What we learned from Kansas City Chiefs’ 26-13 preseason loss to Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs fans were able to get a brief glimpse at the starters during Saturday’s preseason-opening 26-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
The verdict? Some good and some bad, with at least one prominent injury to note concerning receiver Hollywood Brown.
KC’s first-team offense was in for one series, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes completing 3 of 4 passes for 27 yards. Harrison Butker capped that drive with a 45-yard field goal.
That was it for the offensive starters, who mostly did not return for the second possession. Notably, those sub-outs included rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia, who appears to be the heavy favorite to win the left tackle job.
To be fair, Suamataia’s primary competitor, Wanya Morris, did not play Saturday because of a knee injury. Suamataia dominated the first-string reps in training camp before that occurred, however, and appears to be the Chiefs’ favored choice after they traded up to select him in the second round of April’s draft.
As far as backups go, running back/fullback Carson Steele was a standout while trying to earn a spot on the back end of the roster.
Steele forced multiple missed tackles while rushing four times for 29 yards, later finishing off the Chiefs’ only touchdown drive with a 1-yard score.
Here are a couple of the other storylines from the Chiefs’ opener.
Newcomer Hollywood Brown injured, taken to hospital
Brown had a shortened debut for the Chiefs, hurting his clavicle on the team’s first offensive play following an 11-yard reception. He came out of the game and didn’t return.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game that Brown was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Reid said Brown had the same injury that former receiver Tyreek Hill suffered in September 2019.
In that instance, Hill missed four games before returning.
“I think he’ll miss some time,” Reid said of Brown after the game. “We’ll just see where it’s at. We’re kind of going through it right now. We’ll know more later on here.”
Brown, who signed a one-year free-agent deal with KC in March, has battled injuries often during his five previous NFL seasons.
New NFL kickoff rule bites Chiefs
The preseason was supposed to be a testing ground for the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff rule.
KC learned this much in the opener: A return can go for big yardage if not covered properly.
The Chiefs had a handful of missed tackles on their first new kickoff attempt, as Jacksonville’s Parker Washington weaved through traffic for a 73-yard return to the Chiefs’ 20.
Jacksonville finished off the drive with a touchdown four plays later.
Just before halftime, the Jaguars also broke free for another extended return, as Tank Bigsby brought a kick back 44 yards before tripping at midfield.
Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman also surrendered two points on a safety when he unsuccessfully tried to kneel a kickoff in the end zone.
This story was originally published August 10, 2024 at 9:15 PM.
