The Kansas City Chiefs begin preseason play today as the team heads to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears. The game will kickoff at noon central and will be broadcast on NBC in Kansas City. Andy Reid has stated that the starters will play in this game which adds some slight intrigue.
Chiefs vs. Bears: 5 things to watch
- Offensive fluidity. We think Mahomes may play just a series or two so it will be interesting to see if the offense is able to move the ball. Are JuJu and MVS getting involved? Will Skyy Moore get the ball in his hands out of the backfield?
- The running backs. We will learn a lot by who gets a bulk of the reps early on. Rookie Isiah Pacheco has been impressive in camp thus far, so can he show out with real bullets flying? If Ronald Jones is playing his way out, he may be relegated to just a few carries while the younger backs are showcased more.
- Backup QB battle. If Chad Henne, once again, has a stronghold on the backup spot then watch for Dustin Crum vs. Shane Buechele. There’s only room for one and Crum has been turning heads in training camp.
- Defense progress. This defense is getting younger, faster and more talented but coordinator Steve Spagnuolo knows there will be growing pains. Let’s see how this group operates in the first few drives of the game. The Bears are not exactly an offensive powerhouse so you would like to see a couple stops out of the gate. There are lots of young players in the secondary so let’s see who stands out today.
- Overall communication, preparation. Overall, you want to see an injury free game with good communication on the field. Turnovers, untimely timeouts and fundamental frustration is ill-advised from a franchise as well-established as the Chiefs. Winning and losing is not nearly as important as making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be and displaying solid fundamentals.
