Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 19-16 Win Over San Francisco
After months of waiting between the Super Bowl and now, the Kansas City Chiefs' first game of the 2021 preseason is in the books. In what was a slow-developing game that got interesting late, Shane Buchele was able to lead the team down the field and secure a win.
Overall, it's worth reminding ourselves that preseason results aren't always indicative of regular season success (or failure). With that said, they can make a big difference for players on the roster bubble or those who are auditioning for roles elsewhere. At the end of the day, while only so much can be drawn from these games, they're still worth discussing. Here are my four takeaways from tonight's game.
1. The Chiefs' first-team offensive line is interesting
It wasn't a perfect performance, but there were several notable plays where I noticed something positive about the Chiefs' new-look offensive line. Trey Smith played with authority, Lucas Niang put together a very solid rep and the line as a whole generated a good initial push on multiple occasions. It was a limited sample size, but it's hard to look back on the first quarter and not be optimistic about the future of this group.
2. Mike Hughes, DeAndre Baker and Rashad Fenton are fun to watch
The Chiefs' depth at cornerback has been a cause for concern but on Saturday night, it played quite well. Not only was Hughes a factor in the return game, but he made several plays around the field and operated with aggression. Baker nearly had an interception, as did Fenton. If the cornerback room can collectively play solid football behind L'Jarius Sneed and Charvarius Ward, it will lead to a major sigh of relief for the front office and fans alike.
3. Pass rushers showed out in a major way
In the second quarter specifically, a multitude of Chiefs defensive linemen stood out with good plays. Tershawn Wharton, Khalen Saunders, Tim Ward and even linebacker Omari Cobb managed to catch my attention amid the action of the game. Saunders and Cobb, both players who have the odds working against them to make the team, needed to make statements in this game. They managed to do so, with Cobb recording a sack and three overall tackles and Saunders' pressure on the interior being legitimate.
4. Tommy Townsend has a rocket leg
Even if you take out his 66-yard punt that led to the 49ers taking over at their own one-yard line, the Chiefs' punter was fantastic. In total, his seven boots averaged 53.4 yards. I know it isn't fun to talk about punters, but the fact that Townsend was able to show off his range was an obvious plus. If he can parlay that into success in the regular season, the Chiefs will have a frequent advantage in the field position battle.
