The Kansas City Chiefs fell short on Saturday night, but even with a 20-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, we saw some good things and some not-so-good things. Still, it was better than bad.
Though the Kansas City Chiefs’ fourth-quarter comeback failed, the team fought hard until the very end. In the preseason, that’s all you can ask from the ninety players hoping to make the 53-man roster.
Anyone who watched the game knows the recent draft class had some brilliant moments, and even the harshest critics of this team had to be impressed with the way the young guys stepped up and made plays.
At the center was first-round pick Josh Simmons. The left tackle played two series, and for the most part, he held his ground. However, he didn’t exactly face a power rusher. It’s clear that if you are an undersized pass rusher, you won’t be touching Patrick Mahomes this season.
Kingsley Suamataia had some good moments, but he struggled to pick up blitzes. I don’t see his night as a failure in any way. After all, this was only his second start at guard, and with Simmons beside him, I thought they worked well together.
Mahomes only played one series, which ended with a one-yard touchdown pass to Jason Brownlee. We discussed in last night’s column how the wide receiver room is crowded, but the Chiefs will lose some players who could be productive on another NFL team.
Rookie receiver Jalen Royals had five targets and caught three passes. Tyquan Thornton also had an impressive night with a big first-down catch. I’ve stated this before, and I’ll repeat it through the Super Bowl — this is the best wide receiver class in Chiefs history!
Yep, I said it.
The biggest surprise, though, might have been that running back Carson Steele was the third running back on Saturday night. He was impressive, gaining fifteen yards on just three carries. I didn’t think he would have a chance to make the 53-man roster, but that might not be the case. Kareem Hunt also had a good game, relieving Isiah Pacheco, who had a nifty run on the first drive.
However, Brashard Smith’s performance was somewhat underwhelming. Admittedly, he was playing behind a third-string offensive line, but he still left some rushing yards on the field. Additionally, his game will get better. I’ll say he had some jitters playing in his first NFL game.
But backup quarterback Gardner Minshew had a solid second drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown run. He struggled during his first drive in the game, but the offensive line also struggled. Still, they pulled it together on the long touchdown drive.
On the defensive side, losing backup safety Deon Bush to a season-ending Achilles injury was a tough blow. He was probably going to make the roster. However, Chris Rolland-Wallace stepped up to play safety and made a key interception and a fumble recovery on special teams. He is expected to see a lot of playing time this season. If he can keep up the same effort he showed Saturday night, General Manager Brett Veach might not consider adding a veteran safety.
The second issue was the lack of a pass rush. The team only recorded one sack, and honestly, they didn’t generate much pressure on any of the three Cardinals quarterbacks. Yes, the defense was vanilla, but this defense needs to apply more pressure on the quarterback.
The defensive highlights were linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and cornerback Noel Williams. Both excelled against the Cardinals, showing why the Chiefs valued these players before the 2025 NFL draft.
I was impressed with their speed, tackling skills, and the adjustments they made once the play developed and they had to make plays. Bassa had a key short-yardage situation where he stopped the Cardinals’ running back, which led to a field goal.
Williams broke up a pass in the end zone, showing off his range and one-on-one skills. He also made a strong special-teams tackle and made a slick tackle behind the line of scrimmage on an attempted sweep by Cardinals running back, Trey Benson.
Overall, I was pleased with the effort, and I commend scout team quarterback Chris Oladokun for making the fourth quarter exciting.
Chiefs Notes:
- Cornerback Jaylen Watson left the game due to a concussion, and now he must pass the concussion protocol to return to practice.
- Head Coach Andy Reid said an MRI would definitively determine the extent of the torn Achilles tendon Deon Bush suffered, but indicated surgery is likely.
- Tight End Robert Tonyan led the Chiefs in receiving, and he could potentially be the third tight end after Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.
- Undrafted free agent Janarius Robinson recorded the only sack of the night. The undrafted rookie, last on the Chiefs’ depth chart at defensive end, could end up as a practice squad player for KC.
- Sixteen players caught passes from the Chiefs’ four quarterbacks, and it was nice to see so many get into action.
- Next up, the Chiefs will get ready for their second preseason game Friday night in Seattle.
