The 2014 season for the Kansas City Chiefs had its ups and downs. After a rough start, they appeared to have turned it around before dropping winnable games late. With this said, the season can’t be deemed a complete loss. In Andy Reid’s second season, the Chiefs once again had a winning record and were a few plays away from making the playoffs. In this article, I’ll examine the 2014 Chiefs offense to grade the key contributors.
Quarterbacks (C+) – Alex Smith’s conservative play, where there is little threat of a vertical attack, continued to draw ire from Chiefs’ fans. It wasn’t necessarily a terrible season, as he put up a pedestrian 3265 yards and 18 touchdowns. However, not all the blame can be put on Smith, who simply didn’t have very many weapons. Backup Chase Daniel appears to be on the way out, mainly due to an expensive contract for a backup quarterback. Daniel’s veteran leadership and performance in the final game may suggest otherwise, but the many other glaring needs show there are better ways to spend the money. Both Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray didn’t see the field, as they look to be more of developmental projects.
Running backs (B) – Despite the running game being the most threatening aspect of the Chiefs’ offense, they simply didn’t use it enough. Star Jamaal Charles only broke the 100 yard rushing mark once this season and wasn’t as involved in the passing game as he was last year. Backup Knile Davis continued to show signs of improvement in his young career, as the Chiefs appeared to become more confident in his ball carrying ability. Charles is fully expected to back next season as the lead back with him signed through the 2017 season.
Fullback (A) – The lone fullback on the team, Anthony Sherman, proved once again his brilliance at the little recognized position. Although he got snubbed for the Pro Bowl, Sherman showed his worth not only in the running game, but also on special teams.
#Chiefs FB Anthony Sherman is second-team AP All-Pro. Well deserved after inexplicably missing out on the Pro Bowl.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) January 2, 2015
Wide Receivers (D) – Before even starting on the receiving core, there is no hiding the fact that not a single Chiefs’ receiver caught a touchdown this season. While this can definitely be partially attributed to the personnel and play-calling, it is still an embarrassing statistic. Number one receiver Dwayne Bowe is a candidate to be cut after another underwhelming season. Bowe caught 60 passes for 754 yards and is owed $11 million for next year. The 31-year old struggled to create space on multiple occasions. Opportunities were everywhere with this unit, especially after Donnie Avery went down. Guys like AJ Jenkins and Junior Hemingway weren’t able to seize this opportunity. The lone bright spot in this position appeared to be undrafted free agent Albert Wilson. The speedy youngster was able to provide a downfield threat late in the season. Look for the Chiefs to either draft a receiver early or possibly try to sign a free agent (Josh Gordon?).
Tight End (B+) – The tight end position appeared to be one of the steady spots on a rather unimpressive offensive unit. Travis Kelce emerged as the top receiving option, recording 67 grabs for 862 yards and 5 touchdowns. While this was what the Chiefs’ expected when they drafted him and he showed similarities of the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski, immaturity continues to be an issue. Veteran Anthony Fasano also had some nice moments in pass-catching situations, producing 4 touchdowns. Going forward, this appears to be looking like a consistent spot for Kelce to take over.
Minnesota TE Maxx Williams would make a hell of a duo with Travis Kelce. Young player with good athleticism.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) January 1, 2015
Tackles (C-) – Former number one pick, left tackle Eric Fisher, had an up-and-down year. He showed signs of why he was drafted so early, but also proved to be incompetent at times. On the other side at right tackle, Ryan Harris took control of the position after Donald Stephenson was suspended for the first four games for violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, but that doesn’t say a lot as he faced little competition. Stephenson appeared to be in the dog house for most of the season. Assuming Stephenson is able to regain the trust of the Chiefs’ coaching staff, he should be able to replace the ineffective Harris.
Guards (C-) – The left guard position was ravaged by injury after Jeff Allen was lost for the entire season in the opening game. Veteran Mike McGlynn took over and for the most part, was completely overmatched. The Right guard position was handled by rookie Zach Fulton for the entire season. Despite Fulton struggling towards the end of the season, he clearly proved to contain the potential to man the position for years to come.
Center (B+) – Coming into the season, some may have questioned how much faith the Chiefs’ truly had in Rodney Hudson after drafting Eric Kush with a 6th round selection. However, Hudson proved to easily be the Chiefs’ best offensive lineman this past season. The former Florida State Seminole looks to be a starter for years to come.
Follow me on Twitter @_BrandonOgle
