The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 14 with a 6-6 record and are on the outside looking in on the playoffs. They are slated to play against the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football next week, which is another big game in terms of the AFC postseason picture.
The Chiefs don't have any wiggle room, and that's a reason why they should consider benching safety Chamarri Conner. Throughout the season, he has been lining up as Kansas City's slot corner, but he has left a ton to be desired.
Chiefs Need to Consider Moving Chamarri Conner to the Bench
Conner has started in all 12 games this season, logging 87 total tackles with just one pass deflection and zero interceptions. Despite being out there all year, he hasn't been reliable in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Connor has a 54.4 overall grade (76th among 93 graded safeties) and a 47 coverage grade (79th among 93 graded safeties).
In addition to these underwhelming numbers, he has a 140.1 passer rating allowed in coverage with 13.8 yards allowed per reception. He's also allowed the second most catches in the NFL (40) with 553 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In four of the last five games, Connor has given up at least 48 receiving yards.
It's no secret that Connor needs to play better out there, but that hasn't happened. For the first 13 weeks, he's been disappointing, but with the season up in the air, the Chiefs need to think about making some tweaks.
Rookie cornerback Nohl Williams is the answer most fans believe should be the replacement. In the Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills, Williams allowed just one catch for 28 receiving yards in 44 defensive snaps.
Instead of getting more playing time, Williams has logged a total of 10 snaps in the last three games. That's an interesting decision to say the least, but maybe defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo doesn't trust him enough.
If that's the case, Joshua Williams could be another option to throw out there. He has 12 starts in his career and was fairly solid in those outings. In his NFL career, Williams has logged 18 pass breakups and a pick. He's also recorded at least a 63 or better coverage grade on PFF.
If they made that swap, they could move Joshua Williams to an outside spot, then bump Trent McDuffie back to the slot. The Chiefs need to pull any lever they can at this point of the season, and benching Connor is a move they should definitely consider going into a must-win Week 14 contest against the Texans.