The Chiefs Passing Offense

The latest newsletter from KCSN Sports Data Scientist, Joseph Hefner

Technically, the Kansas City Chiefs played a football game on Sunday afternoon. Technically. I am uncertain that Andy Reid, Steve Spagnuolo, or any of the other coaches were aware of this. I am equally uncertain that any of the Chiefs players we saw on Sunday knew it either.

The Chiefs rested 11 starters on Sunday, plus DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown. Xavier Worthy got exactly one snap, so technically he was not rested. But he was rested. Noah Gray played four total snaps. The starting offensive line played exactly one series (a three and out). Turk Wharton played three snaps. Mike Danna played six. That gets the Chiefs up to 21 starters or major role players who played 6 snaps or fewer on Sunday.

That is absolutely WILD! I have never seen a team sit that many players in a game before. And the game played out exactly like one would expect a bunch of second and third string players playing a game against a team fighting to make their first playoffs in nearly a decade. The Broncos walloped the Chiefs. They kicked them up one side and down the other. The Broncos could have sat their starters at halftime and still won that game. It was a shellacking.