Chiefs Camp: I Need More Tape!
David Bell
Chiefs Camp starts at 9:30 this morning.
The First Preseason game result is in the books. Score? Loss? Yeah, but these two things don’t matter. What matters is the Chiefs initial drive scored a TD. Patrick Mahomes dished and dealt passes to six different receivers and tossed in the surprise: a “Screen” or was it a “Dump” to TE Blake Bell. I am sure the Bears did not anticipate a pass to Blake Bell.
.
.
It was a waltz. PMII threw six completed passes in 7 attempts. That is another thing that I liked.
Things Missing from the Tape?
.
- I didn’t see a run-game possession from the Chiefs–something I wished to see.
- I didn’t see success from any RB save Isiah Pacheco. The RB play was lacking success. It gives me pause to consider the depth behind CEH.
- The Threes playing up to the level of the “Twos” and Ones.” Where did they go?
- Orlando Brown did not play as well as I expected.
.
That’s it.
What Did I See That I Liked?
.
- The Offensive Line played in Sync and exerted their will in the first drive.
- The WRs almost universally played well and made plays.
- The Coverage for the “Ones” and “Twos” was good by the Secondary.
- Even Playing the “Twos,” the defense was good.
- Gay and Bolton will be a solid pairing (NFL Ranking-wise).
- Leo Chenal is a tackling fool.
- Bryan Cook is fulfilling my vision for his upcoming season.
.
More to come on this as I watch the whole game so I can see each play multiple times, especially with the Coaches View.
What the Game Offered to the Coaching Staff?
Andy Reid and the Coaching staff got a solid view of the young players and players who were vets added to the Big Puzzle. Unfortunately, the game didn’t provide enough to see all they needed. I think DL Coach Joe Cullen got a good look at the different Front Four Players. The Linebacker play was good, so Brendan Daly should have found himself smiling on the drive home. The WRs as a group played extremely well, but the first series was the indicator I was looking to see.
Later on, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson strutted their stuff. Watson had the most yardage gained of all receivers, but Moore also showed why he belongs at the front end of the WR starters. Joey Bleymeier, the Chiefs WR Coach, must have been grinning ear to ear.
With so many young DBs, Dave Merritt was able to see several players succeed, especially the “Ones” and “Twos.” Even some of the players from the “Threes” had success. For the Secondary players, I think we can see why Williams is going to be an essential Cog for the Cornerbacks. I came away from the game, viewing his play as a belief in why the Chiefs are going with the youth movement.
Game Highlights?
Willie Gay, in the first quarter, made significant plays. I expect him to emerge, and this preseason game buttressed my ideation.
.
.
Leo Chenal is a tackling machine. He needs to work on dropping into coverage.
.
.
Nick Bolton (last season, he had the lowest tackles missed rate among all NFL rookies at 5.6%) is going to have a great season. Seeing Jermaine Carter in action was a valuable piece of the puzzle. What do I see from Justin Reid? The Chiefs acquired an excellent Free Safety. The coaching staff and Veach made the right decision in not retaining Mathieu. Many touted Khalen Saunders’s play during this game, but I still have reservations. I need to see it against an opponent’s starters to say that he is a valuable piece on the Spagnuolo defense.
I will come back and revisit this preseason game later in the week. However, I will state: that I am satisfied with the starters in the first possession, as they left the field of play the “Twos” took on the workload, and I was still pleased. However: I need to see more tape!
.
The rest of the Chiefs camp this week looks like this:
.
.
David Bell — ArrowheadOne