I've been trying to look for clues from the Kansas City Chiefs players and coaching staff on how long the first team will play in the first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons but I haven't been successful.
"No [I don't know how much I'll play], I'm preparing to play a lot though," Matt Cassel said this week. "You never know how much you're going to play. I'm preparing to play the whole game if I have to."
We know he's not going to play the whole game.
Last year Cassel and a few of the Chiefs starters played almost the entire first half of the first preseason game. That's a little more than usual. Brodie Croyle and the second team offense came in with just over a minute left in the second half.
Can we see the same this year?
My guess is that it won't be that long. It'll be closer to a quarter. Last year Cassel came in his first year with a new offense, new players and needed to get acclimated to all of that. While there's still new stuff this year, it's not on the same level as it was last year.
This year the Chiefs offense and defense was installed in the spring and they haven't been adding a bunch of new terminology at the last second like they were last year.
To answer this question we turn to....you. How long will the starters play tonight? Is there an argument for letting them player longer or shorter?