Chiefs vs. Lions Preseason Snap Counts: Separation Saturday?

There's plenty to take away from how Kansas City divvied up its snaps in their second preseason game of 2024.

Aug 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates toward fans against the Detroit Lions prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs made progress in their second preseason game of 2024, but Patrick Mahomes and Co. remain winless as the month of August rolls on.

In a 24-23 loss to the Detroit Lions, the back-to-back Super Bowl champs held a lead for most of the game but couldn't hang on in the final frame. In the process, however, several players either helped make their cases for the 53-man roster or took a step back from where they were a week ago. What can be drawn from how Kansas City divvied up its share of work?

Now that snap counts have been released, what jumped off the page? Let's take a look at three notable takeaways from another week of Chiefs football.

Good morning #ChiefsKingdom

Snap counts from Saturday’s preseason game against the Lions ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SvrywJ05X2

— Jordan Foote (@footenoted) August 18, 2024

Starting offense gets a more extended look

Last weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mahomes and almost all of the first-team offense saw the field for just one possession. Six snaps weren't nearly enough to draw massive conclusions, and it left everyone wanting to see more of the NFL's top quarterback and rookies like Xavier Worthy and Kingsley Suamataia. Although Andy Reid didn't stick to his "plan" of giving the ones a full half of play, he did allow the first-string players to approach 20 snaps on Saturday.

Mahomes finished with 18 snaps against the Lions, accompanied by Worthy and center Creed Humphrey. Tight end Travis Kelce got just 13 snaps, and running back Isiah Pacheco's total was a lowly seven. Given how Reid has managed his final preseason games in the past, it's possible that Kansas City's stars don't suit up at all when the Chicago Bears come to town on Thursday. This may have been the best look anyone gets at the starting offense all preseason, and two field goals served as a mixed outcome.

Experiments likely over for players at running back, receiver

With Pacheco getting minimal opportunities and Clyde Edwards-Helaire missing Saturday's contest, the Chiefs had plenty of reps up for grabs at the halfback spot. Deneric Prince and Carson Steele led the way, as expected, with 22 and 18 snaps respectively. As the two most likely non-Edwards-Helaire reserves to make the roster, they commanded a large chunk of available reps. The players behind them barely played at all on offense, which doesn't bode well for their cases for the 53.

Following an underwhelming preseason debut, Keaontay Ingram got six snaps on offense and mustered nine total yards on two touches. Undrafted free agent Emani Bailey had five reps, logging two carries for no yards. International Player Pathway Program alum Louis Rees-Zammit may have played 10 snaps on special teams, but his four snaps on offense didn't see him get the ball a single time. It's clear what the running back hierarchy is in Kansas City, especially as roster cutdowns approach in just over a week.

Cornerback room sees an interesting split of reps

Trent McDuffie is the unquestioned leader of the Chiefs' cornerback unit, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo only needed to see him for eight snaps on Saturday. The competition for the job right behind him, though, is super intriguing. As the battle for the second cornerback gig rolled on, Jaylen Watson (shoulder) still wasn't on the field. That left Joshua Williams (13 snaps) competing with Nazeeh Johnson (28) primarily. Somehow, the story of the game in the secondary had very little to do with either of them. It's the supporting depth of the cornerback room that raised some eyebrows.

In his return from injury, Kelvin Joseph played a whopping 50 snaps on defense (and seven on special teams) and had a tumultuous game. While he had a forced fumble following a punt from Matt Araiza, he also got charged with a defensive holding penalty in the third quarter. Elsewhere, rookie Kamal Hadden (11 snaps) and second-year man Nic Jones (seven snaps) had limited chances to flash on defense.

Considering that players like Christian Roland-Wallace and Keith Taylor both topped 30 snaps, what does that say about Hadden and Jones? Heading into Saturday, I was very confident in Jones making the roster. Now, that might be worth questioning.

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