One should never draw many conclusions from preseason football. But there may have been a sign of things to come from Kansas City’s offense over the weekend.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in for one efficient drive in the Chiefs’ exhibition opener against the Bears, finishing 6-of-7 for 60 yards with a 5-yard touchdown to tight end Blake Bell. What’s notable about Mahomes’ brief appearance is that each of his six completions went to a different receiver. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was the only player to be targeted more than once, and his first target was the only incompletion.
“I think it’s going to be a lot like that this year. It’s going to come from everywhere,” Mahomes said after the game. “You saw kind of six different receivers. JuJu [Smith-Schuster] didn’t even get a catch.”
Fullback Michael Burton got the first catch. Receiver Mecole Hardman, tight end Travis Kelce, Valdes-Scantling, running back Isiah Pacheco, and Bell were the others who made receptions on Mahomes’ drive.
“It’s going to be hard for teams to game plan against,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, Travis [Kelce] is going to probably have a lot of catches. That’s just who he is.
“Other than that, it’s going to come from the whole group, and I think the guys have kind of embraced that and know that whenever their number does get called, they’re going to play, and if the other guy makes the play, they’re going to be happy for him. That’s what you want on a team and as an offense.”
The AFC West should be one of the league’s most competitive divisions this season. But in evolving their offense after trading Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs may keep their hold on the top spot above the Raiders, Chargers, and Broncos.
