In only a few brief weeks, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs will likely be gearing as much as face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 of the NFL’s common season.
With two exhibition video games behind them, there’s loads to be enthusiastic about in the case of the 2022 model of the Chiefs. The beginning protection has allowed no factors and the beginning offense has three consecutive landing drives. It’s about as flawless a begin to the preseason as followers might have hoped for.
There are nonetheless a number of issues that elevate issues because the common season approaches. Because the coaches and gamers typically say, there are all the time areas the place groups can enhance. On this case, one aspect of the offense has been noticeably missing. There’s additionally a selected place group appears to be missing depth.
Listed below are two of the first issues for Kansas Metropolis after two preseason video games:
The working recreation
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The Chiefs haven’t completed a lot working the ball within the preseason and that could be by design to get Patrick Mahomes and his new forged of receivers stay reps. That stated, the working recreation hasn’t seemed notably good or efficient throughout the course of the preseason and that features the newest matchup in opposition to Washington.
“I believed it will be measuring stick for us presently of the 12 months and I believed (the offensive line) dealt with themselves effectively,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid informed reporters after preseason Week 2. “We will perform a little bit higher within the run recreation a part of it, however (the) cross recreation half, I believed was fairly environment friendly.”
Towards Washington, Chiefs working backs mixed for simply seven carries for 14 yards within the first half of play. They’d some moments the place they’d a possibility to make an affect on the bottom however didn’t, particularly the much-discussed first-and-goal run by rookie RB Isiah Pacheco. Total, the teaching workers appears to imagine the group is underachieving within the working recreation to date.
“It could possibly be so much higher,” Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy stated of the run recreation. “On the finish of the day, we simply received to ensure that we’re calling sufficient runs, however on high of that we received to present ourselves an opportunity and every part begins upfront. Our guys upfront are doing a (good) job, however on high of that we simply want to verify as a (working) again, that we’re doing every part underneath the solar to make it occur by being in sync and in rhythm. Ensuring we’re having the right reads after which on high of that, everyone simply thinks the run recreation goes with what’s going down inside.”
There are a whole lot of shifting components to the working recreation from the offensive line, fullback and tight ends executing their blocks to the working again making the proper choices. Actually, the large takeaway right here is that the Chiefs must follow working the ball a bit extra. It seems just like the starters may not get these stay repetitions that they want till the regular-season rolls round.
“There’s a whole lot of issues that we have to enhance upon and we’re going to proceed striving to ensure that we are able to attain the perfection that we wish to attain,” Bieniemy concluded.
Depth at offensive deal with
AP Photograph/David Banks
Ever for the reason that Tremendous Bowl LV fiasco, there was an elevated emphasis on offensive line depth in Kansas Metropolis. This 12 months they introduced in a ton of competitors because of the uncertainty surrounding the scenario with Orlando Brown Jr.’s holdout over long-term contract negotiations.
By means of two preseason video games, no gamers apart from the Chiefs’ beginning tackles graded out greater than beneath common in run-blocking or pass-blocking in response to PFF. The largest downside with the depth has been inconsistency by way of two probabilities to showcase.
Geron Christian Sr., who seems to be the group’s swing deal with this season, gave the impression to be the very best of the group. He solely allowed one strain to date this preseason, which was an ugly-looking sack in preseason Week 2. Prince Tega Wanogho allowed two pressures in opposition to Washington, however he posted a close to flawless recreation in 14 snaps in opposition to the Bears. Darian Kinnard and Roderick Johnson have seemed fully outmatched at deal with by way of two video games. There’s additionally the uncertainty surrounding the well being of Lucas Niang, who stays on the lively/PUP record.
Sure, the group can use Joe Thuney at both deal with spot in case of emergency. They will in all probability even flex Trey Smith out to proper deal with too. Nonetheless, if attrition hits this offensive line once more throughout the common season, will they actually be placing the group in the very best place to do these issues? The perfect guess could be to hunt enchancment at this place, that’s if there’s any to be discovered forward of the common season.
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