The Kansas City Chiefs come to Heinz Field Sunday in a match up with serious playoff implications. By now, you probably know a Pittsburgh Steelers victory will ensure their first trip to the postseason in three seasons and put them in position for a winner take all divisional showdown next weekend at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Chiefs on the other hand, face a must-win scenario, as a loss would almost certainly eliminate them from the crazy AFC Wild Card race. If the Chiefs are going to get a win, they will have to rely heavily on tough defense, a strong special teams unit, and do-everything running back Jamaal Charles.
Quarterback Alex Smith, the definition of a game manager, will also rely on Charles, along with tight end Travis Kelce to help move the chains and make plays for a passing attack that is one of the worst in the NFL. In fact, the Chiefs rank 30th out of 32 teams in passing offense.
What Smith won’t be able to rely on is his wide receivers, a group that might be the very worst in the NFL.
Don’t believe me? To put in a clearer perspective, the Chiefs three primary receivers going into Sunday’s contest are Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery, and Jason Avant. For the season, this trio has combined for a grand total of 74 catches and no touchdowns.
Or in other words, that’s 41 catches and 11 touchdowns fewer than Antonio Brown’s season totals alone.
Another statistic that puts the Chiefs wide receiving corps in an embarrassing light is no Chiefs receiver has scored a touchdown in a regular season game since December 8th, 2014 against the Washington Redskins.
Yes, you read that correctly, it’s been over a year, and 17 regular season games since a Chiefs receiver has found the end zone.
Seems like an impossible feat in today’s NFL, but head coach Andy Reid has employed an offensive attack that relies heavily on Charles and Knile Davis to grind out yards on the ground, evident by their nearly 1,400 combined rushing yards.
Reid has also tried to limit mistakes by employing a passing game that is ultra-conservative, utilizing high percentage passes that limit turnovers. This approach is certainly proved to be effective, as Smith has thrown a mere six interceptions in 419 passing attempts, and has a very respectable passer rating of 93.9.
However, this short passing game, which has leaned on Charles, Kelce and fellow tight end Anthony Fasano, has not exactly allowed the Chiefs receiving corps to shine.
A former Pro-Bowler, Bowe is still capable of being a dangerous target, and is second on the team in receptions with 51 catches. However, other than a league leading 15 touchdown grabs in 2010, Bowe has never had a penchant for getting into the end zone, as he has had five or less touchdown catches in six of his eight NFL seasons.
Veterans Avant and Avery have been journeyman receivers with limited success over their careers. After eight seasons with the Eagles, Avant reunited with Reid after being released by the Carolina Panthers in November. Avant had a mere 20 catches in 10 starts for the Panthers, and his release from a team desperate for receiving help speaks volumes.
Avery is on his fourth team in six seasons, and has struggled with injuries in 2014. His 15 catches in five games do not exactly strike fear into opponents when he is healthy enough to play. Rookie Albert Wilson has been seeing increased playing time and could see a bigger role stepping in for Avery. Wilson did have three catches for 59 yards in last week’s win over the Oakland Raiders, and the Chiefs seem to be interested in getting him more involved of late.
Rookie slot back/receiver De’Anthony Thomas is a threat due to his world class speed. A definite factor in the return game for the Chiefs, his big play ability could be further utilized in the passing game against the Steelers.
Though the Steelers pass defense has largely been a disappointment in 2014, the good news is the Chiefs passing attack is not only among the worst in the NFL, and has a flat out terrible receiving group, it also has been completely devoid of the big play. In fact, the Chiefs grand total of three passing plays of over 40 yards is second worst in the NFL.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
