Winners and Losers From Chiefs' Preseason Game Against Cardinals
The Kansas City Chiefs now have two preseason games in the books, and Saturday's big-time win over the Arizona Cardinals was a true team effort.
Beginning with an impressive showing from the starters on both ends and closing with a strong finish from the reserves, Andy Reid's squad had a wire-to-wire victory that put Kansas City in the "W" column for the first time since Super Bowl LVII. With one more preseason game to go and the NFL's roster cutdown deadline on the horizon, the next week-plus will be just as important.
For roster-building purposes, many players stood out during Saturday's game. Some may have helped their cases for depth chart or possible practice squad positioning with positive outings, whereas others struggled and need big games against the Cleveland Browns next Saturday in order to bounce back.
With that in mind, let's point out some of the Chiefs' biggest winners and losers from the second week of the preseason.
Winner: Shane Buechele
Following Shane Buechele's first-half interception in his 2023 preseason debut against the New Orleans Saints, I tweeted about his failure to justify the team's efforts to keep him on the roster. Ever since then, he's played some inspired football and performed at a high level. That continued against Arizona, as the 25-year-old completed all 10 of his passes for 105 yards and also had a rushing touchdown. The Texas and SMU product needed a strong preseason in order to lock up a roster spot, and it's now likely a formality that Kansas City will roster three quarterbacks once again.
Loser: Kahlef Hailassie
In the Chiefs' first preseason game, undrafted rookie cornerback Kahlef Hailassie had one of the best games of anyone on the field. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old from Western Kentucky, he didn't make any standout plays and failed to maintain the momentum he created versus the Saints. As fellow rookie corner Nic Jones sat out due to fractured fingers in his left hand, this was an opportunity for someone else to force their way into the roster math. Instead, Hailassie is firmly somewhere in the shuffle of practice squad candidates.
Winner: Ihmir Smith-Marsette
While the Chiefs' wide receiver room lacks a ton of proven players, there's no denying the depth of the unit. There may have been no greater example of that than former fifth-round pick Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who broke out with four receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Smith-Marsette was always an intriguing piece during training camp due to his special teams versatility in addition to his receiving chops, but neither was a standout trait until he made plays as a pass-catcher on Saturday. It's almost surely too late for him to make the team, but he reiterated that he could be a prime practice squad ace in 2023.
Loser: Dicaprio Bootle
Third-year cornerback Dicaprio Bootle may have finished second on the Chiefs with five tackles in Arizona, but he actively hurt his stock with his performance down in the desert. Collecting a pair of defensive holding penalties and failing to display sound coverage all night, the former Nebraska standout didn't make the most of his 24 snaps on defense. Bootle has always stuck around as a fringe roster candidate in Kansas City, so it shouldn't come as a massive surprise, but he didn't do anything to ascend on Saturday.
Winner: Rashee Rice
For the second week in a row, second-round wideout Rashee Rice dropped a pass. For the second week in a row, he managed to overcome it and flash his upside in Kansas City's offense. This time around, 85 first-half receiving yards and an 11-yard reception in the third quarter put Rice's versatility, contact balance, toughness and athleticism on full display. The rookie continues to reward the team for most reps handed to him, and his arrow is still pointing straight up.
Loser: Lucas Niang
Speaking of players who doubled down on their preseason performances, offensive tackle Lucas Niang didn't have the best outing against the Cardinals. Spending a lot of time on the left side of the line after being a right tackle a week ago, the 2020 third-round pick's lack of range and fluidity was exposed on multiple occasions. He still shows hints of the player Kansas City invested in coming out of TCU but with Prince Tega Wanogho and rookie Wanya Morris also factoring into the tackle picture, Niang's on thin ice for the time being and isn't helping his case to make the initial 53-man roster.
Winner: La'Mical Perine
As recently as last week, the Chiefs' running back depth chart was viewed as mostly cemented with a hierarchy of Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and rookie Deneric Prince. La'Mical Perine, hungry to force his name into the conversation, has done exactly that through two preseason games. On Saturday, he led all Chiefs rushers with six carries for 41 yards and also hauled in one pass for six yards. Perine's burst was noticeably better than any other Kansas City halfback, and he's making things much more interesting than expected as the preseason winds down.
Loser: Deneric Prince
With the rise of Perine, it's only natural to list Prince here despite the undrafted rookie out of Tulsa having a touchdown late in Saturday's game. Prince averaged just 3.3 yards on his six carries and after flashing serious receiving chops in training camp, the Chiefs once again opted against featuring him in that role during a preseason game. Instead of being a shoo-in for a roster spot, it's now worth questioning if Prince is seriously slipping in stock.
