Chiefs 2015: Defending Alex Smith and looking at September

Dec 20, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (18) catches the ball as Washington Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland (26) defends in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

In the 2014 offseason, Kansas City quarterback coach Matt Nagy made it a point to have Smith “let it rip” in practice. At the start of preseason, we saw a little more. I had a good feeling, I felt comfortable that Smith would be able to do just that.

The the first game of 2014 was a disaster, with injuries left and right. The biggest thing was interceptions galore. Smith was playing more aggressively and threw a trio of interceptions. As we all know, the Chiefs receivers didn’t score a single touchdown, and many want to place the blame on Smith.

Well you know what? It is Smith’s fault, he is to blame. He witnessed the dismal performance of the receivers in the first game, and as the leader, he made a change. Smith went back to what is proven to work, and the Chiefs turned into one of the hottest teams in the league. But they still weren’t ready.

This year the line is rebuffed, so Smith will have more than half of a Mississippi to throw.

The number one receiver this year, Jeremy Maclin, was one of the most prolific receivers in football last year with over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.

I’d say Alex will be able to “let it rip” and not have to worry nearly as much this season.

My prediction of Smith is his completion percentage will go back down to around 60 percent from last season’s 65 percent, but his yards per attempt will go up by at least a yard.

Alex will pass for 3,900 yards (up from last season’s 3,200), and best of all and most importantly, his interceptions will stay the same.

Next: Predicting the start of the season...