Chiefs are ignoring Brashard Smith while their offense keeps stalling

The Kansas City Chiefs are now a long shot to make the playoffs in the AFC. They're dropping like a stone in NFL Power Rankings, and it just doesn't seem like it's going to happen for them this season. So it's time for the team to take stock of what they have on their roster and what pieces should be brought back next season. One place where most people agree that the Chiefs need to improve is at running back. While 30-year-old Kareem Hunt has given them some good production at times this year, they need a long-term solution.

Isiah Pacheco has been a fan favorite for several years now, but his personality and effort can only take him so far. His production just doesn't meet the level of a starting-caliber back, and it's looking more and more like KC should let him walk this offseason. The Chiefs recently brought in former Houston Texan Dameon Pierce, but there's no guarantee KC will put him on the field. Free-agent signing Elijah Mitchell hasn't been able to sniff the field despite getting a solid contract from the Chiefs last offseason.

The Chiefs do have one young back on the roster and have even felt confident enough to play him over Mitchell despite being just a rookie. That player, of course, is seventh-round draft pick Brashard Smith. Smith has received at least one offensive touch in 10 of KC's 12 games this season. However, he has only topped four offensive touches twice this season. He had seven touches in KC's 37-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 and then 19 touches in their 31-0 blowout of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Chiefs need to find out what they have in Brashard Smith before deciding what they need to do at running back.

If you take away the 14 carries against the Raiders, Smith is averaging just 1.4 carries per game. Even with the Raiders game, he's only averaging 2.4 carries per game. In other words, the Chiefs just haven't been willing to give Smith actual carries to prove what he can do running the ball. Smith has been used primarily as a passing-down back/hybrid receiver. In fact, Smith has two or more receptions in six games this season.

Smith actually has more receptions on the season than both Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, who both have double the total offensive snaps he has. He also has more receptions than Noah Gray and Tyquan Thornton, who also both have double the offensive snaps Smith has. So Smith has shown that he can be efficient with the pass-catching reps that he gets. He just needs more reps to really show what he can do.

Smith also has 13 kick returns on the season, averaging 27.3 yards per return. That average is higher than that of both Nikko Remigio (25.9) and Tyquan Thornton (26.2), who have been KC's primary return men through most of the season. So this is yet another area where Smith has flashed some upside but hasn't really been given a chance to prove what he can do.

There is certainly no guarantee that Brashard Smith will become an impact player in the NFL. However, the Chiefs need help at running back, need more explosive playmakers in the passing game, and could use more big plays on special teams. Smith has the potential to help in all three of these areas if KC would just make an effort to get him more involved.

Obviously, the Chiefs coaching staff sees Smith in practice every day and knows him better than fans (or bloggers) do, but at some point, you have to get young players on the field in real games and see how they respond. A couple of occasional touches here and there aren't enough to really find out what Smith is capable of, and it would certainly be nice to find that out before the offseason rolls around.

The Chiefs may still be in the hunt for a playoff spot, but their chances are dwindling. However, there is a case to be made that Smith could help KC in some of the areas where they are currently struggling. So even if you are wanting the Chiefs to do everything they can to try and fight back into the playoff picture, there is still a strong case for Brashard Smith getting more playing time. The Chiefs may not think he has what it takes as a between-the-tackles runner, but Smith had 274 offensive touches his senior year in college, and his 4.39 forty speed could help the Chiefs with their abysmal explosive rush rate.

Kareem Hunt has been KC's clear best back this season, but they can't give him 25–30 touches per game and expect him to hold up. Isiah Pacheco is a fun player to cheer for, but the more we see of him, the more it becomes clear he isn't the long-term answer. Who knows when Dameon Pierce will have enough of the offense down for this coaching staff to trust him with touches. So why not give the rookie an extended look and see if he has what it takes to be part of the running back rotation next season? There just really isn't a good argument to be made against it at this point.