Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Albert Wilson (12) runs after a catch as Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay (22) and inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons (94) chase during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
So here we are; halfway through the season, sitting third in the division (behind the Raiders no less) and precariously holding on to our “in the hunt” status in playoff previews everywhere. Overall, I think it’s pretty safe to say the Kansas City Chiefs as a whole have underperformed thus far. And when you have an underperforming team, you tend to have some underperforming players.
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Whether it be a good player performing mediocre, or a great player only playing well, these are a few of the Chiefs who haven’t lived up to expectations.
Albert Wilson
I was firmly in the camp that believed Wilson was ready to grab hold of the Chiefs number two receiver spot heading into the season; alas, that just has not been the case through these first eight games. With Jeremy Maclin giving the Chiefs a legitimate number one receiver, a hole at the number two spot diminishes the effect he can have on this offense. Defenses are able to roll coverage, and limit the damage Maclin’s able to downfield.
On the positive side, Wilson has shown some signs of life in the last few games and seems to be slowly gaining the confidence from Alex Smith. It would be a huge boon to the offense if that carries through to the second half of the season, and would give Maclin more space to make plays.
Donald Stephenson
Whereas Wilson looks as though he’ll have the opportunity to turn his season around, Stephenson’s shot at redemption is seemingly a long ways off.
Stephenson was given a golden opportunity this season – a chance to prove his worth as a starting left tackle in a contract year – but just couldn’t capitalize on it. His play regressed every week after a solid outing in Houston, and culminated in an abysmal performance against the Bears, where he looked incredibly out of his depth. To top it all off, when injuries opened up a spot at right tackle, his old position, he was passed over for Jah Reid. Talk about a vote of confidence from the coaching staff….
Stephenson’s inability to live up to expectations really hurt this team during the five game losing skid, and as things stand now, Stephenson may have very well started his last game as a Kansas City Chief.
Next: How about the defense?