In a pivotal AFC contest, the Kansas City Chiefs dropped a 28-21 decision to the Buffalo Bills — and now enter their Week 10 bye.
Let’s look at how the Kansas City used its players.
Starters (offensive): TE Noah Gray, LT Jaylon Moore, LG Kingsley Suamataia, C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, RT Jawaan Taylor, TE Travis Kelce, WR Xavier Worthy, WR Rashee Rice, QB Patrick Mahomes and RB Kareem Hunt.
Starters (defensive): DE Michael Danna, DL Jerry Tillery, DT Chris Jones, DE George Karlaftis, LB Nick Bolton, LB Drue Tranquill, DB Trent McDuffie, CB Jaylen Watson, CB Nohl Williams, S Bryan Cook and S Chamarri Conner.
Did not play: QB Gardner Minshew.
Inactive: CB Kristian Fulton, RB Isiah Pacheco, WR Jalen Royals, TE Jared Wiley, RB Elijah Mitchell, OL C.J. Hanson and T Josh Simmons.
The big takeaway
Tight end Noah Gray recorded his lowest offensive snap rate of the season (38%), while starting tight end Travis Kelce set a season high (91%), including 97% of the passing snaps.
In other words, the Chiefs ended the game with a high volume of plays out of light personnel — that is, featuring just one tight end — and that load fell as heavily on Kelce as it has all season.
It’s a disappointing trend against a Bills’ defense that wants to play in lighter personnel. It appeared Kansas City started the game with a good balance of play-calls featuring multiple tight ends, but the negative game script apparently forced the Chiefs’ hand.
Instead of countering Buffalo’s preferred defensive alignment, Kansas City limited heavier personnel packages — even on running plays, where Gray was on the field just 60% of the time. That’s second-lowest rate since the first quarter of the season.
Week 4 is a sensible mile marker for the Chiefs’ offense: wide receiver Xavier Worthy returned to the lineup, allowing the offense to look more like we expect. From that point on, there have been two times that Gray’s snaps dropped and Kelce’s spiked: Week 9 in Buffalo and the Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In that same breath, the highest snap rate Gray has seen this season (76%) came in the dominant, 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions. He lined up for 86% of the team’s running plays in that game, a drastic difference from the two losses.
Offensive takeaways
Wide receiver Xavier Worthy matched his season-high snap rate (84%) on offense, being on the field for 87% of Kansas City’s passing plays; he led all Chiefs’ receivers in both categories. Since returning to the field in Week 4, Worthy has been on the field for at least 71% of the passing plays each game, with that rate ramping up over the last two weeks alongside the return of wide receiver Rashee Rice.
But Worthy has not earned more than 53 yards from scrimmage in any game since returning with 121 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. Against the Bills, Worthy managed only 30 yards on four touches despite playing the number of snaps a true number-one wide receiver would.
In the weeks to come, it will be worth monitoring any change in Worthy’s production or snap count.
Defensive takeaways
Defensive tackle Chris Jones played only 77% of the defensive snaps on Sunday, including just 69% of the running plays. The only two games in which Jones was in for a lower rate were the blowout victories over the Las Vegas Raiders and the Ravens, when he came off the field early. The same can be said about his run-defense snap rate, although he dipped to 68% in the season opener as well.
It was clear that recently-signed defensive tackle Mike Pennel made a difference in relieving Jones. Pennel played 31% of snaps in his first opportunity back with the Chiefs; he was on the field for 46% of the Chiefs’ snaps against the run.
