Chiefs vs. Bengals Snap Count Takeaways: Travis Kelce Isn't Getting Much Time Off

What can be learned from the Kansas City Chiefs' snap count totals against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2? Travis Kelce barely got a breather, and the cornerback depth chart saw a shake-up.

Sep 15, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) is introduced prior to a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs are 2-0 after a last-second walk-off win over the Cincinnati Bengals. From the performances of KC's eldest pass catcher to the team's youngest running back, the Chiefs' snap counts from Sunday's victory reveal some interesting clues about where Kansas City may be headed in 2024.

Travis Kelce isn't getting much time off

After playing 48 snaps (89%) in Week 1, Travis Kelce saw an even heavier workload in Week 2, taking 59 of the Chiefs' 65 offensive snaps (91%). Despite the fact that Kelce will turn 35 years old on October 5, he took the most snaps of any Chiefs skill-position player. No. 2 tight end Noah Gray hovered around his usual range on Sunday, taking 37 (57%) of the snaps after getting 54% in Week 1. Jared Wiley took 12 snaps against the Bengals after taking 11 in Week 1. Early in the year, the tight end group looks similar to years past: Kelce, then the rest in their various roles.

What's the post-Pacheco plan?

With Isiah Pacheco appearing likely to miss a significant portion of the season, did the Chiefs give any indication for how they'll handle the running back room without their best back? Given the timing of Pacheco's injury near the end of the game, there's not a large sample size, but there are some hints.

After Pacheco's injury, Samaje Perine caught a pass and Carson Steele got two end-of-game carries to force the Bengals to burn their timeouts. In total, Steele got 14 snaps and Perine got nine against Cincinnati. Perine is still very new to the Chiefs' offense, but he may have to become the Chiefs' automatic third-down back while Pacheco is sidelined. Andy Reid likely won't ask Steele to take on a Pacheco-sized workload, but can he handle some early-down carries while the offense leans even more on the passing game? It's a big ask from a rookie undrafted free agent, but Steele has been earning the trust of the team since he joined Kansas City after the draft.

Shakeup at cornerback?

In Week 1, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson played nearly every snap, while Joshua Williams played 40% of the defensive reps. No other cornerback saw the field vs. Baltimore. Against Cincinnati, the Chiefs still led with McDuffie (100%) and Watson (95%), while Williams fell to just six snaps (9%) as Nazeeh Johnson took 22 (34%). After a long training camp of cornerback competitions, there's no doubt that Watson holds the second cornerback position, but Johnson vs. Williams will bear watching as the season unfolds.

Read More: Winners and Losers from Kansas City Chiefs' Week 2 Victory Over Cincinnati Bengals