Can Chase Daniel Lead Kansas City Chiefs To Playoffs?

Can backup quarterback Chase Daniel lead the Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs with Alex Smith out due to injury?

The Kansas City Chiefs still have a chance to make the NFL playoffs this season, but they will need some help with Week 17 coming up. Obviously they have to come away with a win of their own, but they will need the Baltimore Ravens to lose and the Houston Texans to lose or tie.

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Unfortunately for the Chiefs, starting quarterback Alex Smith isn’t going to be able to play against the San Diego Chargers due to a lacerated spleen. That means that backup quarterback Chase Daniel will be tasked with the job of leading the Chiefs to the playoffs.

Can Daniel come up with a big game against the Chargers and lead his Chiefs to the playoffs?

He won’t be able to control his own destiny as far as the playoffs are concerned, but he can come up with the big win against their division rival. Daniel has thrown one pass all season long, and at 28 years of age has yet to play a significant role in any of his five NFL seasons. That isn’t a good sign for this type of a big game with playoff implications, but he does have the talent to make something happen.

Kansas City has the talent around Daniel to help him come away with a victory in the biggest game that he has ever played in.

Jamaal Charles is going to be a major part of the Chiefs’ gameplan. Daniel is going to be handing the football off to him a lot, and the Chiefs are also going to be using Charles as a receiver out of the backfield. The shorter they can make Daniel’s passes, the more success he is going to have.

Outside of Charles, they also have Travis Kelce and Dwayne Bowe who are more than capable of coming up with big games for their quarterback. They also have a very solid defense against the pass, ranking second in the NFL allowing just 200.2 yards per game. Philip Rivers has been having a huge season, so the pass defense will need to be in full force.

All of that being said, there is no question that Daniel can get the job done at home against the Chargers. He has played under both Drew Brees and Alex Smith which has given him great mentors, and he has always been ready to play in the past. Throughout his career, he has thrown for 303 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Needless to say, this is the biggest opportunity that he has ever gotten in his career. He is going into this game with a chance to get some playing time and play in the biggest game of his life, while also making some money on a future contract.

It isn’t going to be easy to pull off a win on Sunday, but they are more than capable of making it happen. Daniel will pull through with a win for the Chiefs and hopefully the other two situations will fall into place and allow the Chiefs to make the playoffs against all odds.

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