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Offense All Pass Run
Total 67(100%) 37(100%) 30(100%)
Mike Caliendo 67(100%) 37(100%) 30(100%)
Patrick Mahomes 67(100%) 37(100%) 30(100%)
Jaylon Moore 67(100%) 37(100%) 30(100%)
Creed Humphrey 66(99%) 37(100%) 29(97%)
Kingsley Suamataia 66(99%) 37(100%) 29(97%)
Jawaan Taylor 65(97%) 37(100%) 28(93%)
Rashee Rice 57(85%) 31(84%) 26(87%)
Travis Kelce 56(84%) 34(92%) 22(73%)
Xavier Worthy 56(84%) 32(86%) 24(80%)
Isiah Pacheco 39(58%) 23(62%) 16(53%)
Noah Gray 36(54%) 17(46%) 19(63%)
Marquise Brown 26(39%) 18(49%) 8(27%)
Kareem Hunt 21(31%) 9(24%) 12(40%)
JuJu Smith-Schuster 21(31%) 12(32%) 9(30%)
Brashard Smith 9(13%) 5(14%) 4(13%)
Tyquan Thornton 5(7%) 1(3%) 4(13%)
Robert Tonyan 5(7%) 2(5%) 3(10%)
Wanya Morris 4(6%) 1(3%) 3(10%)
Hunter Nourzad 2(3%) 0(0%) 2(7%)
Nikko Remigio 1(1%) 0(0%) 1(3%)
C.J. Hanson 1(1%) 0(0%) 1(3%)
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Defense All Pass Run
Total 52(100%) 32(100%) 20(100%)
Chamarri Conner 48(92%) 30(94%) 18(90%)
Trent McDuffie 48(92%) 30(94%) 18(90%)
Jaylen Watson 48(92%) 30(94%) 18(90%)
Nick Bolton 46(88%) 28(88%) 18(90%)
Drue Tranquill 45(87%) 27(84%) 18(90%)
Chris Jones 43(83%) 28(88%) 15(75%)
Jaden Hicks 38(73%) 26(81%) 12(60%)
George Karlaftis 36(69%) 22(69%) 14(70%)
Charles Omenihu 32(62%) 23(72%) 9(45%)
Bryan Cook 30(58%) 19(59%) 11(55%)
Leo Chenal 27(52%) 15(47%) 12(60%)
Jerry Tillery 24(46%) 13(41%) 11(55%)
Christian Roland-Wallace 22(42%) 13(41%) 9(45%)
Michael Danna 20(38%) 12(38%) 8(40%)
Ashton Gillotte 20(38%) 12(38%) 8(40%)
Derrick Nnadi 12(23%) 3(9%) 9(45%)
Marlon Tuipulotu 8(15%) 6(19%) 2(10%)
Nohl Williams 7(13%) 5(16%) 2(10%)
Jack Cochrane 6(12%) 4(13%) 2(10%)
Jeff Bassa 4(8%) 2(6%) 2(10%)
Kevin Knowles II 4(8%) 2(6%) 2(10%)
Joshua Williams 4(8%) 2(6%) 2(10%)
Special Teams
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Special Teams Snaps
Total 16(100%)
Jack Cochrane 12(75%)
Jaden Hicks 12(75%)
Kevin Knowles II 12(75%)
Jeff Bassa 11(69%)
Cooper McDonald 11(69%)
Christian Roland-Wallace 11(69%)
Nohl Williams 11(69%)
Harrison Butker 9(56%)
Joshua Williams 9(56%)
Leo Chenal 7(44%)
Ashton Gillotte 6(38%)
Noah Gray 6(38%)
Matt Araiza 5(31%)
Chamarri Conner 5(31%)
Nikko Remigio 5(31%)
James Winchester 5(31%)
Mike Caliendo 4(25%)
Creed Humphrey 4(25%)
Jaylon Moore 4(25%)
Wanya Morris 4(25%)
Hunter Nourzad 4(25%)
Kingsley Suamataia 4(25%)
C.J. Hanson 4(25%)
Brashard Smith 2(13%)
Robert Tonyan 2(13%)
Nick Bolton 1(6%)
Bryan Cook 1(6%)
Michael Danna 1(6%)
George Karlaftis 1(6%)
Derrick Nnadi 1(6%)
Jerry Tillery 1(6%)
Drue Tranquill 1(6%)
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All Snaps Off Def ST Total
Total 67(100%) 52(100%) 16(100%) 135(100%)
