Important takeaways From the Kansas City Chiefs first preseason game

Isiah Pacheco Is Definitely Ahead of Ronald Jones

While most of this post has focused on bigger-picture takeaways over individual player battles, this one is an exception. Right after Isiah Pacheco was drafted he commented that he would “give 120%” and was “willing to take another grown man’s job”. Well, it’s starting to look like Ronald Jones might just be that grown man.

Going into training camp I believed that Ronald Jones’s spot on this roster was secure. While he doesn’t offer much of anything in the passing game I believed that his ability to run between the tackles and in short yardage would make him worth a bench spot. While I believed that Pacheco had a good chance to earn the number three running back spot, I really didn’t give him much of a chance to unseat Jones as the number two runner. Apparently, I should have listened to Pacheco because it appears the Pacheco hype has been justified.

After completely outplaying Jones in Camp, Pacheco got first-team snaps over Jones in the first preseason game. That alone is newsworthy. Just look at what the Chiefs did at receiver with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore. While Moore is expected to get first-string reps, the veterans (JuJu and MVS) are the ones that got to play all the first-string reps in the actual game. Jones did not get that same veteran treatment.

In fact, I don’t believe Jones even entered the game until third-string quarterback Shane Buechele came in. That’s not a good sign for Jones. The fact that Jones then failed to convert his one short yardage pickup makes things even worse. If Jones isn’t going to shine in that situation then what exactly does he bring to the table?

Pacheco ended the day with just three offensive touches for 11 yards, but it’s when he was used that should send a major message to everyone. Typically you would expect a 7th round rookie to play deep into a preseason game with the second/third string units. Instead, Pacheco got first-string reps and then was out of the game altogether by midway through the second quarter. That more than anything should signal that Pacheco is a player that this team is already expecting to contribute during the regular season.

Don’t be surprised if at some point in the final two preseason games the Chiefs give Ronald Jones an extended chance to show off what he can do—not to prove he should make the Chiefs, but as an audition for other teams that might be looking to acquire another running back before the season starts. Unfortunately for Jones, that’s just what happens when a younger player takes your job.

Besides Jones’s stock being down, there is one other negative takeaway from this game.