Documenting Sneed
 

The All 22 footage hasn't been made available yet for the Chargers game, so I've rewatched the game and documented Sneed's stats when he was targeted.

Do with this information what you will. Likely nothing.

• first drive: no targets
• second drive: no targets
• third drive: kind of a target on 1st and 10 with 3:39 left in the 1st, he plays off on Williams and trails him deep, but seems to peel off him as he's handed off to Thornhill, and Herbert tries to hit Williams during the handoff, incomplete; Keenan Allen beats him on a quick out but Herbert overthrows him, incomplete
• fourth drive: quick crosser to Allen, complete for 7 yards
• fifth drive: Allen tries to hit a deep slant towards the endzone, Sneed stays in his back pocket and Herbert overthrows him
• sixth drive: Allen and Sneed battle on the sideline and Allen comes up with the pass from Herbert and drags Sneed another few yards for 16 yards; Allen is double teamed by Mathieu and Sneed but reels in the catch anyway for 19 yards
• seventh drive: Herbert throws across his body way down the field to a triple-covered Allen, and Sneed picks it off
• eighth drive: no targets
• ninth drive: no targets

Total: 7 targets, 3/7, 42.9% completion against, 42 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Notes:

• Numbers don't tell the whole story, however. In the third drive, for example, Allen did manage to get separation on him twice, and Herbert overthrew him and ignored him, respectively.
• This also doesn't document any of the times his coverage is so solid Herbert has to look elsewhere. For the record, it did not look like Herbert was doing a bunch of progressions, however.
• It's also hard to pin Allen's 19 yard reception on him in the 6th drive because he was covering another receiver but came over to help defend Allen when the ball was in the air. But I did count it against him (and Mathieu) nonetheless.
• The ball never came Sneed's way (in the air) for the 10+ minute drive in the 4th.
• Sneed rarely traveled, no matter what you're hearing on certain podcasts. He was on one side of the field almost the entire time.
• At the very beginning of the ninth drive, Allen backs up as the ball is snapped and gets a bubble screen from Herbert. Sneed was on him pre-snap, but kept his distance as Allen backed up for the pass. I did not count this as a reception against Sneed.

The dude looks like a shut down corner through 2 games. He's playing very well.

I forget who on the Chiefs staff said this prior to the season, maybe Eric Bienemy, but it's never as good as you think, and it's never as bad as you think.

I think Sneed played well and looks like a solid starter right now, as a 4th round rookie. That alone is a victory, and I do think he's going to get better and better so long as he stays healthy. For now, if you brought back Breeland and Ward, would you bench Sneed? I wouldn't.

That being said, I could talk myself out of Sneed being anything more than decent as well. The corners across from him were bad. Keenan Allen had a couple opportunities that he couldn't connect on because Herbert couldn't make the throw or didn't see him. Herbert can't do progressions just yet.

I can talk myself into him as well. On the two long passes he allowed, one wasn't even his guy -- he came over to try to make the play when the ball was in the air on the 19 yarder. And Allen did straight up beat him on the 16 yarder but he fought his ass off for it. And his interception this game was a fantastic play, rather than the opportunism from Week 1.

I think this team still has all kinds of problems at corner: is Breeland going to still look like a good starter, is Ward going to be alright, can Fenton step up his game, do we have anybody in the slot, are Hamilton or Keyes worth anything? I think Veach is going to have to make a midseason trade for a corner.

But Sneed's promise is strong enough that it does give us one constant that we can rely on at this time.

Dave Merritt is doing tremendous work with his unit.

:facepalm:

I think Sneed is going crack the top 100 players that would be cool as **** for the rookie.

You feel GOOD about our corner situation?

I've been one of the biggest nags on here about corner, and I feel relatively okay as long as everyone stays healthy. I'm far more concerned about linebacker, we can more than get by with these corners.

If the bunch they have is healthy and not suspended, yeah.

But there's no 1st round picks?!?!?!?!