Three Takeaways From Day 5 of Chiefs Training Camp
The last day of helmets only has come and gone for the Chiefs. Here's what I took away from St. Joseph.
It was another great day in St. Joseph, Missouri as the Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the final time this camp without pads on. Today showed good things for both sides of the ball but also showed some things that still need some work.
Here’s what you need to know about today’s practice.
Following their day off yesterday, tight end Travis Kelce was back in action after missing the first few practices with back and hip tightness. He didn’t appear to be affected at all as he made some plays in the team session that got the crowd excited.
Safety Juan Thornhill tweaked his groin and left practice early this morning. He walked off the field and up the hill on his own power.
Tackle Mike Remmers (back spasms) and running back Darwin Thompson (COVID-19 protocols) were not out on the field. Linebacker Ben Niemann (hamstring), tight end Nick Keizer (back), offensive lineman Kyle Long (knee), defensive end Malik Herring (knee) were all rehabbing in the tent today.
Safety Armani Watts (foot) and linebacker Anthony Hitchens (hamstring) were back to work today but didn’t play in the team periods.
Not too much on the press conference front today as offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy spoke to the media today for the first time in a while. Bieniemy commented on today’s practice and said it wasn’t a very good day.
He said wide receiver Mecole Hardman is “working hard and working on the details,” and running back Jerrick McKinnon has been a dynamic addition to the offense. Bieniemy also commented on the “drama” surrounding a race between Tyreek Hill and Usain Bolt. He said he would side with Bolt in a race.
Both defensive tackle Jarran Reed and defensive back Will Parks also spoke to the media
Here are my thoughts from today’s practice.
Don’t worry about Patrick Mahomes’s interceptions.
I know there were a lot of sarcastic replies to my tweet reporting Patrick Mahomes’s third interception of the day, but I have a feeling that some were not so sarcastic. I understand interceptions are not great but it’s the fifth day of training camp. Concepts are still being worked on and communication is not always up to par. He’s taking a lot of reps, so the law of large numbers eventually kicks in.
At least one of Mahomes’s interceptions was rooted in miscommunication when rookie tight end Noah Grey decided to sit down in his route when Mahomes thought he was going to take it a bit farther. An athletic play by Nick Bolton would result in Mahomes’s second interception.
I know the majority of people aren’t troubled by Mahomes throwing interceptions in practice— which is good. I’m just here to make sure you aren’t worried about it.
On the other hand, Willie Gay made a good read on a ball which was a positive sign, which leads me to my second point…
The defense played better today.
The linebacker position has taken its lumps already this training camp with both. Anthony Hitchens and Ben Niemann not participating in the team sessions. The defense has had to rely on Willie Gay, Nick Bolton and Darius Harris to play the linebacker positions in various packages and they looked much better today.
Willie Gay probably had his best practice of the year as he made several great plays in coverage and run fits as he continues to look for an increased role in Year 2. But it wasn’t only the linebacking core that impressed me.
The Chiefs offense really had problems running the ball. Whether that was on the offense or not is still to be determined but the defensive line caused some problems. Frank Clark, Chris Jones and Jarran Reed were all making a habit of getting into the backfield while the linebackers were fitting up the running backs well and eliminating the running lanes. It was encouraging to see.
We finally get to see the team in pads tomorrow.
It’s been tough to fully cast judgments on either side of the ball because the team has yet to put on pads and hit. Yes, they are still doing 11-on-11 sessions and working in a full team setting but there is no hitting.
A lot will change tomorrow when the shells go on and we can see how the offensive line is gelling, how the running backs pick up the blitz, how the defensive coverages actually look and how the timing is supposed to look on certain plays.
Football is almost here!
Catch the latest KCSN podcast, One-on-One with Jeff Allen and Mike DeVito
Former Kansas City Chiefs lineman Mike DeVito (DL) and Jeff Allen (OL) are back after a short break to talk about Chiefs Training Camp and their fondest memories about their times in St. Joseph. Mike and Jeff also discuss some of the drills and tests they would go through in an Andy Reid camp and talk about how things have changed.
I sure hope thornhills groin is ok