The KC Chiefs look regular-season ready: Here’s what stood out in win vs. Washington
If the Chiefs’ 24-14 win over the Washington Commanders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium proved anything, it’s that their starters on both sides of the ball appear ready for the regular season.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards and touchdowns for a 125.3 passer rating in his two series Saturday, while the starting defense clamped down on the Washington Commanders in two series.
With this collectively efficient effort, the Chiefs’ starters cruised to a 14-0 lead before giving way to their backups in the second quarter.
“It was good to get a win there against a good opponent,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “Defensively, they’re very solid. Offensively, they’re solid. So, it’s good for the ones to get in and mix it up with somebody of that caliber.”
Mahomes’ stellar performance in limited action was even more notable because he was without wide receivers Mecole Hardman (groin) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), both of whom were out of uniform for the game.
NO TOP TARGETS? NO PROBLEM
A week after hitting six receivers on the Chiefs’ opening drive in Chicago, Mahomes once again spread the wealth in the first possession against Washington.
He found wide receiver Justin Watson, wide receiver Marques Valdes-Scantling, tight end Travis Kelce, tight end Jody Fortson and running back Jerick McKinnon during the opening drive.
Watson, who worked with the starters in place of Hardman and Smith-Schuster, turned in another strong outing with two catches for 53 yards on three targets. Fortson was on the receiving end of Mahomes’ 5-yard and 7-yard touchdown passes through the first two possessions.
“We had a couple of guys down today, and the other guys stepped up and made plays,” Mahomes said.
Mahomes has three touchdown passes in two preseason games, all going to tight ends (Blake Bell against the Bears last week and Fortson’s two scores Saturday).
“I think you all see the tight ends are going to be special,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, Travis (Kelce), and then having Jody and Noah (Gray), we can kind of throw those guys in interchangeably. When we get Blake back and have him as well, I mean, we can kind of interchange those guys and they can all make plays happen.”
Backup quarterback Shane Buechele entered the game in the second quarter in relief of Mahomes. The second-year pro completed eight of 15 passes for 70 yards, adding 35 yards rushing on five carries, before rookie Dustin Crum took over midway through the fourth quarter.
Defensively, the Chiefs’ starters stymied Washington’s Carson Wentz-led offense, limited the Commanders to 53 total yards on 11 plays, before Kansas City’s backup defenders entered the game. Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed recorded a pass breakup and linebacker Nick Bolton paced the starting unit with three tackles and a pass defensed.
In two preseason games, the Chiefs’ starting defense has played just two series and blanked the opponent before handing it over to the backups.
FORTSON GOES OFF
Jody Fortson had himself a game with the first-team offense, and it came in multiple-tight end sets.
His first touchdown came out of a 12-personnel look (one running back, two tight ends) alongside Noah Gray. The 6-foot-4 Fortson lined up wide left and had a smaller defensive back locked up on him, an obvious mismatch that Mahomes exploited with a perfectly placed fade pass.
Fortson’s second touchdown came in a 13-personnel package, with Gray and Travis Kelce also on the field. This TD was a result of Mahomes scrambling and finding Forston on the left side of the end zone.
Fortson, who finished the game with four catches for 19 yards and two touchdowns on five targets, was working on a breakout campaign last year before he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Washington in Week 6.
“It’s good to have Jody back,” Reid said. “Jody is a good football player who had a tough injury against this team last year, actually. So, it’s good for him to get out there and do well.”
KARLAFTIS AT IT AGAIN
The Chiefs used a first-round pick on defensive end George Karlaftis to bolster their pass rush, and he hasn’t disappointed through two preseason games.
A week after recording a sack and two quarterback hits in the Chiefs’ preseason opener, Karlaftis followed up with another sack.
Frank Clark and Mike Danna drew the start Saturday, but the Chiefs worked Karlaftis into the defensive end rotation ... and he didn’t disappoint.
“George is 100 m.p.h. all the time, and I appreciate that, the effort,” Reid said. “He’ll keep getting better (with) technique after he gets a feel on how these offensive linemen play him. He’s a talented kid, smart, wants to be good.”
BUTKER’S STRENGTH
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker said this past week that he believed his range was 70 yards under the right conditions.
He wasn’t kidding.
On a clear, sunny day, Butker put on a show during the Chiefs’ pre-game warmups, drilling one from 68 yards. Then, he moved back a few more yards to attempt a 74-yarder.
The snap from James Winchester was smooth, punter Tommy Townsend got the ball down for the hold, and Butker’s powerful right leg did the rest.
While the kick had the right height, the biggest question surrounded whether he had the distance because the ball seemed to be falling short. Nope — it crept through the uprights and was good from 74 yards.
The kick didn’t count in the box score, but there’s no doubt Butker can make such long-distance kicks — again, under the right conditions.
KINNARD WITH 3s … AGAIN
The Chiefs are expected to receive significant contributions from their 2022 draft class, which includes Karlaftis, cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson, running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Skyy Moore.
Unfortunately, tackle Darian Kinnard, the team’s fifth-round pick, might need to wait a little longer before he makes an impact.
For a second straight preseason game, Kinnard entered the contest late and worked with the third-team offense. His chances to work with either the first- or second-team units dropped significantly in training camp, and he finished up in St. Joe with the third and fourth strings.
Kinnard needs a strong week of practice and a good performance in the Chiefs’ final preseason game to have a chance of making the Chiefs’ 53-man roster.
INJURY REPORT
Cornerback Rashad Fenton suffered a groin injury in the second quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
“His groin tightened up on him,” Reid said. “It doesn’t look like it’s pulled, but it definitely tightend up on him, so we got him out of there.”
If Fenton misses time, the Chiefs’ depth is covered with L’Jarius Sneed, Trent McDuffie, rookie Joshua Williams and rookie Jaylen Watson. Williams and Watson worked alongside Sneed and McDuffie during the first two weeks of training camp while Fenton was on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list with a shoulder injury.
PARTICIPATION REPORT
Wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) and Mecole Hardman (groin), defensive tackle Chris Jones (back), tight ends Blake Bell (hip) and Matt Bushman and defensive end Carlos Dunlap did not dress for Saturday’s game.
Tackle Lucas Niang (knee) remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and missed a second straight preseason game.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs are off Sunday but return to practice Monday-Tuesday at their Arrowhead training facility in Kansas City.
They and all other NFL teams must trim their roster from 85 players to 80 by 3 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday. Then, it’s on to Thursday’s night matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Arrowhead Stadium.
This story was originally published August 20, 2022 at 6:18 PM.
