The Kansas City Chiefs’ passing game has noticeably struggled to take off through the first two weeks, as they are missing key playmakers in Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice.
The Chiefs hoped that Hollywood Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton would help with the loss of production, which they have in some respects. But the lack of explosive plays in the passing game has been few and far between.
The good news for the Chiefs is that they have a favorable matchup against a New York Giants’ defense that got shredded in Week 2. One player they should be looking to go after is New York CB Deonte Banks, who is reportedly in a platoon with Cor’Dale Flott, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Chiefs Need to Take Advantage of Deonte Banks' Matchup in Must-Win Game
The young Giants cornerback has noticeably struggled in the first two games of the season, as he posted the second-worst defensive grade on PFF for New York in Week 2 (39.1), per Big Blue Film Room.
Banks was only targeted once as he allowed one reception for 16 yards in 22 snaps. However, he did get penalized twice, but those were either declined or offset. The young cornerback also had a puzzling moment in last week’s game, as he didn’t play the ball and somehow allowed Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb to come down with a catch.
Given Banks’ early-season struggles, it is paramount that Kansas City tests him with Brown and Thornton on the outside.
Thornton has explosive speed, which we’ve seen through the first two games, and could give Banks trouble, especially if the Chiefs’ o-line can give Patrick Mahomes some time in the pocket.
The same can be said for Brown, who can take the top off the defense if you let him get behind you, as we saw in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Brown didn’t have many chances against the Eagles’ secondary – five receptions (five targets) for 30 yards last week. We also can't forget about Travis Kelce, who should command some attention in the middle of the field, leaving 1-on-1 chances for Brown and Thornton.
After seeing New York’s defense give up 361 passing yards to QB Dak Prescott, and a combined 14 receptions (20 targets) for 180 yards and a touchdown to Dallas’ top two receivers (CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens), the expectation is that the Chiefs’ offense will finally get off the launching pad and take off.