Chiefs 24, Commanders 14: 3 Observations in Loss vs. Kansas City
The Washington Commanders entered Saturday's preseason contest with the Kansas City Chiefs looking for their first win with the new name and will leave Arrowhead Stadium still searching for it.
While preseason performances can often be difficult to draw conclusions from, both the Commanders and Chiefs played their starters for the entirety of the first quarter and a little bit of the second.
As a result, it was a productive afternoon for Commanders head coach Ron Rivera and the rest of the staff in terms of learning more about the team. Here are three key takeaways from Washington's 24-14 loss to Kansas City ...
ROBINSON'S ROLE
One of the biggest stories of Commanders camp thus far has been the depth and competition within the running back's room. While J.D. McKissic wasn't able to suit up with a groin injury, there were still question marks surrounding who'd start the game.
The nod went to rookie third-round pick Brian Robinson Jr., who saw Washington's first three run plays and racked up a total of 14 yards on the drive. Robinson's quick, physical and decisive manner as a runner proved effective, as he finished with 31 yards on eight carries, averaging just under four yards per carry. The lanes weren't always there for the former Alabama star, but he kept his legs churning and found ways to maximize plays.
Second up was Antonio Gibson, who's still trying to figure out his role with the team moving forward. Gibson's first carry went for a loss of one, and he didn't see any more extended action until Taylor Heinicke and the second-team offense hit the field. However, once Gibson got his opportunity, he capitalized, breaking a 22-yard catch-and-run. He was Washington's leading receiver at the half.
MAHOMES OFF-SCRIPT MAGIC TOO MUCH FOR COMMANDERS' FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
Washington's starting defense ultimately allowed too many big plays to Kansas City's offense, but the Commanders can take solace in knowing that their defensive backs made several solid plays on the ball, and had the Chiefs' receivers covered initially on a handful of reps.
When in man coverage, lots of Kansas City's big plays came outside of structure, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes' scrambles led to receivers breaking to open parts of the field after Washington had the initial routes covered. An ounce of separation is all Mahomes needs, and scramble situations create too many factors for the defense to cover.
Unfortunately for the Commanders, their work in zone wasn't much better, as Mahomes picked them apart underneath for drive-extending first downs. No matter what Washington played, there was simply no answer to getting Mahomes off the field on third down, leading to a pair of 12-play, 80-plus yard touchdown drives by the Chiefs offense.
The biggest positive for Washington's starting defense was its stout effort against the run. Through the two scoring drives, the Chiefs managed just seven rushing yards on five carries. The sample size isn't large, but the Commanders' front seven held up well.
WENTZ, STARTING OFFENSE STRUGGLE TO FIND RHYTHM
The box score will ultimately show a solid day in the office for Wentz, who went 6 of 9 for 64 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions across three series. However, a majority of his completions were underneath passes, be it screens, outs or drag routes.
Wentz did have a good throw over the middle to star receiver Terry McLaurin for a gain of 18 yards off of play action, and he didn't force many passes, but Washington's first-team offense as a whole lacked explosiveness. Robinson had a solid day on the ground, but his longest run was nine yards - he's more a model of consistency than a home run hitter.
The most encouraging takeaway from the Commanders' starting offense, apart from Robinson, was the featured involvement of the team's top three receivers in McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel.
McLaurin and Dotson each hauled in both of their two targets, with "Scary Terry" finishing with 27 yards and the first-round rookie at 23. Samuel led the starters in targets with four, bringing in two for 10 yards.
The second-team offense looked like it had more juice, with Heinicke outpacing Wentz in completions, yards and touchdowns after just two series, though he did so against Kansas City's backup defense.
Washington's leading passer was rookie Sam Howell, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 122 yards, but threw a costly interception on the penultimate drive, setting up the Chiefs' game-sealing touchdown.
The Commanders will be back in action for the preseason finale next Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens.