Matt Araiza 0(0%) 0(0%) 5(31%) 5(4%)
Jeff Bassa 0(0%) 4(8%) 11(69%) 15(11%)
Nick Bolton 0(0%) 46(88%) 1(6%) 47(35%)
Marquise Brown 26(39%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 26(19%)
Harrison Butker 0(0%) 0(0%) 9(56%) 9(7%)
Mike Caliendo 67(100%) 0(0%) 4(25%) 71(53%)
Leo Chenal 0(0%) 27(52%) 7(44%) 34(25%)
Jack Cochrane 0(0%) 6(12%) 12(75%) 18(13%)
Chamarri Conner 0(0%) 48(92%) 5(31%) 53(39%)
Bryan Cook 0(0%) 30(58%) 1(6%) 31(23%)
Michael Danna 0(0%) 20(38%) 1(6%) 21(16%)
Ashton Gillotte 0(0%) 20(38%) 6(38%) 26(19%)
Noah Gray 36(54%) 0(0%) 6(38%) 42(31%)
Jaden Hicks 0(0%) 38(73%) 12(75%) 50(37%)
Creed Humphrey 66(99%) 0(0%) 4(25%) 70(52%)
Kareem Hunt 21(31%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 21(16%)
Chris Jones 0(0%) 43(83%) 0(0%) 43(32%)
George Karlaftis 0(0%) 36(69%) 1(6%) 37(27%)
Travis Kelce 56(84%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 56(41%)
Kevin Knowles II 0(0%) 4(8%) 12(75%) 16(12%)
Patrick Mahomes 67(100%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 67(50%)
Cooper McDonald 0(0%) 0(0%) 11(69%) 11(8%)
Trent McDuffie 0(0%) 48(92%) 0(0%) 48(36%)
Jaylon Moore 67(100%) 0(0%) 4(25%) 71(53%)
Wanya Morris 4(6%) 0(0%) 4(25%) 8(6%)
Derrick Nnadi 0(0%) 12(23%) 1(6%) 13(10%)
Hunter Nourzad 2(3%) 0(0%) 4(25%) 6(4%)
Charles Omenihu 0(0%) 32(62%) 0(0%) 32(24%)
Isiah Pacheco 39(58%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 39(29%)
Nikko Remigio 1(1%) 0(0%) 5(31%) 6(4%)
Rashee Rice 57(85%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 57(42%)
Christian Roland-Wallace 0(0%) 22(42%) 11(69%) 33(24%)
Brashard Smith 9(13%) 0(0%) 2(13%) 11(8%)
JuJu Smith-Schuster 21(31%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 21(16%)
Kingsley Suamataia 66(99%) 0(0%) 4(25%) 70(52%)
Jawaan Taylor 65(97%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 65(48%)
Tyquan Thornton 5(7%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 5(4%)
Jerry Tillery 0(0%) 24(46%) 1(6%) 25(19%)
Robert Tonyan 5(7%) 0(0%) 2(13%) 7(5%)
Drue Tranquill 0(0%) 45(87%) 1(6%) 46(34%)
Jaylen Watson 0(0%) 48(92%) 0(0%) 48(36%)
Joshua Williams 0(0%) 4(8%) 9(56%) 13(10%)
Nohl Williams 0(0%) 7(13%) 11(69%) 18(13%)
James Winchester 0(0%) 0(0%) 5(31%) 5(4%)
Xavier Worthy 56(84%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 56(41%)
C.J. Hanson 1(1%) 0(0%) 4(25%) 5(4%)
Marlon Tuipulotu 0(0%) 8(15%) 0(0%) 8(6%)
Editor’s Note : Arrowhead Pride obtains snap count data from the NFL’s game stats and information system, which allows us to break out snap counts by run or pass on offensive and defensive plays. Because GSIS data ignores plays that were nullified by penalties, total offensive and defensive snap counts will vary from other sources, which get their data from NFL Gamebooks