KC Chefs - Preseason game #1

Okay, I know that I shouldn't read too much into the first NFL preseason game of the 2010 season, but  I will anyway.  Last Friday night, the KC Chefs played the powerhouse Altanta Falcons that posted a domineering 9-7 record last season. The hyped improvement of the 4-12 Chefs of 2009 (last in the weak AFC West division) was nowhere to be found.

I am a believer that in any preseason game, early minutes mean more than late minutes.  In the first preseason game, only the first drive for both teams have any significant meaning as the entire roster will get playing time on subsequent drives.  On Atlanta's first offensive drive, they manhandled the Chefs down the field settling for a field goal.  Altanta beat the Chefs on every play but one, the drive stopping 3rd down deep in the red zone.

Next, the Chefs on offense hand the ball to their $65 million dollar quarterback supported by the new offensive coordinator, Charlie Weiss, a new running back, and a new receiver.  The result, 3 handoffs and a punt.  The rest of the first half, the Chefs left their starting offensive on the field to play the Falcon's second and third string.  I suppose this was intended to build confidence in the offensive unit.  Yet, the Chefs were only able to score a lone field goal as time ran out in the first half.  I watched none of the second half as both teams took a look at those who have outside chances of making the 2010 rosters.  In the end, Atlanta won 20-10.

My impression Friday night was that I had seen this team before.  Adding defensive and offensive coordinators, a couple of offensive weapons, and a first round stud safety has done nothing detectable in the play of this team.  They seem content to hand the ball off behind an old incompetent offensive line.  They claim a defensive focus is to stop the run, but each team they play runs at will.

We will see what the of the preseason looks like before predicting the regular season record, but for now I can only say they Chefs are fortunate to be gifted an easy schedule that may allow them to sleepwalk to an 8-8 record.