Chiefs v. Packers: Are there surprise cuts around the corner?
The Kansas City Chiefs play their final preseason game Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers. What should interest fans going into this contest?
Mercifully, the Kansas City Chiefs take the field for their final preseason game on Thursday at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers. This preseason has been, in a word, relatively dreadful.
While that’s to be expected in most cases, this preseason gave further gumption to the notion that there should be little to no preseason moving forward. The starters barely play, the coaches barely scheme, and the product on the field is objectively poor.
That said, there are still a handful of interesting storylines going into the final preseason game. The final preseason game is the last shot for dreamers pushing to make the 53-man roster, or to put out good enough film to be signed by another team.
These are the last meaningful reps many of these players will see on offense or defense, and it’s imperative to their careers that they jump off the tape. It’s not uncommon to see a no-name player have a big fourth preseason game, and as fans, that’s the most you can hope for.
I spoke with Freddie Boston of Lombardi Ave, and he gave me some insight into what players are pushing to make the team going into the fourth preseason game.
Offseason Changes
Like two of the three teams the Chiefs have faced this preseason, the Packers had a wild offseason. After significant negative stories shed light on the relationship between All Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Super Bowl winning head coach Mike McCarthy, the team decided it was time to head in a different direction. With that, McCarthy was out and in his place now stands rising star and reputed offensive expert Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur has a very solid pedigree since he entered the NFL. The former Division II quarterback spent time as the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons, learning from Kyle Shanahan, and as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, learning from the latest and greatest offensive mind Sean McVay. He should have all the knowledge he needs to take one of the best quarterbacks in the league to new heights.
The question will be whether or not he and Aaron Rodgers can and will see eye to eye. Rodgers has had some difficulty in the past, as mentioned above, dealing with his head coach. Reportedly, he was not consulted about the hiring of LaFleur.
Even more, when LaFleur was hired he was allegedly told not to be a problem. Now, since this has all unfolded Rodgers has gone on record praising LaFleur’s mind for the game. It seems the two, at least at the outset, are seeing things more consistently than Rodgers and McCarthy. Only time will tell whether this is a match made in heaven or if the result will be all too familiar to Packers fans over the last decade and a half.
*Important Note: This scouting report does not include the final pre-game injury report for either team. As such, some of these items are subject to change barring any updates on the players mentioned in the article.