Getty Kansas City Chiefs tight end Jody Fortson.
The Kansas Chiefs were able to squeak out a win in their preseason opener, beating the San Francisco 49ers 16-13 at Levi’s Stadium Saturday night.
Despite what the scoreboard said, there was plenty else to take away from the first game of the 2021 season for a Chiefs team that is looking to make it to the Super Bowl for the third-straight year. Let’s detail the noteworthy things seen during the game.
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Mahomes Plays Just Four Snaps
Although head coach Andy Reid said the starters would play one quarter of football in the team’s preseason opener, we knew there would be some exceptions to that. One exception unsurprisingly was star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played one series and then was pulled from the game in favor of veteran Chad Henne.
Mahomes played a total of four snaps, completing 1-of-2 passes for four yards.
Offensive Line Strong in Debut
Yes, it’s against the 49ers backup defensive line, but this offensive line looks impressive.
Humphrey, Niang, and Smith looked really strong tonight. #Chiefs
The debut of Kansas City’s revamped offensive line was very promising. The combination of Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smtih, and Lucas Niang were on the field for Kansas City’s first touchdown of the game, which came late in the first quarter. They gave veteran quarterback Chad Henne a clean pocket to find receiver Byron Pringle in the right side of the end zone to put six points on the board.
Hardman Disappoints in Lone Opportunity
Third-year wide receiver, Mecole Hardman, who is receiving hype this summer as a potential breakout star in Kansas City, received one target in the Chiefs’ preseason opener. He dropped his lone target, which came on a third-down crossing route during Mahomes’ only drive of the game. That’s not an ideal start to the preseason for a player that is battling for the starting role opposite Tyreek Hill.
Chris Jones Dominant Self in Adjusted Role
Pro Bowl defensive lineman Chris Jones, who has been practicing as an edge rusher quite a bit during training camp, looked like his dominant self in the Saturday night showdown against San Francisco. The most notable play for Jones was on a third-down play when he shifted to the inside from the edge — something that he did consistently during his limited reps on the field — and took down rookie quarterback Trey Lance on his first offensive drive of the game.
Chris Jones welcomes Trey Lance to the NFL 💪
Chiefs Secondary Has Rough Outing vs. Trey Lance
The biggest blunder for Kansas City’s secondary came in the first quarter when most of the first-team unit was still on the field. Lance was under center for the 49ers, ran a bootleg play-action pass to the left, and had receiver Trent Sherfield running the opposite way and downfield past the Chiefs secondary unnoticed. The result was an 80-yard touchdown. Rookie Devon Key and Mike Hughes were the closest players in coverage on the play, and bit on the bootleg, shifting to the left which allowed Sherfield to get behind them in coverage.
TREY LANCE WITH AN 80-YARD STRIKE 😤
(via @NFL)
Another notable play was early in the second quarter when Juan Thornhill tripped and fell on a first-down play, which allowed San Francisco tight end, Charlie Woerner, to pick up 34 yards on a play-action pass from the 49ers’ one-yard line.
Jerick McKinnon Turned Back Clocks
One of the more exciting players to watch in the preseason opener was veteran running back Jerick McKinnon who looked like the old version of himself Saturday night. McKinnon, who missed two of the last three seasons due to injury and signed with Kansas City this offseason, had three carries for 19 yards and also registered two catches for 21 yards.
What will help McKinnon — who is currently listed as the No. 3 running back on the team’s unofficial depth chart — make the 53-man roster, isn’t just his play on offense. But how he performs on special teams will also significantly help his chance of being on the regular-season roster. He showed he can be helpful in the third phase of the game as well against the 49ers, making plays on punt coverage.
Jerick McKinnon making a great tackle on special teams. Coaches gotta love this guy. #ChiefsKingdom
Taunting Crackdown Evident in Chiefs/49ers
One of the more unfortunate rule crackdowns taking place in the NFL this season is taunting. That was evident in the Chiefs’ preseason opener, when running back Darwin Thompson got in the face of a San Francisco defender and was penalized for unnecessary roughness.
The NFL is trying to make the game more “professional” but is also removing a bit of fun for the players and fans watching.