Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is conspicuous by his measured, if not downright cautious, approach to football.
His game is restrained by design, focused on avoiding mistakes of his own and pecking away at exploiting those of the Chiefs’ opponents.
And even if the Chiefs occasionally win despite a dud performance on his part, as they did on Sunday at Carolina, he’s a pivotal piece of why they are 36-18 with him as their starter.
Smith’s persona off the field typically parallels that subdued-but-substantial way — at least when he speaks with the media and, by extension, Chiefs fans.