Preseason: Who to watch for Seahawks, Chiefs
The Seattle Seahawks kick off their preseason schedule on Saturday afternoon against the Kansas City Chiefs.
To help get you ready for the matchup, here’s our official preview with keys to the game and players to watch.
Keys to the game
Obviously the final score doesn’t matter so much in August as keeping everybody off the injured reserve list. This week Thomas Rawls and Jimmy Graham came off the PUP list, so the Seahawks are finally starting to get healthy after a grueling 2015 season.
Head coach Pete Carroll will be using these next few weeks to evaluate rookies and bubble players. Don’t expect to see much of the A-list starters like Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett and Michael Bennett.
Staying healthy is always important in the preseason, but it will be underscored in Kansas City. Last season the Chiefs finished fourth in the league with 46 sacks. They’ll be without top pass rushers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali (both on the PUP list) but Andy Reid is always clever when it comes to blitzes. Keeping the quarterback on his feet will be crucial for Seattle both in the game and for the season. Speaking of which…
Who to watch for Seahawks
Saturday will be our first chance to see projected number two quarterback Trevone Boykin leading the Seahawks against a live defense. Local product Jake Heaps will also see some snaps, but Boykin is supposed to be Russell Wilson’s backup this season.
Earlier this week Darrell Bevell talked up Boykin’s adjustment to the pro game. For a lot of rookies that’s an extremely difficult transition to make, and many never make the leap.
Boykin’s athleticism is promising, but if Bevell is just blowing smoke on behalf of his rookie quarterback, we will find out rather quickly as Boykin faces one of the league’s top front-seven defenses.
Another Seahawk to watch is Christine Michael, who should see alot of reps with so many injuries at running back.
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Who to watch for Chiefs
Tyreek Hill was Kansas City’s controversial fifth-round pick this year, as Hill was booted from Oklahoma State after pleading guilty to domestic assault on his pregnant girlfriend.
Reid and general manager John Dorsey got a lot of flak over the pick, but in the end the Chiefs decided to give him a chance because of his speed. Hill ran a 4.29 forty yard dash at his Pro Day in West Alabama, which makes him the fastest player on a roster that is certainly not lacking for speed. He’s also got quick feet and the vision to break off a big run every time he touches the ball. Hill is listed as the team’s number one punt returner, so he will put Seattle’s normally solid kickoff coverage to the test.
Another player to watch is quarterback Nick Foles, who just signed with the Chiefs a few days ago. He worked with Andy Reid before in Philadelphia and should be familiar enough with the playbook to get a leg up on KC’s other backups behind Alex Smith. Foles also beat Seattle Week 1 last year as the starter for the Rams.
When and where to watch
When: Saturday, 1:30pm Pacific Time
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Watch: Broadcast will be live on Q13 Fox and NFL Network
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