Week 1 of the preseason is over and it didn’t go the Kansas City Chiefs’ way on the scoreboard.
Yet the Chiefs showed why they are a dark horse pick this season to represent the AFC in the big game. There is still a long way to go and though there is no “All-22” film available to fans in the preseason there were some clear talking points from Saturday that we’ll go over here.
Offense shined, defense struggled
The Chiefs took their opening drive 49 yards to pay dirt, looking quite good in the process. Reid doesn’t like to game plan for preseason games so once the Chiefs were just outside the 20 the protection scheme began to break down but Alex Smith kept his poise and kept his eyes downfield which is something we didn’t see as much his first three years in KC.
Smith’s throw to Maclin when scrambling was one of the toughest for any quarterback to make running left and keeping their wide receiver in bounds. It was a good start for Smith who despite looking to play for a full quarter, sat down after just one series.
The offensive line looked great in the run game but when the Seahawks began to send more guys the Chiefs players looked a little bewildered and got pushed back on their heels. This is something that will definitely be addressed the rest of camp as this line continues to come together as a group.
Next: What's the story, defense?