Chiefs-Broncos snap counts: Tyquan Thornton outproduces playing time

With AFC positioning at stake on Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs recorded a 22-19 road loss to the Denver Broncos.

Let’s look at how Kansas City used its players.

Starters (offensive): WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, TE Travis Kelce, LT Josh Simmons, LG Kingsley Suamataia, C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, RT Jawaan Taylor, WR Xavier Worthy, WR Rashee Rice, QB Patrick Mahomes and RB Kareem Hunt.

Starters (defensive): DE George Karlaftis, DL Jerry Tillery, DT Chris Jones, LB Leo Chenal, LB Nick Bolton, LB Drue Tranquill, DB Trent McDuffie, CB Jaylen Watson, CB Christian Roland-Wallace, S Bryan Cook and S Chamarri Conner.

Did not play: QB Gardner Minshew.

Inactive: CB Joshua Williams, RB Isiah Pacheco, WR Jalen Royals, TE Jared Wiley and OL Hunter Nourzad.

The big takeaway

The availability of every Chiefs’ wide receiver has pushed receiver Tyquan Thornton down the depth chart — especially since wide receiver Rashee Rice returned in Week 7. In Denver, Rice and Xavier Worthy led the wide receivers by playing 76% of the offensive snaps. Hollywood Brown played 43% of snaps, while JuJu Smith-Schuster was on the field for 34% of the time. Thornton ranked fifth with 23%.

Kansas City ran 48 pass plays against the Broncos; Thornton had the fifth-fewest snaps (14) at his position. He ended the game with fewer targets (2) than the three primary receivers, but led the room in receiving yards with 61 on one catch. The rest of the group combined for 103 yards over 18 targets.

Thornton was on the field for 29% of the Chiefs’ pass plays, the lowest rate in any game this season outside of the Week 8 win over the Washington Commanders.

Even after the bye week, Thornton is still just a role player — even though he looks the part of a receiver that should run more routes and see more passes. The 61-yard reception against Denver was a major play that helped keep the Chiefs alive late in the game — and on an earlier target, he was inches away from a long reception that fell incomplete.

Offensive takeaways

Starting running back Isiah Pacheco missed the Week 11 contest in Denver. The Chiefs handled his absence differently than in Week 9’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. Behind running back Kareem Hunt in the lead role, Elijah Mitchell was active on gameday for the first time this season; rookie running back Brashard Smith continued to man a niche role in the offense.

The different approach did nothing but increase the reliance on Hunt: he was on the field for every running play called. His rate on passing plays was slightly reduced, which is how Mitchell collected five snaps.

In his debut, the Chiefs did not call one running play for Mitchell. In his prime with the San Francisco 49ers, Mitchell showed an ability to generate explosive runs. Why hasn’t he been given that opportunity in Kansas City?

Defensive takeaways

In Denver, defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace continued his ascension in the Chiefs’ rotation of secondary players.

He was on the field for 56% of the defensive snaps, including 60% of the passing plays. That was the highest rate he’s recorded in each category this season. As time has passed, he has clearly earned enough trust to have a role when more than four defensive backs are needed.

Roland-Wallace’s recent uptick in playing time coincides with second-year safety Jaden Hicks’ reduction in snaps. Over the last two games, 2024’s fourth-round pick seen his least use of the year.

He is especially mistrusted on running plays; he played just one snap against the run in each of the last two losses.

Data

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

All Snaps

Editor’s Note: Arrowhead Pride obtains snap count data from the NFL’s game stats and information system, which allows us to break out snap counts by run or pass on offensive and defensive plays. Because GSIS data ignores plays that were nullified by penalties, total offensive and defensive snap counts will vary from other sources, which get their data from NFL Gamebooks

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