Game: Washington Commanders @ Kansas City Chiefs
Date / Time: Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 3 P.M. CT
Place: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
TV: NFL Network
Listen: 106.5 The Wolf (Kansas City residences only)
Wrapping up the final week of training camp on Friday, the coaching staff of the Kansas City Chiefs hopes to see more positive things come from the team on Saturday when they take on the Washington Commanders at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Kansas City got off to a fast start in the first half last week against the Bears, but the second half told a different tale as many of the Chiefs’ underneath players got ran over 19-0 on the scoreboard.
Head coach Andy Reid said earlier this week he plans to have quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the starting offense on the field for most of the first half.
“We’ll go somewhere (around the) first half with the 1’s,” Reid said Friday. “It might be shorter than that, but I’m just going to see how things go. Then the rest of the guys will fill in. Chad Henne won’t play this game like last year. We sit him and give the two young guys (Shane Buechele and Dustin Crum) some extra time.”
Of course, if history is any indication, Reid tends to over-embellish on how much time he plans to give his starters during the preseason. However, an ample opportunity for Mahomes and Co. to run their presumed new-look offense for an extended period of time will be something to watch.
Things to watch
– Quarterbacks
Yes. The quarterbacks will be something to watch on Saturday afternoon. Mahomes played one series against Chicago and went 6 for 7, for 40 yards passing and a score, throwing to six different receivers on that drive. Rather than make a quick read to one or two go-to guys, Mahomes is adapting to scanning the field and keeping the defense guessing. Watch for Mahomes to do more of the same on Saturday.
The competition between backup QBs has heated up a bit as well. While veteran Chad Henne has seen most of the favoritism to be locked in as Kansas City’s second-string signal-caller, the winds could be moving in a different direction that favors third-stringer, Shane Buechele.
As Reid said earlier this week, Henne will not play versus Washington, so Buechele should see a large portion of the offensive snaps like he did last week. Overall, he did well against the Bears, completing 12 of 19 throws for 99 yards, including throwing a dagger in the middle of the end zone to receiver Justin Watson for a 22-yard score. While the second-year QB made a few mental mistakes last week, watch for Buechele to have another terrific performance that could land him the second-string QB job behind Mahomes in the not-too-distant future.
– Ronald Jones
At first, veteran rusher Ronald Jones was projected to be the Chiefs’ second starting running back, creating a one-two punch with Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the run game. Instead, Jones had a tough outing last week against the Bears and finds himself as the third running back on the depth chart. Kansas City didn’t run the ball a ton against Chicago, and none of their rushers saw more than four carries. However, Jones led the Chiefs with the most touches (four) and was stuffed at the line on almost all of them, gaining just a yard for the entire game.
Jones does deserve some benefit of the doubt, working with a thring-string offensive line that struggled to block or create any rushing lanes. However, early speculating is that if Jones doesn’t have a more productive day against the Commanders, he may be in trouble for losing his roster spot as a potential trade piece.
– Isaiah Pacheco
Kansas City’s sensational rookie running back, Isiah Pacheco, was mentioned in last week’s preview, and the youngster didn’t disappoint in the sample time he was given. Pacheco saw snaps as a rusher, receiver, and as a returner for the Chiefs a week ago, netting 45 all-purpose yards off of two rushes, a reception, and a single return. His biggest play was arguably the pass he caught in the first quarter. Pacheco caught a pass in the flat around the ten-yard before immediately lowering his shoulder to break a tackle to move up the field for a five-yard gain.
Pacheco is showing early signs that he can do it all for the Chiefs, and watch for the coaching staff to continue giving him more opportunities from all three levels as a runner, receiver, and return man.
– Pass rush
The Chiefs’ pass rush showed up last week against the Bears, as six different defenders combined for five sacks. But that was against an average Chicago offensive line and developing QB talent. This week, the Chiefs face Carson Wentz and Sam Howell, who may prove to be stiffer competition in comparison to Justin Fields and Andy Dalton in Chicago.
Wentz is a former Super Bowl champ from his days with Philly and recently played for the Indianapolis Colts before signing with Washington last spring during free agency. Against the Panthers last week, Wentz threw for 74 yards on 10 of 13 throws. Meanwhile, Sam Howell completed 9 of 16 passes for 145 yards.
Look for some of the same guys that made some noise last week, such as Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, and Taylor Stallworth, to wreak havoc along the defensive line and get after both Washington QBs.
– History
Historically, the Chiefs are 4-2 against Washington in preseason play. However, this is the first Kansas City will play the Washington franchise with the Commanders nickname.
