Skip to main content
Advertising

Around the League

Presented By

Alex Smith throwing deep balls for Kansas City Chiefs

It's a fool's task to make assumptions about NFL offenses based on anything we see before training camp, but the hints exist.

Take the Kansas City Chiefs, for example. Wednesday's organized team activity session was highlighted by a "barrage of big passing plays" from quarterback Alex Smith to his wide receivers, the Kansas City Star reported. That's not something we've seen out from the Chiefs in recent days, but new coach Andy Reid is digging in.

"We're just kind of continuing to press to see what we can do ... finding out what we're capable of," Smith said. "You've got to find that out at some point. This is what the practice field is for."

Smith led the NFL in completion percentage last season with the San Francisco 49ers, but he threw the ball deep only 19 times during his 10 appearances. He tossed just 43 deep balls during his 16 starts in 2011. Over two seasons, Smith connected on 42 percent of those throws, not exactly record-setting numbers.

Take into account that Aaron Rodgers launched it deep 62 times last year; Peyton Manning a whopping 72 times. Smith never has been used this way because it's never been his strength.

The Chiefs traded for Smith because they believe he can operate as a complete quarterback after the 49ers felt differently. If Smith hoped for a chance to prove the 49ers wrong, he'll have one come September.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content