The Kansas City Chiefs have won themselves into first place. Can quarterback Alex Smith shake off the rust this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith likes to play the game safe. He likes short passes, maybe testing the defense a few times during a game with the long ball, but he likes to keep things close. For example, Smith is averaging 6.4 yards per pass attempt, while Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons averages 8.9 yards per attempt.
The game against the Indianapolis Colts saw Smith get knocked out of the game, twice. This led to backup Nick Foles getting to start the next week, but even he did not fair too well in the passing game. Against Jacksonville, Foles only managed 5.7 yards per attempt, but the Chiefs won just the same.
Chiefs Kingdom was glad to have their signal-caller back in the lineup against the Panthers, a good defensive team. However, instead of the usual Smith we are used to he uncharacteristically was missing open receivers, throwing garbage, and a rare interception by the opposing defense. Was this performance the result of the hits he suffered two weeks before?
So now the question remains, can Smith shake off the rust to face the Bucs?