Chiefs’ Week 5 Snap Counts vs. Jaguars: Lack of playing time for Nohl Williams and Brashard Smith among biggest failures
The Chiefs’ failures in the personnel department were glaring in the Week 5 loss to the Jaguars.
The Kansas City Chiefs dropped their third game of the 2025 NFL season, falling to 2-3 overall with a 31-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on “Monday Night Football.”
Penalties were a massive problem in Week 5 against the Jags, but the personnel mistakes were just as prominent in the snap counts. Namely, the team failed to utilize two of their most promising rookies in a tight game where both of them could’ve contributed more.
Below you’ll find analysis and a look at how the snaps played out in Week 5. Snap data via the NFL Game Stats & Information System.
| Position & Player | Offense Snaps (%) | Defense Snaps (%) | ST Snaps (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C C. Humphrey | 64 (100%) | – | 4 (15%) |
| T J. Simmons | 64 (100%) | – | 4 (15%) |
| T K. Suamataia | 64 (100%) | – | 4 (15%) |
| G T. Smith | 64 (100%) | – | 4 (15%) |
| QB P. Mahomes | 64 (100%) | – | – |
| T J. Taylor | 64 (100%) | – | – |
| TE T. Kelce | 51 (80%) | – | – |
| WR X. Worthy | 49 (77%) | – | – |
| WR J. Smith-Schuster | 42 (66%) | – | – |
| RB I. Pacheco | 40 (62%) | – | – |
| TE N. Gray | 36 (56%) | – | 5 (19%) |
| WR M. Brown | 33 (52%) | – | – |
| WR T. Thornton | 29 (45%) | – | – |
| RB K. Hunt | 21 (33%) | – | – |
| TE R. Tonyan | 9 (14%) | – | 10 (38%) |
| RB B. Smith | 6 (9%) | – | 6 (23%) |
| WR J. Royals | 4 (6%) | – | 6 (23%) |
| LB N. Bolton | – | 58 (100%) | 6 (23%) |
| DB C. Conner | – | 58 (100%) | 5 (19%) |
| CB T. McDuffie | – | 58 (100%) | 1 (4%) |
| CB J. Watson | – | 56 (97%) | – |
| LB D. Tranquill | – | 52 (90%) | 6 (23%) |
| S B. Cook | – | 52 (90%) | 5 (19%) |
| DT C. Jones | – | 48 (83%) | – |
| DE G. Karlaftis | – | 44 (76%) | 6 (23%) |
| LB L. Chenal | – | 35 (60%) | 17 (65%) |
| DB J. Hicks | – | 34 (59%) | 17 (65%) |
| DE C. Omenihu | – | 31 (53%) | – |
| DL J. Tillery | – | 26 (45%) | 6 (23%) |
| DE A. Gillotte | – | 25 (43%) | – |
| DT D. Nnadi | – | 22 (38%) | 6 (23%) |
| DE M. Danna | – | 18 (31%) | 6 (23%) |
| CB C. Roland-Wallace | – | 11 (19%) | 16 (62%) |
| DT M. Tuipulotu | – | 6 (10%) | – |
| DB N. Williams | – | 4 (7%) | 21 (81%) |
| CB J. Williams | – | – | 22 (85%) |
| LB J. Cochrane | – | – | 21 (81%) |
| LB J. Bassa | – | – | 16 (62%) |
| LB C. McDonald | – | – | 16 (62%) |
| K H. Butker | – | – | 9 (35%) |
| LS J. Winchester | – | – | 8 (31%) |
| WR N. Remigio | – | – | 8 (31%) |
| P M. Araiza | – | – | 8 (31%) |
| WR J. Brownlee | – | – | 5 (19%) |
| OL J. Moore | – | – | 4 (15%) |
| OL M. Caliendo | – | – | 4 (15%) |
| OL W. Morris | – | – | 4 (15%) |
Nohl Williams’ lack of snaps will leave Chiefs fans furious
The Chiefs have Nohl Williams, one of the best rookie cornerbacks in football by the numbers, but they failed to use him in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played just four defensive snaps on Monday night, his lowest mark in a game where he played any defensive snaps at all. Williams also played his highest percentage of special teams snaps in Week 5, and the most special teams snaps he’d played in a single week since Week 1, when he didn’t play a single defensive snap.
Chiefs CB Nohl Williams’ Special Teams Snaps By Week
- Week 1: 20 (80%)
- Week 2: 13 (54%)
- Week 3: 10 (48%)
- Week 4: 13 (50%)
- Week 5: 21 (81%)
CB Kevin Knowles had been playing on special teams, but the team was in a numbers crunch this week in that phase of the game with Knowles out of standard elevations from the practice squad. You’d think that work would go to Jason Brownlee or Jalen Royals, but Williams was ultimately required to play a higher percentage of special teams snaps, which took him away from some defensive work.
Another explanation for Williams’ lack of work on defense? Chamarri Conner, a Jacksonville native, played 100% of the defensive snaps, including a lot of snaps in the slot. He was in the slot on the third-and-13 penalty that gave the Jaguars a fresh set of downs on the one-yard line.
Chiefs RB Brashard Smith needs more than six offensive snaps per game
Chiefs rookie RB Brashard Smith played just six snaps on offense and six snaps on special teams on Monday night. He would’ve had a 63-yard kick return if not for a holding penalty, but his explosiveness and elusiveness are apparent, and needed on the offensive side of the ball.
The Chiefs’ longest play of the day on offense against the Jaguars went for 34 yards. They lack explosive plays on offense, and aside from Xavier Worthy, he’s the one with the skill set to provide them consistently to the offense. They’re bringing the rookie along slowly and utilizing him when he’s on the field, as he touched the ball on four of his six offensive snaps. Yet, he’s proving with each passing opportunity that he’s ready for more.
Other quick-hitting Chiefs snap count observations:
- Noah Gray played 36% of the offensive snaps and wasn’t targeted once in the passing game.
- Robert Tonyan’s disappearance from the offense after becoming a preseason star remains a mystery. He played just nine snaps on offense on Monday.
- Marlon Tuipulotu playing just six snaps doesn’t seem very worthwhile for a practice squad elevation.
- Jack Cochrane having two game-defining penalties on special teams, considering he only plays special teams, is unacceptable. He’s got to be better there.
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