Preseason Game 2: Chiefs Host Commanders, OPEN THREAD
Laddie Morse
The Washington Commanders should not be a contender in their own division, the NFC East, or conference, the NFC. Their quarterback situation should tell you everything you need to know about them. Back in March Carson Wentz was traded to the Commanders from the Colts’ along with a second and a seventh round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft in exchange for, a second and a third round pick this year and a conditional third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In the 2nd round (pick 47) the Commanders took DT Phidarian Mathis from Alabama, and in the 7th round (pick 240) they took CB Christian Holmes out of Oklahoma. The Eagles or the Cowboys should win that division but I’m not counting on a Super Bowl winner emerging from that division in any event. Athlon Sports says the Commanders are part of the worst division in football, “or which could rival the AFC South as the worst division in the NFL.” It’s hard not to agree.
That doesn’t mean the Chiefs first team won’t get a stiff challenge today when they face off in Arrowhead Stadium vs those Washington Commanders. First of all, 3 rookies: WR Jahan Dotson, LB Jamin Davis and DT Phidarian Mathis all had a terrific game one vs the Panthers. Also, QB Carson Wentz may not be the best QB in the league but he can rise to the occasion every now and again.
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In the 2021 Preseason, game 2 was against the Cardinals, the Chiefs week one opponent this year, and the starting offense was on the field for the 1st three possessions of the game, the first 32 plays in all. That took them through half of the second quarter. I’d expect a similar setup this year and since the OL played until half time, I’d expect that too. That should give QBs Shane Buechele or Dustin Crum — whoever comes in first after Mahomes — a chance to see what they can do with the best of the offensive starters still on the field. You see, HC Andy Reid has already said his #2 QB, Chad Henne will sit this game out to give the #2 and the #3 QBs a better chance to put tape up for other teams to peruse.
On the defensive side of the ball, I don’t expect Chris Jones to play — and I hope that is the case, so he can heal up nice and proper — while rookie DE George Karlaftis gets another crack at rushing the QB as a starter. I’ll be keeping an eye out for Tershawn Wharton as well, as he had a good Preseason Game one and has been excellent in camp. If newly acquired DT Danny Shelton — #92 — plays it will be a great opportunity to see how he affects the rest of the IDL.
During the preseason games, I often find it more difficult to keep up with the numbers and names on the jerseys since their are so many players coming in and out of the game. So, he’s a list to help us keep track of who’s who during these contests:
Strong Showing Needed
There are some Chiefs who will need to make a strong showing in today’s game to have a chance to make the final roster. Some of those players include:
RB Ronald Jones – Jones was brought in this offseason to bolster the running game but hasn’t performed well in Training Camp or Game one.
WR Josh Gordon – Gordon appears to be on his last legs in the NFL. If he can’t show out and have a memorable game today, this may be it for him.
DT Khalen Saunders – with the emergence and addition of Danny Shelton, Saunders may be out of a job unless he can show some kind of pass rushing ability from the inside. It’s not enough for him to merely get a TFL (tackle for a loss), he must show DC Steve Spagnuolo that it would be crazy to release him. Unless he can do that, he may be finished in red and gold.
There are many other players who need to have a good game to stay in contention of making this roster. However, these three mentioned above have the biggest of all needs to have a big game.
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ESPN has come out with their overall position rankings. The Chiefs look like this (according to ESPN):
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Gametime Weather
Weather report data provided by 64029 weather.com.
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Looks like ideal weather for some football! For those in the Kansas City area, today’s game can be found on channel 41, KSHB TV, and they usually do a one-hour pregame show to boot.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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