Chiefs Training Camp Day 12:
OPEN THREAD
by Laddie Morse
With preseason game one (PG#1) in the books, many fans are left unsatisfied with the team’s overall performance not to mention that of Patrick Mahomes scant showing. Might as well call him, Patrick Ma-Playhouse if this keeps up. The reality is, the Andy Reid led Kansas City Chiefs never intended on revealing any of the playbook and didn’t want to place Mahomes in extended play danger of being hurt. This kind of game has raised the debate of whether or not there should be 4 preseason games but, as long as owners can get away with charging full admission prices for what amounts to glorified scrimmages under the stadium lights, that will never change.
I want to hit upon a few of the positives of the first preseason game before we move on to a masquerade of a different color: Training Camp practices. ILB Ben Niemann had a great stop on 4th down:
Biggest (2nd biggest?) play of the game belongs to Ben Niemann. 4th and 1 and Niemann comes up big with the stuff. Reads the OG (chopped a DL), nearest RB (FB blocking out to the C/D gap), then the ball. Flows with the FB until the ball/HB try to cut upfield. Great stuff. pic.twitter.com/aCqcL7Bknk
— Matt Lane (@ChiefinCarolina) August 10, 2018
That was a big stop for the Chiefs defense, which had a hard time stopping the Texans on Thursday. However, that wasn’t the only solid play Niemann made in PG#1:
I see you Ben Niemann👀👀Good job by Niemann to read the OL and play for his coverage assignment through his first step. Immediately recognizes the TE coming in high and on his heels (stalk blocking) so he redirects downhill to his run fit. Works around the blocker for the tackle pic.twitter.com/hiIBI5IuH5
— Matt Lane (@ChiefinCarolina) August 10, 2018
Ben Niemann, a UDFA out of Iowa, has been so solid in camp and PG#1 that there’s talk that he may un-seat Terrance Smith on the roster.
On a personal note: my daughter has indicated that I may have a “female bias,” that I am acting impatient with one of the replacements for Terez Paylor: principally, Brooke Pryor. I have informed her that I am impatient with both Pryor and Paylor’s other replacement Lynn Worthy because I don’t think that the two of them together equals Paylor’s professionalism, attention to Chiefs details, passion for the game or or overall output. Please let me know if I’m being out of line here because a post like this bothers me a bit:
Barista told me that it was OK to be tired today because it's Friday and I can sleep all weekend.
*checks schedule, realizes there's four consecutive days of Chiefs training camp, starting with tomorrow morning* pic.twitter.com/K416S4Flp2
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 10, 2018
Perhaps there’s little difference between me being bothered by that from Pryor… and me posting this:
Chase Litton. pic.twitter.com/1sYKZAwo7Y
— Mick Shaffer (@mickshaffer) August 10, 2018
Now that someone has mentioned the name of Chase Litton, there’s no getting over his hot performance in the 4th quarter of PG#1 (7/13 for 66 yards). Here, look through this peephole and I’ll let you know of someone is coming:
https://twitter.com/BarstoolMU/status/1027973606259793920
When asked about playing in the first game for his childhood favorite team, Xavier Williams said, “It was amazing.” Amazing could describe his play on at least a couple of plays. I may have shared another view of this play yesterday, but here’s the game tape, and replay, of Williams getting a huge push on a running play by the Texans:
Here's a reminder that Chris Jones is slimmer and faster, and yet he's still maintained his strength.
He didn't make the tackle here but his penetration tightened the runner's lane. Allowed Xavier Williams and Eligwe (sorta) to finish it off.https://t.co/UgqUM4vSnf
— Wesley Roesch (@WesleyRoesch) August 10, 2018
Other “Give and Take” Aways
- DBs- both Kendall Fuller and Steven Nelson showed great speed in coming up to make tackles on plays in front of them.
- OL Kahlil McKenzie looked good enough that you might see him getting a look with the 1’s in the coming days.
- RB’s- the Chiefs officially have a log jam at the running back position. Who to keep and who to eject by the end of camp will be one of the Emmy Award winning dramas of camp.
- TE- Alex Ellis and Jace Amaro appear to be doing Battle Bots for the right to be the Chiefs #3TE.
- It’s been suggested that (on KC Sports Radio… more than once) that Matt McGloin could be the #2 QB and Chase Litton the #3 guy. At least that’s what Adam Teicher thought was a possibility… and he would be “fine” with it.
- NT Xavier Williams gives me a GRAND VIEW of the defense (see what I did there?)… and makes me smile: OFFICIALLY.
- PMII wasn’t baited into any bad throws… you know, the one’s that end up as INTs. I guess he was “that” good. What ever that means.
- Not to be judgmental but, Kahlil got some tree trunks for legs.
Don’t miss a piece written by Ransom Hawthorne which goes live at 10:45 this morning and is called:
Big Deal or No Big Deal:
What to Sweat From the
Chiefs Preseason Game
.
The Chiefs Training Camp proceeds on Sunday and Monday and concludes on Tuesday. Go Chiefs!
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