Five Chiefs To Watch Saturday Night

Aug 7, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) is called for holding against Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon Tate (19) in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

SEAN SMITH

Ron Parker has almost all but assured all of us he cannot handle a starting gig as an outside cover corner. In two games Parker has allowed three catches for 71 yards and a touchdown (according to PFF) and has been flagged multiple times for illegal contact. It would seem he is on his way back to a reserve role.

This leaves Sean Smith as the only viable option to start next to Marcus Cooper on the outside. The same Sean Smith who was benched in favor of Parker because Smith was not playing well enough to surpass him on the depth chart. (And I’m sure the DUI didn’t help much either.)

Kansas City absolutely needs Smith to be at least average this season; there’s no way around it. There is no one on the roster who can step in and give starter-quality snaps on the outside right now. And with an injury to Eric Berry already weakening the team’s secondary, the margin for error is almost nonexistent.

Smith doesn’t have to be spectacular on Saturday night, he just needs to prove he can be reliable. Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater are unlikely to be testing the Chiefs deep so Smith needs to show he can be a consistent tackler and can get to the ball quickly. Completions are going to happen but Smith can directly affect what happens after the ball is caught. Reducing yards after the catch is going to be key and is something I’ll be watching