Arrowhead Report

Chiefs vs. Texans Snap Counts: Cornerback Uncertainty Continues, Hollywood Brown Returns

Who stood out after a closer look at the Chiefs' snap counts from Kansas City's win over the Houston Texans?

Joshua Brisco

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) celebrates with linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) after a sack against the Houston Texans during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) celebrates with linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) after a sack against the Houston Texans during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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The Kansas City Chiefs took care of business with a 27-19 win over the Houston Texans on Saturday, bringing the Chiefs to 14-1 as the regular season winds to a close. After a closer look at the Chiefs' snap counts from the AFC showdown, two of the Chiefs' most noteworthy ongoing storylines remain uncertain as the playoffs approach.

Chiefs cornerback strategy evolves again

The Chiefs have struggled to stabilize the No. 2 cornerback position — and at times, the entire defense — since the loss of Jaylen Watson early in the year. While Trent McDuffie still has not missed a single defensive snap this season (going 59-for-59 against Houston), the other corners have all left cause for concern.

On Saturday, in the absence of safety/typical slot defender Chamarri Conner, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo tried a variety of options to stabilize the unit. Of Kansas City's 59 defensive snaps, Joshua Williams played 34 (58%), Chris Roland-Wallace took 32 (54%), Nazeeh Johnson took 26 (44%) and Keith Taylor played 10 (17%).

The simultaneous use of Williams and Johnson allowed the Chiefs to put McDuffie into the slot, something he has rarely done since Watson's injury. Nearly all of Roland-Wallace's snaps have come in the slot this season, while Williams and Johnson almost exclusively align outside. McDuffie remains the Chiefs' best weapon in the secondary, and Spagnuolo's willingness to return him to the slot in Conner's absence is worth monitoring. Will McDuffie be all but cemented to the outside when Conner returns, or could Williams, Johnson, and perhaps even the recently unretired Steven Nelson stabilize the boundaries?

Hollywood Brown makes the most of a light return

Marquise "Hollywood" Brown made his regular season Chiefs debut on Saturday after a long recovery stemming from an injury suffered on the first offensive play of KC's preseason. Brown was targeted eight times on Saturday, reeling in five catches for 45 yards in his return to action. While Brown took just 20 of 74 offensive snaps (27%), he received targets on 40% of his plays.

Xavier Worthy led the way among wide receivers with 59 of 74 offensive snaps (80%), leaps ahead of the rest of the unit. Justin Watson was second with 39 snaps (53%) while DeAndre Hopkins took 36 (49%), JuJu Smith-Schuster took 27 (36%) and Nikko Remigio took two (3%). It was a strong debut for Brown, but Hopkins and Brown simply must receive a larger workload by the time the playoffs arrive. For Brown, Saturday's ramp-up back into action was a promising first step.

Read More: Patrick Mahomes Explains Why His Favorite Pass to Xavier Worthy Was One That Didn't Count

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Joshua Brisco
JOSHUA BRISCO

Joshua Brisco is the editor and publisher of Kansas City Chiefs On SI and has covered the Chiefs professionally since 2017 across audio and written media.

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