Chiefs vs. 49ers Stats: Breaking Down Kansas City’s Numbers

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The least important stat to come out of the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers is the score. For the record, the Chiefs lost 15-13.

49ers quarterback B.J. Daniels was able to lead a drive, down four points, against the Chiefs’ backups, and that culminated in a touchdown with just over two minutes left.

Again, those aren’t the stats that matter though.

What matters the most is how the first team looked on both sides of the ball, and really how the team played overall.

Preseason games don’t mean anything, but they can give you a look at what a team is doing well, and what a team needs to continue working on.

The same thing can be said for statistics. Here are some of the numbers from tonight’s game, per ESPN.com, and what they mean:

Let’s start with the quarterback.

Alex Smith: 7-of-16 passing for 62 yards, 3.9 average.

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By the numbers, Smith did not have a good night. I could have told you that from just watching the game, but the numbers back it up as well. He did make a few accurate throws but they were mostly to the Anthony Fasano or Knile Davis. Running backs and tight ends? The “Captain Checkdown” nickname lives on for another week.

Knile Davis: 10 carries for 37 yards. 3.7 average long of 9.

Davis actually looked a lot better than these numbers indicate. He picked up a huge first down on a fourth down run, which came during the first drive mind you. He also displayed good patience and vision. He looked like a capable No. 2 running back.

Dexter McCluster: 1 reception for nine yards.

If Kansas City wants to have success in 2013, Andy Reid and his staff are going to have to find ways to get McCluster involved in the offense. This isn’t good enough, even for just one half.

Dwayne Bowe: 0 receptions, 1 target.

Unacceptable.

Jon Baldwin: 0 receptions, 3 targets. 

…

Sean Smith: 1 interception

Sean Smith looks like he can be a real game-changer for the Chiefs’ defense. He’s a big, lanky, physical corner who can make plays.

Dontari Poe: 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss

For a nose tackle playing half of the game? Those are great numbers. Poe is a star.

Quintin Demps: 2 kick returns, 132 yards, long of 104 yards, 1 touchdown

Devon Wylie: 2 kick returns, 47 yards, long of 30 yards, 2 punt returns, 61 yards, long of 52.

Chiefs’ Kick Return: 5 returns for 204 yards and one touchdown

Chiefs’ Punt Return: 5 returns for 61 yards.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The numbers speak for themselves here. Even with a punt blocked, Kansas City’s special teams has the chance to be great. This is an exciting unit.

Offensive overview: 12 first downs, 170 total yards, 2.8 yards per play, 98 yards passing.

This just won’t cut it, even for the preseason. Coach Reid has made his name as an offensive-minded coach, but we didn’t see it against the 49ers. Notice the 98 yards passing and 2.8 yards per play.

I’m not sure which stat is worse.

Turnovers: 0

This is a great stat, especially in the preseason.

Preseason Record: 0-2

This means nothing so don’t fixate on it. I’d worry more about those offensive numbers, and especially the lack of a passing game.