Kansas City Chiefs’ snap counts help tell story of Sunday’s win over Los Angeles Rams
The Chiefs continued to roll along Sunday, beating the Los Angeles Rams 26-10 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City racked up 437 yards of total offense, marking the Chiefs’ fifth straight game with more than 400 net yards from the NFL’s top offensive unit.
The Chiefs’ defense limited the Rams to 198 yards of total offense and recorded three sacks and five quarterback hits.
“I thought it ended up being a good game for us, a good win for us,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Coming off a big game, a big AFC West game against the Chargers, and our guys powered through that and the week and Thanksgiving, the whole deal.
“So it was a good win to get, and then plus knowing that we’ve got the (Cincinnati) Bengals sitting right here up next.”
The Chiefs improved to 9-2 with plenty of momentum for Week 13’s showdown on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game.
Here’s how the Chiefs’ snap counts worked out in Week 12:
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (76), Chad Henne (did not play)
Mahomes continues to make a case for the NFL’s MVP award after recording his 59th career win in 74 starts, a mark that broke a tie with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Ken Stabler (58) for the most wins in a quarterback’s first 75 starts.
The Chiefs’ quarterback finished the game completing 27 of 42 passes, connecting with 10 different receivers for 320 yards and a touchdown with an interception. The yardage represented the seventh time this season Mahomes has thrown for 300-plus yards.
“Pat had another big night with 300-plus yards,” Reid said. “We kind of take those for granted, but look, not easy to do.”
Mahomes added 36 yards rushing on four carries.
RUNNING BACKS: Isiah Pacheco (39, 3 on special teams), Jerick McKinnon (26, 5 on special teams), Ronald Jones (11), fullback Michael Burton (11 on ST)
Pacheco has settled in as the starter, totaling 69 yards rushing and a touchdown on 22 carries. He added a catch for 17 yards.
Jones made his season debut after being a healthy inactive the previous 10 games. He rushed for 12 yards on four carries and had a catch for 22 yards.
McKinnon didn’t record a carry but hauled in three catches for 26 yards.
As a team, the Chiefs pounded out 117 yards on 30 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Justin Watson (64, 4 on ST), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (44), Skyy Moore (35, 1 on ST), JuJu Smith-Schuster (29), Cornell Powell (2, 8 on ST)
Moore recorded 36 yards receiving on a team-high five catches. But the rookie muffed a punt in the first quarter, his third such gaffe this season. The Chiefs turned to Watson in their next punt-return situation and the veteran made a clean fair catch. Watson contributed two catches for 26 yards on offense.
Reid indicated Monday that the Chiefs will continue to search for their best answer at the punt returner spot.
Valdes-Scantling had four catches for a position group-high 56 yards, while Smith-Schuster returned after missing Week 11 and recorded three catches for 38 yards.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (63), Noah Gray (50, 15 on ST), Jody Fortson (17, 15 on ST)
Kelce had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. He now has a career-high 12 touchdown receptions this season, besting his previous mark of 11 in the 2020 season.
Gray contributed two catches for 16 yards while Fortson had two catches for 26 yards.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Trey Smith (76, 6 on ST), Creed Humphrey (76, 6 on ST), Orlando Brown Jr. (76, 6 on ST), Andrew Wylie (76, 6 on ST), Nick Allegretti (76, 6 on ST), Prince Tega Wanogho (6 on ST), Lucas Niang (6 on ST), Darian Kinnard (did not play)
The Chiefs’ front five had a shaky start: Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald recorded two tackles and a quarterback hit on the Chiefs’ first offensive series.
But the offensive line rallied after that series and kept Mahomes clean. The Rams didn’t record a sack in the game and totaled just two quarterback hits. The interior of the Chiefs’ line, consisting of Allegretti, Humphrey and Smith, clamped down on Donald and limited him to a single tackle the rest of the way.
Allegretti drew the start at left guard in place of Joe Thuney, who was inactive with an ankle injury.
“It was good to get Allegretti in there playing,” Reid said. “I thought he did a nice job, as did the offensive line.”
DEFENSIVE LINE: Chris Jones (47), Frank Clark (43), George Karlaftis (37, 2 on ST), Mike Danna (33, 2 on ST),Carlos Dunlap (20), Khalen Saunders (15, 2 on ST), Derrick Nnadi (13, 2 on ST), Taylor Stallworth (7)
Jones recorded a sack on Rams quarterback Bryce Perkins, the sixth straight game in which he’s tallied at least half a sack. Jones now has a team-high 10 sacks this season.
Karlaftis produced his first full sack of the season, while Danna totaled a team-high two quarterback hits. Dunlap had three tackles and a pass defensed.
Clark paced the position group with six tackles, adding a quarterback hit and a pass defensed.
“The defensive front, I thought, played well — strong — against the run and the pass,” Reid said.
LINEBACKERS: Nick Bolton (54, 2 on ST), Willie Gay Jr. (47), Darius Harris (5, 7 on ST), Leo Chenal (18 on ST), Jack Cochrane (17 on ST)
Bolton made 11 tackles, marking the second straight game in which he’s recorded double-digit takedowns. He currently has a team-high 106 tackles this season. Bolton also recorded an interception for a second straight game.
Gay had five tackles, including a tackle for a loss, while Harris made an assist.
On special teams, Chenal had an assist and Cochrane notched a tackle.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Justin Reid (54, 2 on ST), Trent McDuffie (54, 2 on ST), Joshua Williams (54, 14 on ST), L’Jarius Sneed (49), Bryan Cook (47, 3 on ST), Deon Bush (10, 17 on ST), Jaylen Watson (5), Chris Lammons (18 on ST), Zayne Anderson (16 on ST), Nazeeh Johnson (7 on ST)
Sneed briefly left the game to be evaluated for a concussion but checked out OK and returned to make seven tackles, an interception and two passes defensed.
Cook started in place of Juan Thornhill, who was inactive with a calf injury, and tallied two tackles and his first career sack.
Reid chipped in three tackles, Williams had two tackles and defended a pass and Bush contributed a tackle on special teams.
The Chiefs’ pass defense didn’t allow a Rams receiver to top 30 yards receiving Sunday.
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (13), Tommy Townsend (7), James Winchester (7)
Butker made four field goals and converted two extra points. His right leg accounted for 14 of the Chiefs’ 26 points.
Townsend punted once for 49 yards, a ball that landed inside the Rams’ 20-yard line.
