After an exciting win in Week 4 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one member of the Kansas City Chiefs earned recognition on Touchdown Wire’s weekly Secret Superstar list.
In Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts, the offensive line did not play well for Kansas City. They struggled to open up holes in the running game and they allowed pressure at key moments of the game. It made life difficult for Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the offense. Andy Reid challenged the offensive line to perform better prior to the tilt with the Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football.” They accepted that challenge and passed with flying colors.
According to Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, Trey Smith was instrumental in that performance.
“One of the oddest mysteries of the 2021 season was how the Chiefs completely blew up their offensive line, putting five new starters in there who were all better at gap than zone blocking. And then, they ran far more zone than gap, when they were better (go figure) in gap concepts. This season, Kansas City is incorporating more ass-whomping ideas up front, and Trey Smith, selected in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Tennessee, is benefiting as much as anyone.
In 2022, Smith has allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and just seven quarterback hurries in a passing game that obviously relies on quarterback improvisation and play extension. And while Smith is an excellent mauler in the run game, check out this ‘let the bodies hit the floor’ rep against Buccaneers defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches on a Patrick Mahomes deep pass.”
You can go watch that replay over at Touchdown Wire. It’s as good as advertised and comes against a former Chief in Nunez-Roches. Sunday night marked Smith’s best day in pass protection all season long. His run blocking, specifically in the gap scheme calls in Week 4, was also superb.
Smith has been wildly consistent all season, which is crazy to think about when you consider that he suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 that had him questionable on the injury report for Week 2. He also battled through a pectoral injury during the game against the Buccaneers. He’s been this good in Year 2 and he’s only been fully healthy for a few quarters of football. Just imagine what his performance will be like once he gets off the injury report.
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Story originally appeared on Chiefs Wire