Kansas City Chiefs: Still Plenty of Time to Right the Ship
By Eric Hogan
#2 Offensive line needs to win in the trenches
Not to belabor the point, but Alex Smith needs protection from his offensive line. When analyzing stats there are some eye-popping numbers that jump out. Alex’s average release time, or “time to throw” this year is about 2.68 seconds. (If you want to read more about next-gen stats you can click here. ) That is exactly on par with Tom Brady and Carson Wentz. So what happens if he doesn’t get rid of the ball?
Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz, and Alex Smith have all been sacked between 27-29 times this year. Of that group, Smith & Brady have the least interceptions with four. Wilson & Newton lead that category with 8 & 11 respectively. I would rather see a QB throw the ball away or take a sack than turn it over.
The O-line has also been poor at creating gaps and getting push. Simply put, our offensive line has let down the team in both protecting the quarterback as well as getting a push for their running backs. Injuries are no excuse, as the next man up should be relishing the opportunity to play in the NFL, and work to be the best player at their position.
The pocket has collapsed around Alex Smith more often than not, creating havoc for the QB. Smith has done a good job of scrambling and getting first downs with his legs, but that’s not his job. A big part of Kareem Hunt’s success in the early going was the huge holes the O-line was opening up. If the offensive line can start getting some push and opening some gaps, Hunt will be more successful (although some of this is on him – more on that later).