The K.C. Chiefs: Thin In Wide Outs

Let’s start by doing a word association. I’ll say a word or two and you say the first thing that comes to mind. Okay? Here goes.

“ANDY REID”

Head Coach. Philadelphia. Kansas City. Mormon. Family man….

Alright, alright… that’s not really what I’m talking about. Shake it off… reset… let’s try again.

“ANDY REID OFFENSE”

West Coast. Lots of passing. QB developer. WR’s best friend.

Exactly, that’s more like it. So… what’s wrong with this picture?

Andy Reid’s 2014 offense and… “West Coast. Lots of passing. QB developer. WR’s best friend.” It begs (begs like Tiny Tim on a post-apocalyptic Christmas Eve) the burning question:

What’s wrong with this picture?

Where are all the wide receivers? That’s right, the 2014 Kansas City Chiefs are thin in wideouts.

Much is being made, and rightfully so, about the lack of production coming from the Kansas City Chiefs wideouts. Zero touchdowns through six games and counting. Several of us Arrowhead Addict writers visited the Chiefs back in training camp, and we were sure this group of wide receivers was improved from the 2013 corp, when in reality, as it turns out according to this year’s performances, they’re as thin as they’ve been in many a season.

So, you’ve guessed by now that this is not going to be a love fest for the Chiefs wideouts. It’s more of a chance to place each of them under the microscope, as well as the group collectively.

For the 2014 season, 37.5 percent is over, more than one-third of the way done until the playoffs. Let’s see how the Chiefs wide receiving corp is producing so far.

An important perspective about a player’s performance comes when compared to others in the league. Seven individual receivers in the NFL have gained more yards than all of the Chiefs wideouts put together. Chiefs wide receivers average eight receptions per game, or two per quarter. If the Chiefs average about two drives per quarter, then their wideouts average one reception per drive. That’s got to make defending Andy Reid’s offense pretty easy because up until now, even the Chiefs’ best WR, Dwayne Bowe, is looking pretty pedestrian. More importantly, he’s not producing like the “playmaker” they are paying him to be.

The Chiefs offense is averaging 388 total yards per game. Their wide receivers are averaging 128 yards per game leaving 260 yards gained by all other Chiefs offensive contributors. Put another way, their WRs are contributing a paltry 33 percent of all of the Chiefs offensive output.

In the age of the passing game, that is abysmal.