The first four weeks of the 2016 NFL season have not been so kind to Alex Smith. After Sunday’s embarrassing loss in Pittsburgh, it’s clear that Smith is not right in Andy Reid’s West Coast Offense, and whether or not the Chiefs can contend for a serious playoff run is in serious question.
Smith ranks 28th of 32 qualifying quarterbacks in yards gained per pass attempt (6.39). Yes, Smith does compete in a West Coast Offense style. He’s limited at times because of the style Reid runs.
Just so we’re all clear on what exactly the West Coast offense entails, take a look at this excerpt, courtesy of The Phinsider of SB Nation:
“Teams running a WCO-based system will look to spread a defense horizontally across the field, typically inside 15 yards from line of scrimmage, before attempting longer passes in the open lanes caused by the defensive adjustments to the shorter, wider passes.