The Chiefs are entering their second preseason game of the season. This time they’ll face off against the Steelers on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT. There are plenty of stories to follow during this game as the Chiefs prepare for the regular season. Here are five things to watch for as the Chiefs travel to Heinz Field:
Tight ends not named Travis Kelce
Tight end No. 2 is the top position battle to watch with Deon Yelder and Blake Bell both vying for the spot. They’ll be trying to improve on what they did last week against the Bengals. Neither Yelder or Bell had a perfect game as both had a couple of dropped passes, but they the two still made some good plays. Both had over 30 yards receiving, while Yelder scored a touchdown late in the third quarter and recovered a fumble.
If Bell and Yelder show that they can be reliable pass catchers, it will only improve their chances to get the backup tight end spot behind Travis Kelce. If I had to choose one player I’d guess that Bell lands the job, but I expect both Yelder and Bell to make the 53-man roster because Andy Reid is a fan of carrying three tight ends, even though the team didn’t carry three for most of last season.
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Young offensive playmakers
It’s no secret that Mecole Hardman is fast, but can he be more than just a gadget player? Fans saw what Hardman was able to do against the Bengals, including a touchdown on a jet sweep for 17 yards. He also had a nice catch where he broke a tackle for another nice gain. The most important thing while watching Hardman is seeing how well he runs his routes. It was a question coming out as he was rather new to the position, but the Chiefs want him to become an all-around receiver. If Hardman gets the opportunity to play with Patrick Mahomes and the first team, expect him to get the ball a good amount. Reid will want to see if the rookie has what it takes to be a key contributor to the offense.
Another young offensive player to watch is Darwin Thompson who also had a great outing against the Bengals. It’s nice to see Thompson is moving up the depth chart showing he could be a contributor on an already loaded Chiefs offense. He took over for Damien Williams and Carlos Hyde in practice during some goal-line situations at training camp this week. Thompson has impressed the Chiefs all offseason and if he continues this type of play fans should be seeing a lot more of him moving forward.
Both Hardman and Thompson will have to earn it, but so far they’ve impressed. I expect both Hardman and Thompson to make big plays against the Steelers, creating even more excitement for the two rookies.
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Juan Thornhill
Thornhill has been getting more work with the first-team defense this past week during training camp, resulting in him most likely starting against the Steelers. Thornhill has caught the attention of the coaching staff, making him one of the top players to watch during the rest of the preseason due to his great playmaking ability. I expect Thornhill will most likely be on the field a good portion rather it be with the first or second team as Steve Spagnuolo looks at what his new young safety can do against a respected NFL offense.
I want to see Thornhill make a big play this Saturday — he’s due for an interception after having hauled in seven at training camp. If Thornhill shows that he has what it takes to hang with the starters, he and Tyrann Mathieu could pose the most dangerous duo in the NFL.
The success of Thornhill brings up some questions one what the Chiefs plan to do with the current safeties on the roster, including Dan Sorenson, who could get significantly less playing time than he did in 2018 with the emergence of Thornhill.
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Better cornerback play
Last week against the Bengals, the cornerbacks looked less than impressive. In all fairness, it was the first preseason game, the Chiefs and Bengals ran their most basic plays, and the corners could still be learning the new defensive scheme. That doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t be concerned — the league is all about passing. If the corners can’t cover, the Chiefs may see a repeat of last year’s shootouts.
I’m looking for improvement at the position this week against the Steelers who have some young receivers that are a bit more explosive than the ones they faced last week. If the cornerback group fails to show that they can stop top NFL offenses, it may be time for Brett Veach to start looking for another corner to add via trade before the start of the regular season.
It’s also worth mentioning that newly acquired corner Morris Claiborne is unlikely to get significant minutes against the Steelers.
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New pass interference rule
There have been some questions already about whether the new rule is beneficial for the game. Last week the Chiefs benefited from the new rule as it gave their offense another chance to score after being intercepted by the Bengals, but it may not work in the Chiefs’ favor as the season continues and big plays are overturned.
The league might not review pass inference as much once the regular season starts — similar to the lowering-the-helmet rule last season — as league officials learn when it’s appropriate to review the play. Teams will also adjust and learn how to play accordingly to the new rule, but it will be interesting to see how much this impacts the Chiefs against the Steelers on Saturday and into the regular season.
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