Arrowhead Pride
The (5-4) Kansas City Chiefs have experienced ups and downs so far this year. While the team is not where it wants to be, there were still plenty of positives in the first half of the season.
One of them was the Chiefs finding a long-term starter at left guard. Kingsley Suamataia has opened every game of the season — and has played well.
A year ago, Suamataia seemed lost at left tackle; he started three games before being ultimately benched for poor performance. This season, he has come back in a big way, making the transition to the interior, where he appears to be a natural.
He hasn’t been perfect, but his performance in the first half of the year has laid the foundation for what is shaping up to be a successful career.
Let’s take a look.
During the bye week, I reviewed every game of the season, grading every one of Suamataia’s snaps.
To save time, I used a simple grading method: Did he do his job or not?
While his season grade of 70% would be a “C” on a report card, it is important to point out that some losses are worse than others. Suamatia managed to avoid critical losses throughout most of the season. With only one sack allowed and one penalty committed through nine games, he has not hurt the team. With his wins, he has been a highly productive player.
Suamataia doesn’t have the quickness or flexibility to be an NFL tackle, but his build and strength have made him a perfect fit at guard. The interior offensive line requires greater base strength and hand-fighting ability — rather than the complex footwork required to play tackle.
He has played with good hands and a strong base all season — and it has helped him win snaps at a high rate.
Even back at BYU, Suamataia had a strong grip and powerful base — although sometimes, he didn’t seem to realize how strong he was. At tackle last season, he didn’t get to show off this power very often — but this season, he has put his raw strength on display.
At tackle, his hands did little to help him in pass protection — but along the interior, he has weaponized his strong grip and upper body. He has developed a nice “snatch” technique to put pass rushers on the ground.
He always had a good frame for a tackle, but as a guard, his physique is elite. His 34-inch arms come in handy against defensive tackles with more stout frames; they have trouble countering his blocks.
Once he can get his hands on the rusher — and if he keeps his feet moving — he can quickly shut down plays in pass protection.
Even at tackle, Suamataia showed positive signs as a run blocker, but moving to guard has unlocked what he can do in the Chiefs’ offense.
The Chiefs’ interior offensive...
