The Washington Commanders might just have their hands full and more Saturday in Kansas City.
The Commanders have several injuries making them thin at tight end and offensive guard. Coach Ron Rivera didn’t shy away from admitting he was concerned with how much of a risk it might be to have Carson Wentz out there too much as well.
On the other hand, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said most of his starters could play the entire first half. The exceptions at this point seem to be receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, as well as defensive lineman Chris Jones, who are nursing injuries.
The Chiefs finished 12-5 in 2021, winning the AFC West. Commanders fans may recall Washington hosted Kansas City on October 17 in a Week 6 contest. When Taylor Heinicke connected with Ricky Seals-Jones for a 39-yard touchdown pass, Washington had gained their first lead of the game (13-10) with 1:18 remaining in the first half.
Some will recall, leading 13-10 in the third quarter, Washington reached the Kansas City 20-yard line. After a four-yard loss, Dustin Hopkins missed a 42-yard field goal attempt which would have extended Washington’s lead to 16-10. The Chiefs then proceeded to outscore Washington 21-0 the rest of the way, running away from the home team for a 31-13 victory.
The following week, Rivera released Hopkins, who was then signed by the Chargers. Hopkins remained the Chargers kicker for the remainder of the 2021 season.
Patrick Mahomes returns as the starting quarterback after passing for a mere 4,839 yards last season. Tyreek Hill (1,239 yards) was the leading receiver for the Chiefs but was traded in the offseason to Miami for a boatload of draft choices.
Speaking of the draft, did you notice the Chiefs may have enjoyed one of the NFL’s best drafts this past April? The Chiefs with four selections in the first two rounds grabbed names that draft geeks (like myself) will certainly recognize. Trent McDuffie (Washington CB), George Karlaftis III (Purdue DE), Skyy Moore (Western Michigan WR) and Bryan Cook (Cincinnati CB) all received the call from Kansas City. Their third-round selection was physical Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal.
The Chiefs had playoff wins over Pittsburgh (42-21) and Buffalo (42-36) before losing in the AFC Championship Game to the Bengals (27-24). Though Hill is now a Miami Dolphin, the trades and draft may result in the Chiefs being better than they were last year.
But before I get carried away, this is only a preseason game.