Arrowhead Pride
Preseason games can be fun to watch. Sometimes we get a glimpse of what a team will look like in the regular season. Sometimes we can try to judge the depth of a team compared to its opponent.
But the Kansas City Chiefs’ 33-16 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks wasn’t fun to watch. Sometimes the Chiefs looked like they were going through the motions, letting the Seahawks run all over them. Some of the highlights came from guys like wide receiver Skyy Moore or cornerback Nazeeh Johnson, who also had serious struggles. Other highlights were followed by failures — like Bryan Cook’s terrific fourth-down play that was wasted when the offense immediately gave up a safety.
So how can we assess winners and losers from a game like this one? We’ll give it a shot… but we’ll hope we never have to watch the game again.
Tight end Robert Tonyan: If there’s one veteran who has consistently shown up at training camp and on the field, it’s this eighth-year veteran. It doesn’t seem to matter which quarterback is throwing the ball. They all find Tonyan in those open areas that Travis Kelce has exploited for years. Against the Seahawks, Tonyan logged five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. If there’s a competition to become the Chiefs’ third tight end (after Kelce and Noah Gray), Tonyan could not have done much more to make his case.
Running back Isiah Pacheco: In this offseason, many expected to see a big upgrade in the Chiefs’ running back group. But what if the upgrade was already there? Pacheco has been a standout in the preseason, displaying the explosiveness he seemed to lack in 2024. Many starters didn’t play on Friday night — and Pacheco didn’t play much — but his lone touch was an electric 22-yard catch-and-run. This offense needs big plays from its running backs, and there’s once again hope that they come from No. 10.
Running back Brashard Smith: No… he doesn’t look like an every-down back — but we knew that already, right? Smith showed us some positive signs on Friday — including turning a loss into a 10-yard gain by spinning out of the backfield in the third quarter. He’s got the speed to break big plays, along with the route-running ability to be a threat in the passing game. If Kansas City can be creative, he’ll be able to contribute.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew: Unless he’s mopping up in a big win, we all hope that the preseason is the only time we’ll see the backup quarterback play. But Minshew is fun to watch — and he’s executed well in the preseason. On Friday, he gave another steady, efficient performance, going 7-9 passing and moving the ball with his legs. His rollout touchdown throw to Tonyan showed how a backup quarterback with limited opportunities can win the hearts and minds of Kansas City fans.
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