The Kansas City Chiefs are out to get their first win of the new season on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, even if the result won’t count toward their official record at the end of the year. The preseason is a crucial time for any team in the NFL, but given Kansas City’s Super Bowl aspirations, it will be all the more important for the Chiefs as they look to finalize their roster ahead of their 2023 campaign.
Though the outcome of this game will be trivial by the season’s end, there is still plenty to compete for against New Orleans. Here are our five keys to the Chiefs’ first preseason tilt against the Saints on Sunday:
Minimize injuries
Andy Reid is keen to play Patrick Mahomes for at least one drive during Sunday’s action. Should the reigning MVP, or anyone else for that matter, get hurt in this meaningless game, it could have serious implications later in the season. Injuries are part of what Reid has to manage, and he’d be wise to minimize the time his starters spend on the field.
Feed the receivers
The highlights coming out of Chiefs training camp have been dominated by Kansas City’s up-and-coming receiving corps, so Sunday’s tilt against the Saints will be a perfect time for Reid to assess each pass catcher. It would behoove the veteran head coach to decide to throw the ball 60 times in this game if he can if only to get a glimpse of guys like Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio, Rashee Rice, and Skyy Moore against opposing defenders.
Get aggressive on defense
“Vanilla” playcalling is an annual preseason tradition, but with so much talent to evaluate on the Chiefs’ defense, coordinator Steve Spagnuolo should consider breaking out the rocky road, marshmallow swirl, or spumoni against the Saints. Getting Felix Anudike-Uzomah some looks in the pass rush and rookie defensive backs Chamarri Conner and Nic Jones opportunities to get involved early could help him determine where each might fit best on Kansas City’s depth chart.
Utilize Deneric Prince
Deneric Prince has been a standout at training camp as a versatile runner, and Andy Reid could benefit from giving him a significant amount of work on Sunday. If Prince can’t cut it against the Saints, he won’t be a viable option in the regular season, so now is the time to determine if he can cut it ahead of Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the Chiefs’ depth chart in 2023. If Prince gets less than, say 8-to-10 carries in this game, Reid will have done himself a disservice.
Let the quarterbacks air it out
That “vanilla” playcalling mentioned earlier is part of the preseason, and fans shouldn’t expect to see anything particularly exciting on Sunday. But, given that Kansas City’s offense makes its money on chunk plays, it would be nice to see Andy Reid let his quarterbacks throw deep downfield. Patrick Mahomes made a great impression on fans with his deep bomb pass to Tyreek Hill as a rookie in 2017 in his first preseason game, and it would be nice to see every Chiefs passer at least attempt to push the ball downfield, even if it results in interceptions
