Despite how disastrous the last 14 weeks have been, the Kansas City Chiefs still have a chance to make the playoffs. However, even if the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers struggle to close out the season, this Chiefs team cannot be trusted to win four games in a row, meaning now is the perfect time for head coach Andy Reid's staff to get creative.
As such, the front office and the coaching staff should start planning ahead to next season. That means giving players a chance, especially those who, like rookie cornerback Nohl Williams, have been left on the bench despite showing glimpses of strong talent.
Chiefs Must Give Nohl Williams in Week 15 & Beyond
Williams played 88.6% of the defensive snaps in the loss to the Houston Texans, with his 62 opportunities being more than he saw in the five previous weeks combined (59). However, the uptick in snaps had to do with Trent McDuffie's injury. Even so, Williams held his own pretty well, and even if McDuffie can play on Sunday, there's no point in risking him aggravating his injury when the rookie CB is playing well, especially considering his impending contract negotiations.
According to Pro Football Focus, Williams has been targeted 22 times so far, allowing just 11 receptions (50.0%) for 127 yards and a 67.8 passer rating without a touchdown. Despite that success, the ex-California Golden Bear has only played 152 snaps in coverage.
Williams has only given up a big play this season — a 28-yard completion in the loss to the Buffalo Bills — but other than that, the rookie third-round pick has been pretty solid. It's in Reid & Co.'s best interest to see if he can handle a bigger workload because if he's successful, the Chiefs' secondary would instantly be better.
The Chiefs have a long list of offseason needs to address. Unfortunately, they won't have much financial wiggle room or draft capital to do so. As such, they need to evaluate the young players they have in the building to determine whether they can trust them or if they need to find someone else, and knowing that they can rely on Williams throughout the rest of his rookie contract would be huge.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo hasn't been that willing to give rookie players a long leash, but clearly, what the team has done recently hasn't worked. The season is on the line, and perhaps it might not be the wisest time to thrust Williams into the fire. Then again, if they don't have anything to lose at this point and McDuffie is banged up, they might as well give him a chance.