Chiefs vs. Bears: Making sense of the snap counts

The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Chicago Bears, 27-20, Saturday afternoon in their third preseason game of the season.

Here were the snap counts for the Chiefs:

Offense

Defense

Starters (offense): QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Kareem Hunt, TE Travis Kelce, WR Tyreek Hill, WR Sammy Watkins, WR Chris Conley, LT Eric Fisher, LG Cam Erving, C Mitch Morse, RG Andrew Wylie, RT Mitch Schwartz

Starters (defense): NT Derrick Nnadi, RDE Jarvis Jenkins, LDE Chris Jones, LOLB Justin Houston, LILB Anthony Hitchens, RILB Reggie Ragland, ROLB Dee Ford, LCB Dave Amerson, RCB Kendall Fuller, SS Leon McQuay, FS Eric Murray

Did not play: QB Matt McGloin, WR Josh Crockett, WR Jordan Smallwood, CB Steve Nelson, RB Kerwynn Williams, S Eric Berry, CB Keith Reaser, FB Algeron Brown, RB Ray Lawry, CB Step Durham, S Daniel Sorensen, LB Otha Peters, OL Jimmy Murray, OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, WR Daniel Braver, WR Blake Mack, DE Allen Bailey, DT Xavier Williams

Takeaways (in no particular order)

• Spencer Ware played 23 offensive snaps in his preseason debut.
• De’Anthony Thomas only played four offensive snaps in his preseason debut. The amount of offensive snaps worries me for Thomas. If Chiefs find that Tremon Smith is capable as a kick and punt returner, Thomas’ role on the team could become obsolete, giving way for the Chiefs to keep some younger wide receivers with greater upside.
• Speaking of those receivers, Marcus Kemp had 14 offensive snaps and 12 special-teams snaps, Gehrig Dieter had 13 offensive snaps and two special-teams snaps and Jehu Chesson had only three special-teams snaps. I think Kemp, who used his playing time to score a touchdown, is shaping up to be the Chiefs’ final receiver kept at the 53-man cutdown.
• Demetrius Harris, who is suspended Week 1, had just four offensive snaps.
• After sitting last week against the Falcons, rookie Chase Litton took all 11 third-team reps at quarterback this week.
• Safety Leon McQuay led all Chiefs defenders in defensive snaps with 45.
• In their preseason debut, Anthony Hitchens saw 43 defensive plays while Reggie Ragland saw 33. Perhaps Hitchens is a little further along.
• Tanoh Kpassagnon and Breeland Speaks were at outside linebacker for 31 defensive snaps; Starters Justin Houston and Dee Ford played 11.
• Chris Jones barely played. He was on the field for six snaps.