3 Chiefs Who Need More Playing Time After Week 5 Win vs. Vikings

The Chiefs pulled off a 27-20 win over the Vikings that was equal parts sloppy and encouraging. We'll always take a win, but Kansas City clearly needs to make improvements to make fans feel comfortable about this team as a true Super Bowl favorite.

Some players have struggled while others have shined in limited playing time. In order for the Chiefs to reach the mountaintop, it's time to give more snaps to those players making a true impact on the field.

Let's look at three Chiefs who need more playing time following Sunday's narrow victory. The defense has been among the league's best, so I'll focus on the struggling offense for these purposes.

3 Chiefs Who Deserve More Playing Time

1. Justin Watson, WR

Whew what a catch! Watson made the play of the game when he hauled in a 3rd-and-18 moonshot from Patrick Mahomes on the first drive of the second half.

Kansas City couldn't afford to go three-and-out with the game tied, so Watson's impressive catch was as clutch as any play made by a Chief this season.

The unassuming 27-year-old out of Pennsylvania has been the Chiefs' most impactful receiver this season. He has only 10 catches, but his 219 yards leads Kansas City's receiving group while his 21.9 yards per catch are indicative of his home run ability.

When the team needs a spark, Mahomes looks Watson's way. He was on the field for only 44% of snaps, but he's arguably been the best receiver this season.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who fills a similar big-play role, has only seven catches for 116 yards despite earning significantly more playing time. Watson is a better player right now and should take away more of Valdes-Scantling's snaps moving forward.

He's not the only receiver who needs to be on the field more, though.

2. Rashee Rice, WR

Every time Rice is on the field, he makes something happen. He had only 30% of snaps on Sunday but caught four-of-five targets for 33 yards and a TD.

Despite playing more than 50% of the snaps just once this season, Rice handily leads the receivers in targets (24) with at least five in every game but one. Mahomes trusts him and his target share is among the best in the NFL.

It's hard to justify keeping Rice off the field when he makes such a clear impact every time he's on it. Skyy Moore has been a ghost but still had 56% of the snaps, and we already discussed MVS' lack of impact.

Rookie wide receivers don't typically produce under Andy Reid, but that hasn't stopped Rice from becoming one of Mahomes' favorite targets. For an offense in need of a spark, getting Rice more snaps feels like a logical solution.

He's been responsible for 11 first downs and shown an ability to break tackles in open field. Rice's development is one of the most exciting storylines to follow the rest of the season - I hope the Chiefs give him the playing time he deserves.

Our last player to highlight is a postseason hero that hasn't made an impact yet.

3. Jerick McKinnon

After catching nine TDs last season and elevating his game in the Chiefs' Super Bowl run, McKinnon has seen his snaps cut in favor of Clyde Edwards-Helaire. That has to end now.

Clyde managed just four yards on three carries against Minnesota and is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry on the season. I'm ready to give all of his snaps to McKinnon, a far superior player with a much more proven track record.

McKinnon is still among the league's best receiving backs yet had only 27% of the snaps while Clyde managed 14%. Isiah Pacheco leads the way at 59%, but every snap with Edwards-Helaire on the field instead of McKinnon feels like a massive failure.

The Clyde experiment is over and Kansas City's offense will improve as soon as the coaching staff realizes it.

I expect McKinnon's snap count to rise as the season progresses since keeping him healthy for the playoffs is a priority, but it's embarrassingly obvious to everyone watching that the Chiefs are at a disadvantage every time Clyde steps on the field.

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