Chiefs’ Week 3 Snap Counts vs. Giants: Nohl Williams’ increased playing time is leading to a great Trent McDuffie trend
A positive trend is forming on the defensive side of the ball for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs got in the win column on Sunday night with a 22-9 victory over the New York Giants.
With three games under their belt, some trends are starting to form for Kansas City. We’re also seeing some distinct changes the team has made to lead to more success on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball after starting the season 0-2.
What exactly are those changes? Below you’ll find analysis and a look at how the snaps played out in Week 3. Snap counts via the NFL Game Stats & Information System.
Chiefs’ Week 3 snap counts vs. the Giants on “Sunday Night Football”
| Player (Pos) | Offense | Defense | Special Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| C C. Humphrey | 72 (100%) | 6 (29%) | |
| T K. Suamataia | 72 (100%) | 6 (29%) | |
| G T. Smith | 72 (100%) | 6 (29%) | |
| QB P. Mahomes | 72 (100%) | ||
| T J. Taylor | 72 (100%) | ||
| T J. Simmons | 66 (92%) | 6 (29%) | |
| WR T. Thornton | 55 (76%) | ||
| TE T. Kelce | 53 (74%) | ||
| WR J. Smith-Schuster | 50 (69%) | ||
| TE N. Gray | 49 (68%) | 7 (33%) | |
| WR M. Brown | 49 (68%) | ||
| RB I. Pacheco | 40 (56%) | ||
| RB K. Hunt | 32 (44%) | ||
| TE R. Tonyan | 10 (14%) | 8 (38%) | |
| RB B. Smith | 8 (11%) | 3 (14%) | |
| WR J. Brownlee | 7 (10%) | 5 (24%) | |
| OL J. Moore | 6 (8%) | 6 (29%) | |
| WR N. Remigio | 5 (7%) | 5 (24%) | |
| OL M. Caliendo | 2 (3%) | 6 (29%) | |
| DB C. Conner | 66 (100%) | 7 (33%) | |
| LB N. Bolton | 66 (100%) | 2 (10%) | |
| CB J. Watson | 66 (100%) | ||
| CB T. McDuffie | 66 (100%) | ||
| DT C. Jones | 61 (92%) | ||
| DE G. Karlaftis | 59 (89%) | 2 (10%) | |
| LB D. Tranquill | 52 (79%) | 2 (10%) | |
| DB J. Hicks | 51 (77%) | 10 (48%) | |
| DE C. Omenihu | 38 (58%) | ||
| DE A. Gillotte | 37 (56%) | 3 (14%) | |
| S B. Cook | 36 (55%) | 2 (10%) | |
| LB L. Chenal | 31 (47%) | 10 (48%) | |
| CB C. Roland-Wallace | 30 (45%) | 13 (62%) | |
| DT O. Norman-Lott | 22 (33%) | ||
| DB N. Williams | 19 (29%) | 10 (48%) | |
| DL J. Tillery | 12 (18%) | 2 (10%) | |
| DT D. Nnadi | 12 (18%) | 2 (10%) | |
| DE M. Herring | 2 (3%) | ||
| CB J. Williams | 15 (71%) | ||
| LB J. Cochrane | 15 (71%) | ||
| LB J. Bassa | 13 (62%) | ||
| LB C. McDonald | 13 (62%) | ||
| K H. Butker | 11 (52%) | ||
| DB K. Knowles | 11 (52%) | ||
| LS J. Winchester | 9 (43%) | ||
| P M. Araiza | 9 (43%) | ||
| OL W. Morris | 6 (29%) |
Chiefs’ Tyquan Thornton takes the lead in wide receiver snaps
In Week 1, it was Hollywood Brown who stepped up for the wide receiver room when Xavier Worthy went down with injury. In Week 2, it was an even distribution of Brown, Tyquan Thornton, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. In Week 3’s win over the Giants, it was Thornton who took the reins and made the most of his opportunities at wide receiver. He took advantage with five receptions on nine targets for 71 yards and a touchdown, coming up with one of the biggest plays of the game in the fourth quarter.
Josh Simmons misses time for the second consecutive game
Simmons left the Week 2 game against the Eagles for a series due to what Andy Reid described as dehydration. In Week 3 against the Giants, Simmons went out with about 2.5 minutes left to go in the fourth quarter. Jaylon Moore replaced him for six snaps, including three kneel-downs from Patrick Mahomes to end the game. You might have also noticed Mike Caliendo in the game as an extra blocker, aligning outside the tackle on two snaps. It remains to be seen why Simmons was taken out of the game, but it’s certainly something to monitor heading into Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Nohl Williams is giving us the best version of Trent McDuffie
Nohl Williams set a new career high for defensive snaps with 19, but the most positive part of this trend is how it’s impacting CB Trent McDuffie. After playing just under two dozen snaps in the slot during the first two weeks of the season, McDuffie played 17 snaps in the slot in Week 3 against the New York. McDuffie is the team’s best defender from the slot, so with Jaylen Watson and Nohl Williams emerging on the outside, McDuffie should continue to see more work in the slot. Williams, Watson, and McDuffie combined to allow just three targets and one reception to the former No. 6 overall 2024 NFL draft pick, Giants WR Malik Nabers.
Quick Hitting Observations:
- Isiah Pacheco took a slight lead in the backfield snaps in Week 3 against the Giants. This should come as no surprise, as he returned home to play in New Jersey. He and Kareem Hunt essentially rotated every other series.
- Jaylen Watson played 100% of the defensive snaps for the first time this season.
- Chris Roland-Wallace played 30 defensive snaps, the most in a single game this season. He also recorded his second career interception in the process.
- Malik Herring played just two snaps in Week 3, while Charles Omenihu and Ashton Gillotte both saw their snap counts rise to compensate for Mike Danna’s injury absence.
- Still no defensive snaps for rookie LBs Jeffrey Bassa or Cooper McDonald, as well as rookie CB Kevin Knowles (practice squad elevation).
Kansas City Chiefs News
Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice takes one step closer toward making his return to the football field following suspension and 2024 injury
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice still has three more games left on his suspension, but he’ll make a critical step forward this week.
