While many NFL fans continue to bring up other names amongst the elite at the quarterback position, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has reminded us this preseason that he will continue to be one of the very best signal callers in the game. His performance helped Kansas City take care of business at home against the Washington Commanders, 24-14.
Washington Commanders Takeaways
Considering the amount of criticism Washington quarterback Carson Wentz has faced in his career, and the way he’s played in recent season, it is clear that any franchise looking to maximize his talent would want to build around him in a sufficient way.
That includes in the backfield, which is now all of a sudden is a very interesting place to monitor in Washington. In the last couple of seasons, it has seemed like the team wanted former Memphis University running back Antonio Gibson to establish himself as the main ballcarrier. He’s been decent in his two year NFL career, but struggled to take care of the football last year. Gibson lost six fumbles in 2021, which is an unacceptable number for a team that does not have a ton of margin for error on offense.
Gibson has battled injury during this season, and it seemed like rookie Brian Robinson was gaining on him. On Saturday, it appears as if Robinson may have leapfrogged Gibson on the depth chart, as the former Alabama running back took the first carry of the game, and handled eight rushes in total. Gibson had just two carries, but was heard from in the receiving game with three catches.
With one more preseason game left, it is anyone’s guess as to how head coach Ron Rivera will structure his backfield as we head into the regular season.
Kansas City Chiefs Takeaways
As noted above, Patrick Mahomes had a great game against Washington, going 12/19 for 162 yards and two touchdowns. It might surprise some people that the scoring passes did not go to players who have been prominently mentioned in the conversation to replace All-Pro Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins in March.
They instead went to tight end Jody Fortson, who is a second year tight end out of Valdosta State. By all accounts, he does not figure to be in the mix as a passing game threat for the Chiefs in 2022, seeing as though he has five career catches. However, his performance on Saturday just goes to remind fans that Kansas City, and specifically, head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, are extremely creative in their play calling.
They’ve had superstars play alongside Mahomes who will put up most of the production and give defenses nightmares about how to stop them. But the team also uses reserves in special formations around the goal line, and are not afraid to give players a chance. While it is unlikely we see Fortson’s name pop up again, his play on Saturday is a reminder that the Chiefs should be fine with their revamped offense.
