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Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith could set career marks on Sunday

By Ben Almquist

Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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How much better has Alex Smith looked this year? The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback could set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of a terrible slump, and fans are demanding changes. The loudest calls for change are at the quarterback spot. However, despite fan ire, Alex Smith is actually having quite a career year. In fact, he could set career high for both passing yards and touchdowns this Sunday.

Coming into this season, Alex Smith was not known for his statistical performances. Described as a “game manager” by just about everyone, Smith only has one season of more than 3500 yards, and just three where he had 20 or more touchdowns. Not exactly a fantasy football dynamo.

Right now, Alex Smith is sitting at 3239 yards. That’s just 263 short of his career high. At the same time, Smith has actually already tied his career high in passing touchdowns at 23. At this point it is almost a given that he will set some personal bests this year.

A Different Quarterback

One thing we have definitely seen from Alex Smith is an increased aggressiveness. The Kansas City Chiefs offense has looked much different than what we’ve been accustomed to. Smith has been attacking downfield, and it has been effective.

A lot of that certainly has to do with the increased role of Tyreek Hill in the Chiefs offense. KC’s big play spark plug has adapted nicely to the role of wide receiver. His downfield ability has been a game-changer, and there is no area that’s clearer at than Alex Smith’s stat sheet. Smith and Hill have an excellent connection that is proving very effective.

Alex Smith is also getting a boost from tight end Travis Kelce having another great year. Kelce has emerged as a reliable target in key situations, as well as a constant big play threat. That has done a lot to help open up the Chiefs playbook.

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However, don’t look at Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce as the only reasons for Alex Smith’s better play. A lot of the credit has to go to Smith himself. If you look beyond Hill and Kelce, the truth is that the Chiefs don’t have any other receiving targets of note. What Smith has done is all the more impressive because he actually has limited reliable targets.

Trade Value Is Increasing

While many fans are still fully behind a quarterback change this year for the Kansas City Chiefs, I would urge patience. Even if the 2017 season is a complete bust (and it isn’t just yet), the team is best served by Alex Smith having an excellent season. It has been a pretty poorly kept secret that the Chiefs intend to trade Smith in the offseason.

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If the Chiefs do want to trade Alex Smith after this year, it makes the most sense for them to try and maximize his value. The difference between a quarterback with 3500 yards and 25 touchdowns, and that of one with 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns is significant. Smith is having his best season in the NFL, and it would be foolish not to take advantage of that.

The quarterback market in 2018 looks to be very active. There are a lot of teams that will be looking for a new starter, either for the short or long-term. The Chiefs should have no shortage of teams looking at Alex Smith as an option. It only makes sense to ensure his value is maximized.

While Alex Smith will continue to be the source of argument among Kansas City Chiefs fans, there is no denying that he’s been a better player this year. Smith stands to set career marks in Week 14 of the season, and that says a lot about how different he’s looked this year. That’s going to work to Kansas City’s benefit in one way or another.

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