What to Watch When Seahawks Face Chiefs in Second Preseason Game
Trending closer to the regular season, the Seattle Seahawks will take on the Kansas City Chiefs for their second preseason game at Lumen Field on Friday night. Unlike the previous exhibition game against the Las Vegas Raiders last Thursday, the Seahawks will be allowing most of their starters to suit up for at least a drive or two.
As a result, Seahawks fans will get a first real look at their much-changed offensive personnel running Klint Kubiak’s offense.
Here are some things to look out for when the Seahawks battle the Chiefs in the second dress rehearsal:
Sam Darnold’s First Impression
The Seahawks signed Darnold to a three-year deal this offseason after trading away Geno Smith to the Raiders. While the veteran is not expected to be the focal point of the Seahawks offense necessarily with more of an emphasis being placed on the ground game, how he commands and leads the unit remains critical. Playing in a familiar offense for Kubiak, chemistry with receivers and how he handles pressure, an area of concern for the quarterback in the past, will be worth watching in his first game action regardless of whether he only plays one series or sees a bit more of an extended run.
Tight Ends and Fullbacks Galore
In recent years, fans have probably gotten used to the Seahawks demanding a lot more of their receivers than their tight ends with heavy usage of three and four-receiver personnel groupings. This year though, however, this will not be the case under Kubiak.
The Seahawks plan to use their tight ends as core contributors in the run and passing game. A.J. Barner came into the NFL known more as a blocker, though he did catch four touchdowns as a rookie, while incoming rookie Elijah Arroyo enters the league with a reputation as a big-bodied receiver with soft hands. Kubiak has made it clear verbally tight ends are going to be a focal point of his offensive scheme and with other starters playing, Friday night could present chances for both players to get involved snagging passes.
Currently a past time in today’s NFL, the fullback position has also made a return to relevancy in the Kubiak scheme for the Seahawks. Last Thursday against the Raiders, rookie fullback Robbie Ouzts made his presence felt in the run and passing game. As a lead blocker, he consistently opened up running lanes for running back George Holani and also added a 17-yard reception on a play action pass.
Much like last week, Seattle fans should get a clear idea how much Kubiak intends to use the fullback in his system with Ouzts and Brady Russell likely to see quite a few snaps out of the backfield.
The Receiver Room
Starting with the Seahawks parting ways with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf this offseason, the Seahawks receiver room went through a dramatic shift this offseason. To replace the two legends, the front office brought in ex-Rams star Cooper Kupp and deep ball threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who had thrived in Kubiak’s offense in New Orleans last season.
While fans may have expected the top three receivers post-Metcalf and Lockett to be Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kupp, and Valdes-Scantling, Tory Horton’s emergence has changed that narrative. The rookie out of Colorado State caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown in his debut last week and has been a revelation in training camp, earning a lot of first-team reps along the way.
The main thing to really look out for in the receiver room on Friday night is whether Valdes-Scantling or Horton gets more snaps in the early stages of the game, as this could be telling in regard to where the two players stand on the current depth chart.
The Offensive Line
Considering starters will be playing in this game for the Seahawks, all eyes should be on the offensive line. For one, two spots up front - right guard and center - remain undecided, at least according to coach Mike Macdonald. Adding to intrigue, Olu Oluwatimi will be out with a lingering back issue, giving Jalen Sundell another chance to possibly steal that job at center. Seeing most of the starters together presents a chance to see how the unit looks both in the run and pass blocking department.
Last season, pass blocking and run blocking were a serious struggle under former offensive line coach Scott Huff. This year, the Seahawks replaced him with long time NFL offensive line coach John Benton, who brings a wealth of NFL coaching experience. The first true test drive with all of the starters except left tackle Charles Cross, who is being eased back into play after surgery to repair a dislocated finger, could reveal how much progress the Seahawks offensive line has made in both the passing and running game early on.
