Chiefs' Smith proves why rookie Mahomes must wait his turn
We should have listened to Andy Reid.
The NFL community scoffed when Reid insisted Alex Smith would remain the starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, despite the emergence of rookie Patrick Mahomes.
General manager Brett Veach drew eye rolls when he said the same in support of Reid and Smith.
"Coach made a statement a few days back, there's no gray area: Alex is our quarterback," Veach said last week. "He's so far ahead of what Pat is. I don't think it's even close right now."
Kansas City traded up to the 10th pick of the draft to select the gunslinging quarterback, and Mahomes' exciting playing style captivated audiences during the preseason. But the Chiefs stuck to their guns.
On Thursday night, Smith showed why.
The veteran is often derided for his cautious approach (the nicknames "Checkdown Charlie" and "Captain Checkdown" come to mind). But, in Smith, the Chiefs have a quarterback they can trust. One that will be careful with the football, won't commit turnovers, and will throw the necessary deep ball when it's there - and only when it's there.
All of those facets of his game were on display in the 2017 season opener. It may not be sexy, but it gets results, and in a sport with only 16 games to determine playoff seedings, results matter the most.
Smith entered this season with the third-highest winning percentage among quarterbacks since 2011. His record was a sparkling 60-25-1 with a 1.5 percent interception rate.
Against the defending Super Bowl champions, Smith went 28 for 35 with 368 yards and four passing touchdowns. The numbers are spectacular, even if the manner in which he attained them was not.
For much of the evening, Smith opted for shovel passes and checkdowns, safe passes that got the job done and kept the ball in the Chiefs' possession. Yet, when the opportunity presented itself and a receiver was running free, Smith knew what to do with the ball.
Alex Smith.
- NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2017
Tyreek Hill.
BYE BYE.
75-yard @Chiefs TOUCHDOWN! #KCvsNE pic.twitter.com/3Lw5UyIzMh
Receiver Tyreek Hill possesses sprinter-like speed and therefore is among the greatest deep threats in the league. Yet, only after Hill had five yards of separation from the nearest defender did Smith take a shot downfield.
The result, a 75-yard score, was never in doubt. And that is classic Alex Smith. Take a chance only if the odds of it resulting in a negative play are minimal.
Smith threw four deep balls on the night. The first was an incompletion to tight end Travis Kelce. The second was the touchdown to Hill. The third?
Alex Smith out here putting on a SHOW.
- NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2017
And @Kareemhunt7 bringing the SPEED...@Chiefs TOUCHDOWN! #KCvsNE #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/ge6fAXEOx0
Again, Smith waited until rookie running back Kareem Hunt was behind two slow-footed linebackers before he lofted a deep ball right into his waiting arms. Hunt did the rest on the way to a back-breaking 78-yard score.
With an elite defense and a rookie rusher capable of 148 yards on the ground and another 98 as a catcher, the Chiefs don't need a gambler.
The backup pivot is often the most popular player on a given team, and Mahomes certainly fits the mold. But Smith remains Reid's ideal quarterback, one that won't take risks.
He may never again have a statistical output like he did Thursday night, but in one evening, Smith showed why he continues to control the Chiefs' present while Mahomes remains the quarterback of the future.
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