Chiefs at Falcons Snap Counts: Surprising No. 2 Wide Receiver, Changing of the Guard at Cornerback

The Kansas City Chiefs escaped Atlanta with a win, but snap count shake-ups on both sides of the ball present some interesting clues as to how the team views two key position groups.

Sep 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) reacts with wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs did enough to win a low-scoring prime time game over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, emerging with a 22-17 win on the road. Revisiting the snap counts from KC's third win of the year paints an interesting picture of how Kansas City's coaching staff currently views three key positions on the team.

Here's what jumps out from both sides of the ball as the Chiefs attempt to settle their rotation at wide receiver, running back and cornerback.

JuJu Smith-Schuster gets more snaps than Xavier Worthy

This isn't cause for panic regarding rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, but it's certainly worth noting.

Rashee Rice led Chiefs receivers with 55 of 74 offensive snaps (74%). Next up, JuJu Smith-Schuster ranked second with 41 (55%), ahead of Worthy's 37 (50%) and Justin Watson's 29 (39%). Skyy Moore got 15 reps (20%) while Mecole Hardman took three (4%).

Smith-Schuster, who re-signed with KC in late August, played just 12 snaps in Week 1 and 13 in Week 2 while Worthy took 34 and 44 snaps, respectively.

While the veteran Smith-Schuster certainly has a utility in this offense (especially as it continues to search for answers after losing Marquise "Hollywood" Brown), I wouldn't have expected him to be the second-most-used receiver in Week 3. Smith-Schuster did some of KC's dirty work while catching two passes for 17 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown, but Worthy's two-for-17 performance (without a score) left something to be desired.

The Chiefs' final offensive drive, with a chance to end the game with the football, ended after Mahomes appeared to target Worthy for a would-be first down on 3rd and 2. Worthy appeared to stop running his route while Mahomes led him, expecting Worthy to continue. However, when Andy Reid spoke to the media on Monday, he said the miscue wasn't on Worthy, but that his "compadre," apparently Rice, made a mistake with his route.

Interesting! https://t.co/SIfxaOo3LM pic.twitter.com/0KkxptFHjY

— Joshua Brisco (@jbbrisco) September 23, 2024

Nazeeh Johnson takes No. 3 cornerback role

For the third consecutive week, Trent McDuffie played 100% of the Chiefs' defensive snaps. After an uncertain offseason, Jaylen Watson was KC's clear-cut No. 2 corner for the third week in a row, as Watson played 57 of KC's 61 snaps against the Falcons offense. The intrigue about KC's cornerback room now begins after McDuffie and Watson.

In Week 1, Joshua Williams got 32 defensive snaps while Nazeeh Johnson saw zero. In Week 2, Williams fell to six defensive snaps while Johnson jumped to 22. In Atlanta in Week 3, Johnson took 26 defensive snaps, while Williams only saw the field on special teams.

While Williams could continue to get defensive snaps as the season progresses, it seems clear that the Chiefs have given Johnson opportunities to leap Williams on the depth chart, with McDuffie and Watson holding down the top two spots. Through Week 3, Johnson appears to have earned the job.

Carson Steele carries the running back room

In the absence of Isiah Pacheco, rookie undrafted free agent Carson Steele got the bulk of the running back workload, playing 46 of 74 offensive snaps (62%) to Samaje Perine's 28 (38%). Keaontay Ingram, who KC signed to the active roster from their practice squad when they placed Pacheco on injured reserve, didn't see the field on offense, recording just five special teams snaps.

Steele was solid in his first game as a starter, as he and Perine both averaged 4.2 yards per carry with nine-yard longs. After not showing much interest in getting Ingram involved, the Chiefs should be looking to get Kareem Hunt into the mix as soon as he's comfortable in the offense.

Read More: Underrated Defense and Forgettable Details: Chiefs' Win Over Falcons Won't Stick, and That's Fine