Kansas City faced a reality check in the Pacific Northwest during their preseason matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, with the Chiefs falling to 33-16 defeat and leaving Andy Reid very unimpressed.
Opting to rest stars such as Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones, the Chiefs looked exposed early on, and Seattle capitalized immediately, amassing 309 yards and a commanding 16-point lead at the end of two quarters.
For the defending champions, the first half at Lumen Field offered a stark reminder that they are beatable and although it’s only preseason, that often sets the tone before the regular season.
Despite the struggles, there was a brief spark when Skyy Moore provided a glimpse of his potential with an electrifying 88-yard punt return touchdown early in the second half.
However, the wide receiver’s standout moment could not erase earlier mistakes: two dropped passes and a muffed kick-off that resulted in a touchback and Reid singled him out.
“He had a couple of drops, that’s not like him,” Reid said. “He’s a lot better than that.
“So, he had the three kind of bobbles and drops in special teams and with throws, and he came back with a big play. So, I’m proud of him for that. It wasn’t his best night up to that point.”
Mahomes makes demand ahead of 2025/26 NFL season
Moore‘s teammates were quick to lift him up as according to beat reporter Jesse Newell, Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco encouraged Moore before his game-changing return of those 88 yards.
The sole highlight for Kansas City in a 33-16 loss, it did show why the 24-year-old was picked in the second round in 2022 by the Chiefs, and why he’s managed to remain on the roster in successive seasons.
In addition to offensive concerns, injuries complicated the evening as the veteran safety, Mike Edwards, exited with a hamstring issue, adding to an already lengthy list of unavailable players.
“We just needed to pick our energy up in general,” Mahomes admitted during an in-game interview. “We’re not playing the football that we wanted to play coming out here.
“Obviously, there’s weather and stuff like that, but we’ve got to play at a higher energy, and I think the coaches emphasized that at halftime.”
While Reid remained calm and focused on the bigger picture, the preseason served as a sobering reminder of just how fine the margin between winning and being handed a blowout is.
The Chiefs will look to improve their cohesion, energy, and depth ahead of a Week 1 clash with the Los Angeles Chargers on September 5 as they look to regain their status as Super Bowl champions following that 40-22 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Read the full article here
