The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for positives…anything that they can draw from in this first preseason football game to wash the bad taste of last year’s 4-12 season out of their mouths. The Chiefs are in Atlanta where they will play the Falcons tonight at 7pm.
Here are some things I’m interested in seeing in tonight’s game.
This will be a big game for Chiefs first round draft pick Eric Berry, a native of Atlanta, who skipped his senior season at Tennessee for the Chiefs and a guaranteed $60 million.
With only three quarterbacks, I would expect to see quite a bit of Matt Cassel. Usually, the first string QB sees a handful of plays and is out of that first preseason game early, but Cassel needs some reps. I think it would be wise if he played most of the first half.
The Chiefs had a good running game once Jamaal Charles emerged as the number one back last season, but he’s listed second on the depth chart behind veteran Thomas Jones, who has always performed well no matter where he has played. That will be an interesting battle to watch, but ultimately, if those two backs stay healthy, that could be a big plus for the Chiefs this year. Just remember, the last Super Bowl Jones played in was with the Bears when he and Cedric Benson formed a great running game behind quarterback Rex Grossman. So, not all the pressure needs to fall on Cassel. I’m not the Chiefs will contend for the Super Bowl, but solid pieces are falling into place for KC.
Going back to defense, I want to see how Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson look up front in Romeo Crennel’s 3-4 defense and linebacker Derrick Johnson, who has impressed head coach Todd Haley, will fight for a starting job.
Finally, I’m looking forward to watching Sean Weatherspoon, the former Mizzou Tiger, who was Atlanta’s first round draft pick. He’s gaining respect of his teammates. He can keep up with the speed of the NFL, now it’s just a matter of getting reps and polishing techniques.
