Kansas City Chiefs Preseason Review

For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, the Kansas City Chiefs finished their preseason winless. However, that’s the least of their worries as they now look ahead to Cut Day on Tuesday, August 27. Rosters must be trimmed from 90 to 53, and while the front office and coaching staff deliberate, they are now fully focused on the NFL regular season opener.

A rematch of the AFC Championship against an AFC rival, the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, September 5, at 8:20 p.m. EDT. The Chiefs are aiming to make history as they embark on yet another title defense. Before looking ahead to what promises to be a historic NFL season, let’s first examine some key takeaways from this year’s Chiefs preseason games.

Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Core

Despite limited snaps for most starters, fans caught glimpses of what’s expected to be the team’s core offensive lineup. Among the standouts was undrafted running back Carson Steele from UCLA, who made the most of his time on the field, finishing the preseason with 11 attempts, a team-high 87 yards, and two touchdowns. Steele maximized his opportunities and put himself in the running for a roster spot, which would be a valuable addition to a thin running back room.

As for the starting receiving unit, it’s expected to be rounded out by wide receiver Rashee Rice and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. However, Brown is currently sidelined due to a sternoclavicular injury suffered during the first preseason snap against the Jacksonville Jaguars and is expected to miss four to six weeks. This means Justin Watson will step in temporarily, and Xavier Worthy will round out the receiving core.

Defensive Depth

Photo byJacob RiceonUnsplash

Despite the Kansas City Chiefs’ improved defense from a year ago, preseason play revealed that the team’s defensive depth is severely lacking. With that being said, even the starting unit didn’t fare much better than the backups, but it is common for Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to keep things fairly vanilla in the preseason.

By the time the regular season starts, the team is expected to be much healthier, which will allow Spagnuolo to implement his more complex packages. With all regular starters in place, the Chiefs are expected to pick up right where they left off last season when they were a top-three-ranked defensive unit in the NFL.

Special Teams

With the newly added kickoff rules in play this season, special teams were a focal point for all 32 NFL teams heading into the preseason. Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub was given many opportunities to experiment with different returner combinations, and one player who stood out was Nikko Remigio. Toub has been “pounding the table” for the coaching staff to keep Remigio on the roster after cuts.

Another notable addition is punter Matt Araiza, formerly of the Buffalo Bills, nicknamed “Punt God” by his fans. Despite a slow debut with the Chiefs, Araiza found his rhythm in the remaining preseason games, finishing with his longest punt being 61 yards and he averaged 46.9 yards per punt. Araiza is another player who has Toub’s support to make the roster, and based on his performance, it’s looking likely that he’ll secure a spot on the final 53-man roster.

Final Thoughts

With less than two weeks until the start of the regular season, fans should have their calendars marked for August 27, when the Kansas City Chiefs will say goodbye to many players on their roster currently and possibly add new ones released from other teams. However, the main focus for the team right now is getting healthy and zoning in on their opening-day matchup against the Ravens.

With their core units on all sides of the ball leading the charge as the Kansas City Chiefs chase the elusive three-peat, the next few weeks will be crucial for General Manager Brett Veach. He’s not only responsible for making cuts but must also avoid complacency by diligently seeking additional depth for the team.

Although the results don’t matter the preseason has reminded the Chiefs that there’s always room for improvement, whether coming off a three-win season or a Super Bowl championship.

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Article originally written by Jason Dayee