Alex Smith: Chiefs fans thinking the sky is falling is ‘a bit crazy’

Former K.C. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has some advice for Chiefs Kingdom—or at least those who are worried that the sky is falling or that the defense can’t get it done. Basically, Smith says to tap the brakes.

In the wake of the Chiefs’ shocking loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, it’s easy to wonder how in the world the defense could be this poor. Through two weeks, two straight teams have basically done whatever they wanted offensively for the majority of the game, and while the Chiefs are very close to 2-0, they’re also that close to being 0-2.

However, Smith says fans shouldn’t worry over the state of the team at all, since the teams the Chiefs have faced are serious contenders with loads of talent. In a recent interview on the Arrowhead Addict podcast, Smith gave us some helpful perspective by adding that the Ravens, in particular, are a difficult team to prepare for, and they entered the game with more motivation than anyone should have in just the second week of the season.

“Well I think that’s a bit crazy,” said Smith when told that some fans are worried the sky is falling. “[They’re] one fluke fumble away from being 2-0 against two playoff teams. The second one was on the road last night in a hostile environment. Like I said, one play, one fluke play, and everybody being really happy at this point.”

Specifically, Smith references his trust in both defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the defensive leaders on that side to right the ship.

“I think knowing what kind of leader Spags is, knowing the kind of leader Tyrann Mathieu is on that side of the ball, I think they’re going to get it figured out. I think you do have to give a lot of credit to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. They lost opening week. It was a must-win game for them. I don’t know if you guys saw in the locker room post-game, John Harbaugh and his comments…that was about as big as a must-win game you get in week 2 ever in the NFL. They really had their backs up against the wall, which is crazy to say two weeks in.”

When it comes down to it, Smith says the game itself was a rare sort of moment on the schedule for K.C. considering the talent, the rare scheme, the desperation for Baltimore, and more. Smith acknowledges the needs on defense, but believes things will be fine.

“I don’t think it’s cause for overreaction in Kansas City,” he says. “I think Spags and that side of the ball are going to get it figured out. And I think the offense is so good that really the defensive side of the ball needs to be opportunistic. They need to make plays here and there. They need to make stops, create turnovers. I think you saw that last night. I don’t think that it wasn’t there.

“I think they were playing a really good unit on offense with Lamar, a very unique offense. They’re hard to prepare for, the Ravens. They play a style and an offensive scheme that nobody else in the NFL plays, so I don’t thinks it’s cause for overreaction. I think it’s early on. I want to see improvement over the course of the season, week in and week out, from that defensive side. I think that’s going to be far more telling come December and January than anything else.”

Alex joined the Arrowhead Addict podcast on behalf of Gatorade. He is working with them to get the word out about the new Gx Sweat Patch and App. The Gx Sweat Patch is a first-to-market wearable that unlocks athletes’ unique sweat profile to inform their personalized hydration strategies that can help drive performance. The Gx Sweat Patch connects to the free Gx app so you can see your results, along with science-backed insights and recommendations from GSSI that are customized to you. Think of it like having a personal sport scientist in your pocket.