KC Chiefs vs Cincinnati Bengals snap counts & analysis | The Kansas City Star
Huge drop off in playing time for Okine, Rush and March-Lillard, who has seemingly been vaulted on the depth chart by Smith, Eligwe, Pierre-Louis, Wilson and Johnson. The lack of work for March-Lillard is a surprise. He earned the starting job out of camp last year, and has shown a nose for the ball as a weakside inside guy. If he doesn’t make the team, somebody is going to get a really good player.
Alex Smith is KC Chiefs' starting QB, and there's "no gray area" | The Kansas City Star
Given how well rookie Patrick Mahomes has played in the Chiefs’ first two preseason games, perhaps it was only a matter of time before Chiefs coach Andy Reid was asked if Mahomes had a chance to become the No. 1 quarterback over Alex Smith.
Confronted with that very question on Monday, Reid gave the answer you’d expect.
“That’s not where we’re at — it’s Alex’s job, that’s how we’re doing it,” Reid said.
Patrick Mahomes changes KC Chiefs QB dynamic | The Kansas City Star
“There’s more competition than before by the nature of it, and as a result I think he’s come out with his best camp,” Reid said.Smith’s performance in the Chiefs’ first two preseason games is another indication. He played one series in the opener against the 49ers and engineered a touchdown drive. His two possessions last weekend at Cincinnati produced a field goal and touchdown pass. In those two games, Smith was 12 for 15 with a passer rating of 125.3.
A great example of how Tyreek Hill’s speed helps Travis Kelce | Arrowhead Pride
We all remember Kelce’s 36-yard catch early in the Chiefs preseason game on Saturday night in Cincinnati. Alex dropped it perfectly into his hands between two defenders.
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger highlighted how the Bengals defended on this play:
Top 5 AFC Teams To Beat The Patriots In A Playoff Game In Foxboro | CBS Boston
The pass-rushing tandem of Tamba Hali and Justin Houston was at its peak in 2014. The duo is older now, but still capable. In the secondary, safety Eric Berry and cornerback Marcus Peters lead one of the NFL’s best defensive backfields.
The Chiefs have the ammo on defense to give the Patriots a hard time, it’s the Alex Smith-led offense that hurts their chances. Even with perennial Pro Bowl weapons in tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs may struggle to score enough points to keep up with the Patriots.
As far as the NFL goes, two teams in particular are closer than the rest when it comes to totality: the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs. Nashville, home of the Titans, is actually one of the best large cities in which to view the eclipse, and the Titans have already moved a practice session so the team can see it themselves on the practice field:
Chiefs' Kareem Hunt secured playing time with big game against Bengals | ESPN
What caught the Chiefs' attention from Hunt was his blocking. In particular, it was the block he threw that took out two Bengals at once and allowed Alex Smith the time to complete a pass to Anthony Sherman on a fourth-down play. The Chiefs scored the first touchdown of their 30-12 win two plays later.
KC Chiefs activate Parker Ehinger off PUP, LG competition grows | The Kansas City Star
Safety Eric Berry (heel) and defensive end Chris Jones (knee) participated in Monday’s non-padded practice. Both missed the Chiefs’ first two exhibition games with their respective injuries.