KC Chiefs Week 3 Snap Counts vs. Chicago Bears: Extended Opportunities

KC's snap shares from their Week 3 win over the Bears represented a great encapsulation of how the action unfolded.

The Kansas City Chiefs took care of business against the Chicago Bears, and it was an entire team effort in the process.

Outscoring Matt Eberflus and company by 31 points, Kansas City's 41-10 victory was one of the more lopsided ones the team has had since Andy Reid handed the keys to Patrick Mahomes at quarterback many years ago. It was such a blowout, in fact, that multiple starters' days were cut short and reserves got some unexpected playing time on Sunday afternoon. Week 3 was the Chiefs' best one yet, with several players contributing to the win in major ways. 

Now that snap counts have been released, what jumped off the page? Let's take a look at three notable takeaways from another week of Chiefs football.

Sep 24, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (25) runs the ball against the Chicago Bears during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

A closer look at Kansas City's young wide receivers

Since the Chiefs parted ways with Tyreek Hill last spring, they've invested in multiple young players to help insulate Reid's wide receiver room. Second-round picks Skyy Moore (2022) and Rashee Rice (2023) represent premium backing at the position, with undrafted free agent Justyn Ross (2022) also being supported by the team more and more over time. With Kadarius Toney being banged up and Kansas City running away with Sunday's game, it opened the door for the aforementioned trio to see some extended action.

Pacing the entire wideout group, Moore finished with the most snaps played (50) of all Chiefs pass-catchers. In those opportunities, he caught four passes on five targets and had 42 yards. Rice had the most receptions (five) and yards (59) out of the receivers, with him being on the field for just over half of the team's available offensive snaps (39, good for 51%). After not seeing the field much in Weeks 1 or 2, Ross logged 29 snaps on offense in Week 3 but got targeted just once. Regardless, this was a perfect week for the Chiefs to get their developmental pieces on the field. They did exactly that, with two out of three once again showing some promise. 

An opportunity for Clyde Edwards-Helaire to get featured more often

Coming into the season, many wondered what role fourth-year running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire would play in 2023. The former first-round pick has struggled to stay healthy and remain consistent over the course of his rookie contract, with last season being a new low point for him. After a strong training camp, however, Kansas City opted to keep him around (despite declining his fifth-year option) in an effort to give him one more chance to showcase his talents before presumably hitting free agency in the spring. On Sunday, he had his best outing of the young season.

Playing a season-high 23 snaps on offense, Edwards-Helaire was nine reps behind second-year man Isiah Pacheco and one ahead of veteran Jerick McKinnon. Carrying the ball 15 times, Edwards-Helaire recorded 55 rushing yards and a touchdown. His 3.67 yard-per-carry average is far from stellar, although he did manage to break off multiple solid rushes during the game. There's a role in the offense for Edwards-Helaire as long as he's healthy and running hard, which was displayed in Week 3. With Pacheco nursing a hamstring injury, the Chiefs' by-committee approach worked well against a struggling defense. 

New heights for Tershawn Wharton and Neil Farrell

Just a handful of weeks ago, the Chiefs had next to no clue what their defensive tackle picture was going to look like. Star Chris Jones was still holding out, Derrick Nnadi was coming off perhaps the worst season of his career and while veteran Danny Shelton had just put forth a solid preseason effort, he was in and out of the roster picture. On top of that, Tershawn Wharton was working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last year. With the 2023 campaign off and running now, though, Wharton saw his workload increase in Week 3 and late-August trade acquisition Neil Farrell made his Chiefs debut.

For Wharton, playing 39 snaps was good enough for a 76% split of available reps on Steve Spagnuolo's defense. After logging 27 and 25 snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively, the Chiefs had to be happy to give Wharton a bit longer of a leash in a game that could certainly afford it. Farrell, on the other hand, played 22 snaps in the blowout victory but didn't record a statistic. The 2022 fourth-round pick did get his feet wet and afforded players like Jones and Nnadi some added rest, which was still valuable as Spagnuolo got a closer look at two of his backup interior defensive linemen. 

Read More: Chiefs Reminded the NFL of What They’re Capable of in Week 3