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On Monday, head coach Andy Reid told the media that he would be playing his quarterbacks by quarter, giving each a quarter to strut their stuff. It seems like an obvious way to give everyone a solid amount of reps, allowing Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray an opportunity to showcase their talents.
A full quarter for Alex Smith would be a slightly different route than the one he took in his first season with the Chiefs, although the goal of about one quarter appears to be the same.
Week 1
In the 2013 preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints, Alex Smith only played the first series which resulted in a touchdown. Halfway through the quarter, Chase Daniel came in and played until the end of the first half. Tyler Bray then started the second half and played until the 10:40 mark of the fourth quarter before Reid inserted Ricky Stanzi to finish up in the Superdome.
Week 2
The following week, Smith was in for the first half versus the San Francisco 49ers before giving way to Daniel. Daniel took snaps until the middle of the fourth quarter, when Bray was given two series. Stanzi did not get into the contest.
Week 3
In the third game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith played the entire first half and Daniel the second, along with overtime. Bray and Stanzi were nailed to the bench for the duration.
Week 4
Finally, the fourth game proved to be a bye week for Smith. Daniel played the first quarter before Bray came in to play the final three quarters of the preseason against the Green Bay Packers. It was easily the showcase moment for Bray, who played well by throwing for 169 yards and three touchdowns.
Ultimately, it will be interesting to see if the timeshare is different as the preseason goes on. Murray was drafted by this regime unlike Stanzi. Stanzi was never going to make the team last year, so it was easy for Reid to bench him early. Will Reid do the same thing with Murray, even if he struggles? It seems like a good bet Murray will see more snaps this preseason than Stanzi did last preseason.
We will find out on Thursday night.