Chiefs vs Broncos snap counts: Mitchell Schwartz milestone

On a night when Mitchell Schwartz held All-Pro outside linebacker and pass rusher Von Miller without a sack, Schwartz also turned 100. Well, in a manner of speaking he turned 100. Monday night’s game marked his 100th consecutive start in the NFL. He’s played every offensive snap — all 6,618 of them — of that streak dating back to his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns in 2012.

Schwartz played 78 snaps in Monday night’s 27-23 win at Denver, primarily lined up across from Miller. In seven career match-ups between the two, Miller now has just 4 1/2 sacks and has gone without one in the past four meetings.

Here are some observations/thoughts on what we might glean from the snap counts from Monday’s game. These figures are tracked by the NFL.

More Murray: Safety Eric Murray played every defensive snap (60) for the third time in four games this season. Murray, who has been starting with All-Pro safety Eric Berry sidelined by a heel injury, made six tackles, had one pass defensed and grabbed his first career interception.

Murray intercepted a pass intended for Denver Broncos tight end Jeff Heuerman in the third quarter despite not turning his head around while the ball was in the air. Instead, Murray pulled the ball away from Heuerman as both fell.

“When the ball was kind of like glued in between my hand and his hands, I was kind of like I’m going to try to get this one,” Murray said. “That was probably the point when I was like I need to get this interception instead of just a (pass breakup).”

Where’s the sausage? Fullback Anthony Sherman, who coach Andy Reid affectionately referred to as a “sausage” earlier this season, only played four offensive snaps Monday night. The Chiefs ran successfully out of their one-back sets as running back Kareem Hunt surpassed his previous season high for rushing yards by halftime en route to a 121-yard rushing performance.

With the Chiefs playing from behind in the second half, the offense featured more three-wide and two-tight end personnel groups as they predominantly threw the football. Mahomes attempted 30 passes in the second half. By comparison, Mahomes threw 27 passes in the entire game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Outsiders: Outside linebacker Dee Ford started despite having missed a practice session and having been a limited participant in another last week because of a groin strain. He played just 30 defensive snaps against Denver before leaving the game because of a groin injury.

Second-year pro Tanoh Kpassagnon and rookie Breeland Speaks shared time filling in for Ford. Kpassagnon, who’d played fewer snaps coming into the game, played 18 defensive snaps. Speaks, the second-round pick in this past year’s draft, played 16 defensive snaps.

Speaks played 20 more snaps than Kpassagnon over the course of the first three weeks. However, outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said last week that neither had moved ahead of the other.

“I just try to get a little bit of a feel,” Smith said on Friday. “I try to get the plays about even if I can. I don’t keep track on the sidelines or anything like that, so it’s a little bit tougher to do it. But I think right now they’re both pretty even.”

Justin Houston played 58 snaps at the other outside linebacker spot.

Specialists: The Chiefs activated rookie defensive back Charvarius Ward, acquired at the end of the preseason via trade with the Dallas Cowboys, for Monday’s game. Rookie Tremon Smith was not active. Ward played 11 special-teams snaps and made two tackles, including a tackle of Phillip Lindsay on a 32-yard kickoff return. … Undrafted rookie linebacker Ben Niemann had been inactive in the previous two games, but he played 14 special-teams snaps. … Backup tight end Demetrius Harris and backup linebacker Terrance Smith tied for the most special-teams snaps played with 23 (89 percent).

Lynn Worthy

Lynn Worthy covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.