I don’t have much of an intro. I typed this up quickly, but here are six takeaways from the 2nd preseason game.
1: Creed Humphrey Is Already A Very Good NFL Center
I tweeted this out like seven times during the game, but Creed Humphrey was the best offensive player on the field Friday night. I was keeping a close eye on Creed during the game, and he was terrific at everything. Creed was especially kicking butt as a run blocker, not really missing a block. Creed was excellent, whether he was back-blocking a 3-tech, reaching on a zone block, or a down block in Duo. He also was terrific in the screen game, showcasing his superb athleticism and angles in space.
The point is, Creed’s completely ready. I don’t need to see anything else from him. I was skeptical about Creed coming out of college, particularly with his functional strength. But so far, those concerns haven’t mattered at all. It’ll be interesting to see where Creed ends up in the center hierarchy, but Creed already is a massive plus at center in the NFL. That was a terrific pick by Brett Veach.
2: The WR Room Will Need Some Work
The one thing that disappointed me tonight was the wide receiver room. I didn’t need to see anything out of Tyreek Hill, but the rest of the room (minus one guy) didn’t give me a lot of hope. Mecole Hardman received a bunch of targets but didn’t do anything to really inspire me. Granted, his timing issues were mainly on Mahomes, and his touchdown late in the 2nd was terrific. But I don’t feel any different about Hardman today than I did yesterday. Demarcus Robinson looked kind of slow, honestly. I don’t know if part of it is injury or extra weight, but I didn’t love the way he moved tonight.
But one guy I was disappointed to see not get any run was Cornell Powell. Powell received a lot of buzz in rookie minicamp, but it’s been crickets since. Powell hasn’t been able to crack the twos to this point and doesn’t seem to have a role for the Chiefs this season. The Chiefs were hoping for his ability in contested catch situations this season, but he may not be the guy.
Regardless, I don’t love this wide receiver room right now. Nobody is really standing out as the guy to replace Sammy Watkins, and I have my concerns there. The Chiefs have a bunch of WR4-5 on their team, but no WR 2-3 on this roster. Andy Reid doesn’t like making moves at the trade deadline, but I hope the Chiefs are in the market for a wide receiver.
3: …But Byron Pringle Was Good!
But one wide receiver was good! Byron Pringle! Pringle made multiple plays tonight, including one great catch down the seam. Pringle’s role is going to be expanded this season, and we saw some of that tonight. His timing with Mahomes was better than anyone else’s tonight. I’m not really a Pringle guy (he’s a quality WR4), but I do like that he’s been making plays in both games so far. He seems ready to step up a bit.
4: The Interior Defensive Line Has Had A Great Preseason
Defensively, the one unit that’s stuck out is the defensive line, particularly inside. They’ve been great in both the run game but also rushing the passer. I’ve loved what I’ve seen from Jarran Reed so far as a run defender. Khalen Saunders has held up well. This is all without Derrick Nnadi so far, but I’ve been encouraged at how well the defensive tackles have been holding up.
The pass rush on the interior also has been great. Chris Jones looks poised to have a Defensive Player Of The Year campaign, with improved explosiveness and agility inside. Tershawn Wharton has looked dynamic as a pass rusher, flashing elite explosiveness and motor in both games. Wharton looks better. Reed’s been great late in reps and had a cleanup sack in this game. We should be able to get interior pressure this season.
The defensive end room has been fine. Mike Danna has impressed me through two games. After him, I haven’t loved the room. Chris Jones did have a sack at defensive end, which was cool. We haven’t had Frank Clark yet. But the defensive tackle room likes great and is definitely a strength for this team.
5: The Cornerback Room Isn’t Bad!
My biggest concern about the Chiefs going into this season was the cornerback room. With Bashaud Breeland leaving, I was concerned about how they would replace him. Mike Hughes and Deandre Baker were both former busts, and they were going to be asked to play a way more prominent role in this defense.
But so far, both of them have been positives this preseason. Hughes has looked explosive on the outside, showcasing elite change of speed/direction on the outside. Baker hasn’t looked quite as athletic, but his ball skills have been superb this preseason. His hands are consistently around the ball. I question his lack of size/speed to play high-level snaps at cornerback, but Baker has a role in this room and has valuable traits for this team.
Now, my concerns aren’t gone. The lack of size from Hughes concerns me (also that he’s only played 20% of snaps over three years), and Baker’s poor athletic profile will always make me reserved about his future. But the depth of this group looks great already, and both Baker and Hughes are stepping up. So far, both have been positives in Kansas City.
6: Austin Blythe; Are We Sure He’ll Make The Roster?
One player that has received a lot of national buzz is Austin Blythe, mainly when the media discusses this new offensive line. But through training camp, I’m not sure there was any positive buzz about Blythe. I didn’t like his reps in one-on-ones at all, and there was little buzz about him. I started to wonder if Blythe was a lock to make the Chiefs roster.
After multiple preseason games, that thought started to grow more in my head. Blythe wasn't part of the second-team offensive line when the Chiefs’ offense came out in the 2nd half. Darryl Williams came out and played center, and Nick Allegretti was playing left guard. Blythe was playing with the 3rd-string, which concerns me about his roster spot.
When people would see the offseason additions list, Blythe was always on it, but he wasn’t good for the Rams and signed for the minimum. With the change to more power-based linemen this offseason, Blythe’s entire player profile is the opposite of that. He’s a lighter center with poor length and power. If this offensive line is changing its player type, Blythe is going to get cut. I’ll be interested to see where he lands on cutdown day.