Last week I wrote that the Kansas City Chiefs almost won the franchise’s first preseason game since 2023.
Well, this week, the team still didn’t win this one, but the losing streak is over!
Friday night’s game was the “rookie quarterback Garrett Nussmeier” show. And aside from one very bad interception, I thought he managed the game well and put the Chiefs in a position to compete for the win.
The big story of the night was the Chiefs’ first-team defense, which looked like it was in midseason form.
With cuts down to the 53-man roster around the corner, there were numerous guys who played well enough to at least make general manager Brett Veach’s job difficult this Sunday.
Here are five things we learned from the Chiefs’ 9-9 tie against the Seattle Seahawks.
1. Mansoor Delane is the real deal, Holyfield
There is a reason that his name isn’t Boysoor Delane — it’s MANsoor, because that’s what he looks like on the football field. So far this preseason, what we’ve seen out of Delane is a guy who can tackle and cover like L’Jarius Sneed, but is also a blue-chip athlete.
It’s hard to find cornerbacks who like to tackle, or are as good at it as Delane is. But more importantly, it’s the way he sees the game. He can read and react to what receivers and running backs are doing, and get downfield in a flash. Kansas City has a long history of fielding some of the best defensive backs in the league, and when it’s all said and done, I think Delane has the potential to be up there with the best of them.
2. R Mason Thomas looks special
No, that wasn’t the reincarnation of Derrick Thomas that you were watching on the field in this game. It’s been a long time since the Chiefs have had a pass rusher who looks this explosive on the edge.
I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of the pick back in April, but I’m quickly becoming a believer.
You may want to argue that Thomas isn’t going against starters in these games, and to that I say, a guy with a get-off like this is going to be a problem, no matter who he is going against.
This sort of speed translates into the regular season.
3. Marcus Harris played his way onto this team
If you didn’t know who Marcus Harris was before this game, you do now.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle was originally a seventh-round pick for the Houston Texans back in 2024. The 25-year-old lineman started his college career playing for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2019 and 2020, before transferring to Auburn, where he would stay until he entered the draft. In his final year at Auburn, Harris registered seven sacks, but it was his run defense that stuck out in this game. He has a low center of gravity, which allows him to get under blocks and disrupt the backfield.
4. This defense has a chance to be special
Beyond the impressive play by Delane and Thomas, the Chiefs defense played well overall, especially in the first quarter when the first team was out on the field. Guys in the secondary were flying around the field, and the pass rush looked explosive.
There is going to be a moment similar to the closing moments of Week 5 last season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, where the Chiefs are trying to make a goal-line stand to win the game. Except, this time around, I think Kansas City has the bodies on defense to make a stand.
When you combine the players they have on this side of the ball with the brilliant mind of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, you have all the ingredients to ruin someone’s day on defense.
5. We learned that there are still things we don’t know
- Will offensive tackle Josh Simmons miss significant time with his back injury?
- Is quarterback Patrick Mahomes really 100% good to go to play in this game?
- How will the Chiefs split the workload in the backfield?
- Will it be a 70/30 split with Kenneth Walker III taking the bulk of the carries?
- What effect will offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy have on the play calling?
Will the Chiefs be better than last season?
I think it is, but this is all speculation until they go out and actually do it in the regular season.
