Done tuning up, Kansas City Chiefs’ No. 1 offense leads way to 28-25 win over Vikings
Chiefs coach Andy Reid saw enough out of his starters in just two series Friday night against the Minnesota Vikings.
Understandable. The Chiefs jumped out to a 14-3 lead with quarterback Patrick Mahomes engineering two impressive scoring drives before cruising to a 28-25 win at the newly unveiled GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Friday night capped a 3-0 preseason for Kansas City and served as a dress rehearsal for the Chiefs’ regular-season opener here on Sept. 12 against Cleveland.
“I thought they did a nice job, a heck of a job,” Reid said of his team’s performance. “I thought both sides of the ball and special teams did well.”
Here’s what stood out in the Chiefs’ final tune-up before the game count for real.
STARTING OFFENSE IN MIDSEASON FORM
The Chiefs’ starting offense put on a show in limited action.
Mahomes was near perfect, completing 8 of 9 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns for a 158.3 passer rating.
He looked particularly sharp on the Chiefs’ first series, connecting with tight end Travis Kelce for 28 yards before finding wide receiver Tyreek Hill for 35 yards and a touchdown down the right sideline. Defended by former Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland, Hill took advantage of the mismatch by easily getting past Breeland at the snap.
On the Chiefs’ second series, Mahomes and the offense put together a 10-play, 75-yard drive that culminated when the quarterback connected with tight end Blake Bell for a 5-yard touchdown pass.
With running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) and Darrel Wiliams (concussion) not dressed for the game, Jerrick McKinnon drew the start and totaled 16 yards on three carries with Mahomes in the game.
NO WORRIES ON DEFENSE, EITHER
Minnesota’s starting offense didn’t enjoy the same success as the Chiefs’.
The Chiefs’ starting defense saw two series before numerous backups took the field. By then, the first-team unit had limited the Vikings to a field goal, and linebacker Anthony Hitchens had dropped Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins for a 9-yard loss.
Kansas City’s starting defense enjoyed a strong preseason. The Chiefs first-teamers didn’t allow a touchdown (touchdowns scored by the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals came against the Chiefs’ backups).
While tempering enthusiasm over preseason performance is justified, especially considering some teams don’t play their starters much, the Chiefs’ defense looked the part in these three exhibition games.
“I think we’re feeling pretty good,” second-year linebacker Wilie Gay Jr. said.
14 PERSONNEL
The Chiefs have a decision to make on tight end Jody Fortson, but they took advantage of his presence Friday night with a unique look.
On their second touchdown, the Chiefs used all four tight ends on the roster in a goal-line package: Fortson, Travis Kelce, Blake Bell and rookie Noah Gray.
Gray and Fortson lined up wide, while Kelce and Bell lined up as in-line blockers before the snap. Bell snuck underneath the coverage and was wide open for the touchdown grab.
The Chiefs boast an athletic group of tight ends ahead of Tuesday’s NFL roster deadline — all teams must pare their rosters to 53 players — and could give opponents trouble with a 14-personnel look if they ultimately decide to keep Fortson.
“We can be very flexible,” Mahomes said. “We can put all receivers on the field, we can put all the tight ends on the field at times, whenever it is.
“To be able to do that in this league, we’re going to be flexible; we’re going to be able to throw change-ups at the defenses.”
BUBBLE WATCH
Wide receiver Daurice Fountain entered Friday night’s game needing another good showing to make a push for the 53-player roster.
The Chiefs appeared to give him opportunities after the starters exited the field, targeting him a team-high seven times. Fountain finished with three catches for 26 yards. Whether that was enough to make the regular-season roster remains to be seen.
Defensive end Demone Harris made two tackles as he tries to put himself in position to be a part of the pass-rush rotation behind Frank Clark, Chris Jones, Mike Danna, Alex Okafor and rookie Joshua Kaindoh. Tim Ward also turned in a good game, totaling three tackles, a sack, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble.
But rookie receiver Cornell Powell’s disappearing act continued in the team’s preseason finale. After totaling three catches for 26 yards in the previous two games, the Chiefs’ fifth-round pick of the 2021 NFL Draft was targeted twice Friday night and finished with a single catch for 8 yards.
Given the Chiefs’ current depth at his position, Powell arguably hasn’t done enough to make the roster.
Running back Derrick Gore might not make the roster, either, but he put a strong performance on tape for other teams in the event he’s released. Gore amassed 106 total yards, including an electrifying 56-yard open-field scamper for a touchdown after a short catch.
“It was good to get the young guys in,” Reid said. “They got some extended play there.
“I thought that was good for them. It gives (general manager) Brett (Veach) an opportunity to go back and evaluate one more time some of those guys that he’s got tough decisions on.”
LEADERBOARD
- Rookie quarterback Shane Buechele completed 20 of 33 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns with an interceptions for an 89.3 passer rating. With the recent release of Anthony Gordon, Buechele is the clear No. 3 signal-caller on the Chiefs’ roster.
- First-year defensive lineman Tyler Clark made a team-high six tackles, while defensive tackle Austin Edwards came up big in the fourth quarter with a run-stuffing tackle to kill a Vikings drive inside the Chiefs’ 10-yard line.
NOT SUITED UP
The Chiefs were without defensive end Frank Clark (hamstring), defensive end Chris Jones (illness), guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (hand), running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle), center Austin Blythe (sports hernia), cornerback Rashad Fenton (hamstring) and running back Darrel Williams (concussion protocol).
Offensive lineman Kyle Long (knee) and rookie defensive end Malik Herring (knee) remain on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
INJURIES
Reid said there were no injuries from Friday night’s game, a plus for the regular season.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs need to trim their roster from 80 players to 53 by Tuesday’s league-wide deadline. Then they open the regular season by hosting the Browns at Arrowhead on Sept. 12.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 10:57 PM.
