Alex Smith Has Been Really Good And Other Fun Stats

Oct 26, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) drops back to pass during the second half against the St. Louis Rams at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 34-7. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Wanna know who has a 69.2 completion percentage, 10 touchdowns, one pick, and a 103 quarterback rating since week two?

Yeah, that’d be Alex Smith.

The $68 Million Man has been on fire since his implosion in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans, an implosion that had a massive assist from Andy Reid. And when you consider none of his wide receivers have a touchdown reception and that the Chiefs have attempted the second fewest pass in the NFL (Seattle has the least with three fewer attempts than the Chiefs), it makes his seven game stretch that much more impressive.

One of my favorite numbers for Smith right now is his accuracy percentage. Accuracy percentage eliminates drops, throw aways, batted passes, and spiked passes in an attempt to figure out how accurate a quarterbacks throws are to a wide receiver. It’s not a perfect stat but it is a solid one when trying to measure a quarterback’s accuracy.

Through nine weeks Smith leads the NFL with a staggering 82.2% accuracy percentage. Only Drew Brees cracks the 80-percent mark and he does it just barely at 80.7%.

You may be saying, ‘Yeah, but Alex never throws the ball downfield so his number is inflated.’ This is true to a degree. Smith has attempted only 11 passes of 20 or more air yards. But here’s the thing: Aaron Rodgers, he of the 78.2% accuracy percentage, has attempted only 19 of those same 20-plus yard passes.

Sure, Smith is not Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or whatever ‘elite’ quarterback you want to throw out there. But for the offense Andy Reid is trying to run, Smith is absolutely dominating it. He’s hyper accurate, doesn’t turn the ball over, and has found a way to keep the offense moving even though he has a weak offensive line and few play-making wide receivers.

If Smith keeps up this kind of efficiency the next few years then he’s a bargain at $68 million.