Alex Smith on pace for career year

We have heard plenty from the masses about Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith this year. Some have even called for Chase Daniel to take his spot as the starting quarterback.

When the team is expected to be good and then starts out 1-3, that will happen. It will really happen after you play like garbage in consecutive weeks on primetime television. In those games, Smith threw three interceptions and Kansas City lost both contests, leaving many fans with nothing but rage toward the signal-caller.

Yet, a quarter of the way through the season, and Alex Smith is putting up some serious yardage. If he were to continue his pace for the next 12 games, Smith would throw for 4,440 yards. His previous career high was in 2013, when he played 15 games and threw for 3,313. If Smith stays healthy, that number will be shattered.

Smith has also completed 65 percent of his passes, much higher than his 60 percent career completion rate and in line with last year’s 65.3 percent. Some will say that his completion rate is up because he is throwing short, but the numbers don’t back that up. Smith is averaging 7.76 yards per attempt, the second-highest mark of his career behind the 7.97 he put up in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Of course, the fly in the ointment is that Smith has only thrown four touchdowns with three interceptions. If that keeps up, we are looking at 16 touchdowns and 12 picks, something which would be unacceptable.

The point of all this? Smith has been chewing up yardage and throwing the ball down the field more than at any other time in his career. Maybe it is time to look beyond just Smith for Kansas City’s struggles, and start looking at the defense and coaching staff much more closely.