The preseason is inching closer to its end as the Chiefs prepare to take on the 49ers for the third preseason game. Here are five things to watch for during the game on Saturday.
The return of DAT
De’Anthony Thomas is back with the Chiefs after spending the majority of the offseason as a free agent. Thomas may have a new jersey number, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a veteran of the team. The receiver is another speedy addition to the fastest receiver group in the NFL. However, Thomas’ impact will be felt most on special teams. Thomas was a kick and punt returner for the Chiefs and had found success at that position early in his career. He’s a longtime favorite of special teams coach Dave Toub.
The addition of Thomas has a major impact on a couple of players trying to make the roster, including Tremon Smith. The only chance Smith has to make the roster was as at returner because of the depth the Chiefs have at running back and wide receiver.
Thomas is already getting repetitions with the first-team offense. He’s even shown a little chemistry with Patrick Mahomes as early as his first practice back. I believe Thomas will get plenty of playing time against the 49ers and have a big impact with the team in the regular season.
The signing of Thomas may also help determine Cody Thompson or Byron Pringle makes the roster. I don’t see either Thompson or Pringle beating out Thomas, but this creates some competition that wasn’t there before. Can either of them step it up this Saturday or in preseason Week 4? They’ll need to if they want to secure a spot on the final 53-man roster.
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The rotation with Jeff Allen
I would imagine that Allen gets a good amount of playing time against the 49ers because he already has knowledge of the playbook since he was on the 2018 team and started three games after replacing an injured Cameron Erving.
Allen brings veteran experience and can play every position on the offensive line, which will give the Chiefs flexibility heading into the regular season. It will be interesting to see where Allen plays Saturday. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing multiple positions so Andy Reid can see where Allen fits best.
Reid talked earlier this week about the idea of rotating the versatile lineman to help make the best possible lineup for the regular season, and also to ensure that they’re getting repetitions at every possible position they can play.
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How much Tyrann Mathieu and the starting defense play
The 49ers starting offense is supposedly getting the first half, so I would hope to see the Chiefs starting defense play for the same amount of time.
The Chiefs have yet to play against a starting quarterback this preseason for more than a drive. If given the opportunity to play Jimmy Garoppolo a whole half will be a good test to see how much this defense has come since last season. It’ll be a big test for Garoppolo, who was injured against the Chiefs during the regular season last September.
This could be another opportunity to see Mathieu, who he hasn’t had more than just a couple of plays with the defense. Last week he suffered a shoulder injury against the Steelers. Mathieu was brought out of the game more out of precaution, and it’s not clear if he’ll get any playing time Saturday. I believe we will see Mathieu get a couple of drives this week as we get closer to the start of the regular season.
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Bounce-back game for Carlos Hyde?
Hyde didn’t have a great game against the Steelers last week. He lost a fumble, which is never a good thing. The saving grace was that he averaged 4.6 yards a carry. He really needs to have a standout performance and bounce back this week against the team that drafted him.
One reason that Hyde will need a perfect game is that rookie Darwin Thompson is gunning for his job. Thompson had another great preseason performance against the Steelers and is building momentum. It feels like Hyde has moved down the depth chart due to the strong play of Thompson, even though the Chiefs haven’t officially made that change.
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Morris Claiborne introduction
The Chiefs signed Claiborne after the first week of the preseason. They were not able to get him up to speed and on the field against the Steelers last week, but there is a good chance that fans will get to see him this week.
It is still uncertain how much playing time Claiborne will get because he will be serving a four-game suspension to begin the season, but it’s highly possible that he gets significant action. He could even get some time with the first team against the 49ers.
I believe if Claiborne has a good game this Saturday and neither Charvarius Ward nor Herb Miller takes the next step during the suspension, Claiborne will be the starting corner come Week 5.
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Bonus: Hope for a dysfunctional 49ers team
A little bonus thing to watch this week: This offseason the Chiefs traded Dee Ford to the 49ers for a second-round draft pick. The worse the 49ers do this season, the better the draft pick the Chiefs will get in 2020. Fans should be hoping to see a dysfunctional 49ers team this Saturday for that reason.
The Chiefs may well end up with two picks within the top 50 of the 2020 draft. That’d make Brett Veach a happy general manager after a few years of not having a lot of high draft picks.
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