Alex Smith Has Been Really Good And Other Fun Stats
By Ben Nielsen
Nov 2, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) looks to the referee for a penalty during the second half against the New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
100.7.
No, this is not sack pace of Justin Houston.
No, this is not the amount of passes the Chiefs have dropped this season.
No, this is not the average yards per carry of Jamaal Charles.
100.7 would be the quarterback rating of Alex Smith when he throws the ball to Dwayne Bowe.
Bowe has been ‘receiving’ – no pun intended – a lot of heat for not putting up big numbers to go with his big contract. Through eight games he has zero touchdowns and has totaled only 398 receiving yards on 31 receptions. Not the type of numbers you’re hoping for from a guy with an eight figure paycheck.
What Bowe is doing is maintaining the efficiency of the offense. Only 10 receivers this season have been targeted at least 40 times and not allowed an interception. This list includes Larry Fitzgerald, Alshon Jeffery, and Randall Cobb.
Bowe has also be crucial in moving the chains. Slightly over 80% of his receptions has resulted in a first down (25 of 31), the best first down rate on the team. It’s also the fifth best rate of any wide receiver in the NFL who has at least 20 receptions this season. Basically, if the Chiefs need a first down from seven yards out or more, they’ve turned to Bowe to get the job done.
It is a little unfair to judge Bowe purely based on statistics because of the type of offense the Chiefs are trying to run and because of Andy Reid’s philosophy in how he’s trying to win games. Throwing the ball downfield a bunch of times a game is not something that fits what the Chiefs are trying to do, which puts a serious dent in Bowe’s numbers. In fact, Bowe has only been targeted twice this season on passes of 20 yards or more. It’s tough to rack up stats in that kind of offense.
Add in to all of this the presence of Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, and Travis Kelce. Those three have combined to score 15 of the Chiefs 22 offensive touchdowns this season. And remember the ‘Butt Touchdown’ from this week? That pass was intended for a wide open Bowe in the end zone before it miraculously ended up in Anthony Fasano’s hands. What’s Bowe supposed to do?
It would be interesting to see Bowe in a more open offense because the guy is pretty dangerous in space because he’s so hard to tackle. Look no further than the playoff game last year against the Colts when he racked up 150 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. The dude can play when he’s unleashed.