tape on Kansas City’s offense this season, the receivers have become more necessary to maintain a rhythm and finish drives. Many of the unit’s shortcomings recently have fallen on the lack of consistency from the receiver position; specifically, Xavier Worthy. He has not stepped up in the way the team needed after losing the primary deep threat in the scheme, Tyquan Thornton.
3. Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton allowed just 29 receiving yards in Denver
Over six passes thrown at Chiefs’ starting cornerbacks Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton, filling in for the injured Mansoor Delane (shoulder), they caught only three passes for 29 yards (only 9 yards gained after the catch).
Fulton was called for defensive pass interference early on, but overall, the Chiefs shut down the perimeter against wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. Denver found success through the air only by targeting the middle of the field, where safety Chamarri Conner and linebacker Nick Bolton allowed big-time catches in crucial spots.
4. Chiefs tie season-high mark with 28 under-center plays against Broncos
A week after running just 12 plays from under center, a season-low mark, the Chiefs’ offense re-established its identity in Denver and tied the season-high number of 28 plays run from under center; the team matched it against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3.
Patrick Mahomes also attempted the most passes from under center in any game this season, dropping back 14 times.
However, Kansas City averaged just 4.5 yards per play from under center, the second-lowest rate of the year behind the poor showing in Seattle.
It may not have been the most efficient game, but the offense looked much better than it did in Seattle, and getting back to what worked through the first five games of the year felt like a big factor in that.
5. Kenneth Walker has 105 rushing yards combined in two losses
Over 35 rushing attempts against the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, lead back Kenneth Walker has averaged just three yards per carry, gained six first downs and only found room for one 10-yard run
In the previous five games, Walker averaged 5.8 yards per carry, moved the chains 37 times and had 20 runs of 10 or more yards.
Seattle and Denver certainly found a blueprint for limiting Walker on the ground, and the Chiefs looked better from week to week at countering that attention with an effective passing game. In Denver, there were good play designs to get the ball in the hands of running backs or tight ends off play-action or misdirection that didn’t show up against the Seahawks.
However, is the emergence of running back Emmett Johnson as a pass-catching playmaker enough to overcome the next elite defense that shuts Walker down completely? That’s where the logic in a trade-deadline move comes from.
