Five Things to Watch in the Chiefs' Final Preseason Game
The Kansas City Chiefs are 2-0 in the preseason following wins against the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals, and now they will look to finish the preseason perfect with a win against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night. This will also be the first game in Kansas City since Arrowhead Stadium was renamed GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, so be prepared to get acclimated to hearing that on broadcasts and at games.
Here are the five things to watch in this contest.
1. The No. 2 and No. 3 Wide Receiver Options
With the announcement from Andy Reid that starters will play for much of the first half, we should be able to see a good sample size from the Chiefs' starting offense. There is still plenty of uncertainty, however, in regards to who will take the final two starting wide receiver spots on this team. We may have gotten some greater clarity in the second game against the Arizona Cardinals with Byron Pringle looking good, as he usually does, and Mecole Hardman making a spectacular touchdown grab.
With that said, I am hoping we can get some greater clarity with everyone involved in the race playing in this last game, including Pringle, Hardman and Demarcus Robinson. In my eyes, Pringle and Hardman have shown that they are better options than Robinson and deserve the second and third receiver spots, but I'm not sure if the Chiefs themselves agree or not. That battle will be worth watching.
2. Defensive Lineman Tershawn Wharton
One player who has really been on a tear in this preseason is interior defender Tershawn Wharton, who's compiled five pressures and a sack in 32 pass rushes — getting him a 91.7 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade as a result. Wharton is still probably going to end up as a rotation option with Jarran Reed and Derrick Nnadi getting more snaps than him, but he's showing some signs that he could be a better option than one or maybe both of them. Do not be surprised if we see Wharton have a breakout season and do not be surprised if he has yet another good performance in this game.
3. Wide Receiver Daurice Fountain
Another wide receiver to keep an eye on is, of course, the player who has most improved his stock in this preseason, Daurice Fountain. Fountain has been one of the Chiefs' two best receivers thus far, alongside Byron Pringle, with seven receptions on nine targets for 92 yards in total. He's also caught two out of three contested targets, showing he can make the tough catches with the cornerback right there fighting for the ball with him.
Fountain has shown more than enough to make the roster in my estimation, but that doesn't mean he will make it. He is involved in a tight race for the final couple of wide receiver roster spots, likely competing mainly with Marcus Kemp and rookie Cornell Powell. Fountain showing off for one more game could give him that much-needed boost to make it on the final 53-man roster.
4. Tight End Jody Fortson
This preseason has been pretty much perfect for Jody Fortson, and it's about time. Fortson has been a fan favorite and training camp darling with the Chiefs for the third consecutive year now, and it seems like he is finally going to make the roster after years of hoping on behalf of Chiefs Kingdom due to the potential he flashed as a receiver. In this preseason, he's also flashed much more than just receiving ability, with his blocking and special teams work receiving much praise from special teams coach Dave Toub.
Toub's praise of Fortson on special teams also lines up with the film review of PFF, as Fortson is the highest-graded special teamer on the Chiefs in PFF's grading system. With the receiving ability still showing itself, the praise on his progression as a blocker and receiving a shoutout from the special teams coach (who is considered a crucial person on bottom-of-the-roster decisions) it looks like it is finally "FortSZN."
5. The Minnesota Vikings' player to watch
This choice was a bit more difficult to find than the ones for the 49ers (Trey Lance) and Cardinals (Rondale Moore), and it's a choice that is less likely to stand out and excite Chiefs fans, but I found my pick. The Vikings' player to watch is Troy Dye, a second-year linebacker out of Oregon. Dye was selected in the fourth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft and he had a rookie season to forget, finishing with the worst PFF grade among linebackers with 200+ snaps played in the entire NFL.
On the other hand, Dye has had a good preseason so far. He's been the Vikings' highest-graded defender with 50-plus snaps for PFF thanks to having zero missed tackles on 12 attempted tackles and an interception in the second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Expect plenty of playing time for Dye in this one, as he is listed as a backup middle linebacker on the Vikings' depth chart.
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