Wonder why the Chiefs are playing Patrick Mahomes in the preseason? For this benefit
When the Chiefs step inside Arrowhead Stadium Friday night for their preseason finale, it will be their first appearance there since the one that sent them to back-to-back Super Bowls.
They’ll be led out of the tunnel by No. 15.
Yes, even after a heavier-than-anticipated workload in Arizona, coach Andy Reid is sticking with a plan to progress his starters — quarterback Patrick Mahomes included — as the preseason ages.
Kind of.
Mahomes will play. But will he play more than he did in Arizona, as the original plan outlined?
Not necessarily. Because of the extended snaps against the Cardinals — he took 32 and threw the ball 18 times — Reid stopped short of saying Mahomes’ time will see an uptick when the Minnesota Vikings visit Arrowhead Stadium.
“That was a long first half (in Arizona),” Reid said. “I wasn’t anticipating 45 plays, but that’s OK. We need the work, and he got good work in.”
As several NFL teams shelve some of their starters for the preseason — Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert and Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield are among the high-profile quarterbacks to sit — the Chiefs have marched on with offering their first-stringers a lot of time on the field.
More than anyone else, actually. The starting offensive line — Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith and Lucas Niang — played 41 snaps in the second preseason game, the most of any of the Chiefs’ offensive players.
Why?
After all, NFL teams managed just fine without a preseason schedule last season, wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly Mahomes. In the first four games of 2020, Mahomes threw 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Chiefs were 4-0.
This August, though, the preseason snaps aren’t as much about his progression as they are about establishing comfort with the focus of the Chiefs’ offseason — the offensive line. The Chiefs are set to start five new starters on the line, including three rookies. Mahomes has been spotted talking with each of them individually throughout practice, and he’s framed those conversations as educational. The linemen, particularly new left tackle Orlando Brown, are trying to establish a feel for where Mahomes prefers to sit in the pocket.
“I think it’s good for Pat, but I also think it’s good for the offensive line and Pat to see how that’s gonna work and for them to get a feel for him and (vice versa),” Reid said. “We’ve got some young guys. That’s why I left them in with (backup quarterback) Chad Henne — so they could get a little more extended work there. And really all five — we’ve got two veterans on the left side — but all five of them are new. We need to play. This gives us that opportunity.”
Throughout the initial two games — 36 snaps total — Mahomes has implemented his pre-snap reads and lingo, some concepts that don’t come up as often in training camp.
“I thought the guys have been on the same page and making the right checks when they’re needed,” Mahomes said. “So it’s definitely been a good first two games, and I’m looking forward to the third.”
In other words, although Mahomes might not need the reps, the Chiefs view his presence as a critical part of the development of an offensive line with three players who have never played an NFL snap.
“I think it helps all of it. It helps Pat. It helps the o-line. They’re still developing that chemistry,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “One thing we always talk about is the importance of over-communicating clarity. As long as the communication is there and everybody is on the same page, we will always find a way to make it right.
“But we gotta continue working on that, and that’s an aspect of when you got young players up front. You wanna make sure you continue in that continuity and building that chemistry so guys will know exactly what to do and how to handle those situations once the season kicks off.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.