Chiefs’ Tyler Bray kills nerves in first preseason game of the season

While most of the attention was on Chiefs rookie Patrick Mahomes’ debut, second-string quarterback Tyler Bray put together a respectable performance in Friday’s exhibition game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Bray completed 5 of 8 passes with an interception.

“I felt great coming out,” Bray said. “I went out there and executed pretty well. Mistakes here and there, but they’re fixable. … It was my check down, I was stepping up in the pocket and just threw it a little too far outside.”

After starter Alex Smith conducted an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass, Bray took over on the following drive.

He wowed the 66,706 in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium with his first pass — an 83-yard touchdown to Chris Conley. But the play was called back for pass interference. Bray, Smith and Mahomes all had deep throws on their first plays from scrimmage.

“That’s just how it worked out,” Bray said. “Coach Reid called shots for us, and we went out there and hit all three of them. It was just a cool factor that we were able to successfully go deep each time.”

This is Bray’s fifth preseason. He signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Reid’s first season in Kansas City.

Bray added, “We went out there and did some pretty good things. Overall we can eliminate things and we’ll be alright.

This story was originally published August 12, 2017 at 12:50 AM with the headline "Chiefs’ Tyler Bray kills nerves in first preseason game of the season."