The surprise isn’t that the Chiefs have tried to minimize the number of defensive snaps that inside linebacker Reggie Ragland has seen on the field in passing situations. The surprise comes in the fact that Terrance Smith played 53 snaps — more than twice as many as Ragland (24) — in Sunday’s win against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium.
Ragland, who the Chiefs acquired in August of 2017, has struggled in pass coverage this season. His strength is as a downhill run stuffer, and the Chiefs ideally want him on the field in base defense and/or on first and second downs when the threat of the run is significant.