In many ways, Alex Smith has been perfect for the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s athletic, accurate, and he avoids turnovers. When Bill Walsh helped revolutionize the West Coast offense, he probably had a player just like Smith in mind. He doesn’t have the biggest arm, but his mobility in the pocket and decision-making ability have helped the Chiefs win many games. Despite being the best quarterback to suit up for the Chiefs in recent memory, the reality is that Alex Smith can’t bring a Lombardi Trophy to Kansas City
Alex Smith Can’t Bring a Championship to Kansas City
It isn’t fair to explain why Alex Smith can’t win the big one in Kansas City without listing all of the things that he’s done right for the team. Before Smith, the Chiefs endured a pathetic parade of poor passers. In the years before the Chiefs stumbled upon Smith, they had to rely on the likes of Matt Cassel, Brodie Croyle, and Brady Quinn to lead the offense. The most consistent quarterback they’ve had since dropping the ball with Rich Gannon back in 1999 was Trent Green, and that’s saying something.
With Smith under center, the Chiefs have made the playoffs twice and haven’t had fewer than nine wins in a season. Smith has managed the offense brilliantly, choosing to make safe, conservative plays to extend drives instead of forcing big plays that might not be there. Smith has been very good for the Chiefs, and by no means should be benched or released. But he’s not going to win the Chiefs a Super Bowl, and here’s why.
Game Manager
The “game manager” label has haunted Alex Smith for years. Ever since the San Francisco 49ers drafted him first overall and he failed to produce at an elite level, critics have been harsh on Smith, and some of the criticism is fair. Despite playing for over a decade, Smith’s statistics have always been mediocre. As a Chief, he’s averaged 20 touchdowns, 3,355 yards, and seven interceptions a season. That would’ve been fine in the 1990’s, but the modern NFL is a passing league, and those numbers just don’t cut it.
The “Trent Dilfer” of It All
You might be thinking that it’s foolish to say that Alex Smith can’t bring a championship to the Chiefs when significantly worse quarterbacks have done it. Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and even the 2015 version of Peyton Manning have all been mediocre passers who have won a championship in the NFL.
The one thing that those three men had in common was that they all had phenomenal defenses. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and 2015 Denver Broncos all had historically good defenses. Since the Kansas City Chiefs have a talented defense headed by Pro Bowl talents like Eric Berry and Justin Houston, couldn’t they be the next team to ride their defense to the Super Bowl?
Yes, and no. While the Chiefs have an outstanding defense on paper, they’re not showing up on the field. Their star players have been hampered by injuries and frankly, they’re not getting any younger. Pass rusher Tamba Hali is 32 years old, and Houston has been hampered by injuries since his historical 2014 season. So far in 2016, neither man has played, and the Chiefs have struggled. The vaunted defense is giving up nearly 400 yards per game and has only registered three sacks.
Unless Houston and Hali come back better than ever, the defense won’t be able to carry Kansas City to the playoffs again, and that’s not their biggest problem. While injuries and age have slowed the Chiefs down, the rest of the division has caught up.
The AFC Best?
While the Chiefs might be a complete team in the AFC West, they’re far from the most talented. Even on their best day, the Chiefs are only the second best defense in the division behind the Denver Broncos.
Even after suffering a bad off-season and a Super Bowl hangover, the Denver Broncos look better than ever on defense. Von Miller picked up where he left off in the Super Bowl, already leading the lack in sacks with four in two games. The Broncos have silenced former number one picks in Andrew Luck and Cam Newton as Denver steamrolled the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers.
The Oakland Raiders might have the worst defense in football, but they also have the best offense. Derek Carr has looked flawless so far, terrorizing defenses with Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, and Clive Walford. Beyond that, one of the worst rushing teams in 2015 has come to life early in 2016, showing off three talented rushers. Latavius Murray, DeAndre Washington, and Jalen Richard have all proven to be talented runners for the Raiders. Whether it’s just another year in Bill Musgrave‘s offense or the improved offensive line, the Raiders offense looks like it’s going to be a real problem in the AFC West.
While the San Diego Chargers blew a huge lead against the Chiefs in week one, there’s no question that Philip Rivers is still an insanely talented quarterback. Even without Keenan Allen, Rivers had no problem carving up a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that stifled Aaron Rodgers the week before.
A defense can win championships, but it has to be the best defense in the league. Just being very good isn’t good enough, especially not in the best division in football. With the likes of Derek Carr, Philip Rivers, and Von Miller leading competitive teams, Alex Smith just isn’t good enough to carry the team to success.
The Elite
Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs were arguably the best team in the division. The Chiefs came painfully close to winning the division, and securing a first round bye. They won the last ten games of the season and defeated the Houston Texans in the wild card round to earn their first playoff win in 22 years. They were running red hot until they ran right into Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The final score looked close, but in reality, the Chiefs were outclassed by Brady and the Patriots. Even with Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman suffering from nagging injuries, Bill Belichick‘s boys had no problem with the Chiefs.
Against elite teams like the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, it just feels like the Chiefs are outclassed. With a powerful defense, the Red and Gold can get and maintain a small lead against average teams, but that’s nearly impossible with the NFL’s best. When the Steelers and Patriots are healthy, they boast players like Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, Rob Gronkowski, Jamie Collins, and Ryan Shazier.
Be honest, with two minutes left in the AFC Championship game, who do you want under center? Do you want Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion? Do you want Tom Brady, perhaps the most clutch quarterback of all time? Or do you want safe, efficient Alex Smith?
Alex Smith will likely retire as the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s smart, he doesn’t take unnecessary hits, and he doesn’t turn the ball over. But he also doesn’t elevate the Kansas City offense.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a good team, and it’s still far too early to call this season for them. When Houston and Hali return, the defense could return to elite form, and Kansas City could replicate 2015, where they went on a run to end the season. Sadly, barring any dramatic changes, Alex Smith won’t deliver a Lombardi to Arrowhead anytime soon.
