The Kansas City Chiefs moved on from All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill when they traded him to the Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs opted to replace him with multiple mid-level free agents rather than another superstar. After their recent loss to the conference rivals Buffalo Bills, does Kansas City miss their speedster?
Are the Chiefs Missing WR Tyreek Hill?
Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receivers
The Kansas City Wide receiving corps looks drastically different than their Super Bowl-winning team in 2020. Hill, Sammy Watkins, and Mecole Hardman were the starters for a team that put up 31 on a stout San Francisco 49ers defense. Comparatively, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Juju Smith-Schuster, and rookie Skyy Moore now headline the Kansas City depth chart. The Chiefs signed Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $30 million deal in the offseason.
Additionally, they signed Smith-Schuster to a one-year, $3.76 million dollar contract and then selected Moore 54th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Each of these receivers adds a piece of what Hill brought to the offense, but having an elite talent like Tyreek Hill can open up the playbook.
Offensive Production
Through six weeks the Chiefs are leading the NFL in points per game and passing touchdowns. Despite this fact, they are outside the top ten in explosive pass plays, per Sharp Football Stats. Considering Travis Kelce leads the team in every major receiving category, production is down in the receiver group. The free-agent acquisitions of Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling have combined for 628 yards through six weeks.
Contrarily, Hill alone is having a monster year (701 yards) with backup quarterbacks for the Miami Dolphins. If the Chiefs want to remain the team to beat in the AFC they have to get more out of their receiving corps.
Patrick Mahomes isn't mad … just disappointed pic.twitter.com/bD0HRNe1Vj
— SB Nation (@SBNation) December 14, 2018
Style Changes
Chase Stuart did a great piece on the ebb and flow of passing rates in the NFL since 1932 almost ten years ago. As NFL defenses get faster, offenses have run more. As defenses get stronger, offenses have passed more. Is the lack of explosive passing plays just a result of a stylistic change by the Chiefs? Andy Reid’s offense isn’t rushing the ball in a traditional sense, but Patrick Mahomes‘ yard per pass thrown is down compared to the last two years.
The short pass has replaced the run and has made defenses cover the whole field every play. Long gone are the days of Vince Lombardi calling fullback dive until the offense doesn’t gain three yards. College-style jet sweeps, run-pass options, and shovel passes are more prevalent than ever. Even the Rams’ third-string wide receiver is getting jet-sweep carries.
Ben Skowronek takes a jet sweep for 6! pic.twitter.com/K0UTP4SNrN
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports2) October 16, 2022
The Chiefs Will Be Fine
Despite losing the game to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, there’s no reason to have concerns about the Kansas City Offense. Mahomes is the face of the NFL for a reason. As the season progresses, teams will continue to be worried about playing the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs were able to put up 20 on a team that only gives up 13.5 a game. There’s no question about their ability to score. The only question left at this point is how far these Kansas City wide receivers can take the Chiefs in the playoffs this year.
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