Chiefs Camp Day 9: QB’s And TE’s Are The Story
On Sunday morning, the Chiefs finished up their last week of practice before the team begins to prepare for their first pre-season game against the New Orleans Saints this upcoming Friday. The day consisted of one-on-one drills, 7 on 7, 9 on 7, 11 on 11, and wrapped up with a segment for special teams.
Jul 27, 2013; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Tyler Bray (9) throws a pass as offensive lineman Eric Kush (52) and linebacker Orie Lemon (52) look on during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
The weather has apparently been excellent for the fans and players, and that has most certainly helped the players stay motivated and less drained. I know when I was a player, I dreaded the blazing, dog days of summer camp. Having temperatures in the low to mid 70’s has to make the camp that much easier on the players.
The quarterbacks, once again, came out and were able to put together a great practice as a group. Alex Smith threw touchdowns to TE’s, Anthony Fasano and Tony Moeaki during redzone drills. The big story, however, has been the consistency of rookie quarterback, Tyler Bray. It seems like everyday we hear about some kind of throw he had made during practice. Today, Bray connected with receiver Jamar Newsome on the left side for what was reported to be anywhere between 40 to 50 yards. Bray later connected with Newsome for a score.
"“He’s a down the field QB,” said Newsome when talking about Bray. “He loves to throw the ball down the field and I love that too, because I’m a vertical receiver.”"
Bray also threw a dime to receiver, Josh Bellamy, on what was one of the best throws of the entire practice. Every day we’ve been hearing out of camp that Bray is the only quarterback on the roster who can truly make all the throws. So that begins to raise a question, who should play if Alex Smith goes down? I feel that if the Chiefs are winning in a game, and Smith were to get injured, then Chase Daniel would be the safe pick. Daniel is an intelligent player and would do a good job of protecting the football. Plus, if the Chiefs had the lead, they would most likely be looking to feed the running backs the ball and try to chew up the clock. My real question is though, could Daniel’s limits not help the Chiefs come back in a game?
If Bray really can make all the throws, even better than Smith, wouldn’t you consider him just a little bit more? Think about it, if the Chiefs have to stretch the field late in a game in an effort to make a comeback, wouldn’t you want the guy who can hit his receivers in stride 40-50 yards down the field? Something that Bray has been doing all camp. I believe that, Ricky Stanzi is on his way out the door, and Bray for sure takes that third QB spot on the Chiefs roster this fall. Personally, I’m anxious and excited to see Bray play this pre-season. It will be interesting to see how things work out. Either way, the Chiefs seem to have gotten a steal with Bray.
Jul 28, 2013; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) runs a pattern against cornerback Brandon Flowers (24) during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
The tight end group had a great day again. As I mentioned earlier, Fasano and Moeaki were able to score on throws from Alex Smith. Moeaki scored two, one was tipped to him, the other came off of great blocking from the offensive line.
"“It was a screen pass,” said Moeaki when asked about that play. “Rodney Hudson did a great job of getting out there, showing his athleticism, getting on a block and I just cut in front of him, so, it was a good job, mostly by Rodney.”"
The tight ends on this roster have serious potential to help the Chiefs score, especially in the redzone. It should be fun to watch that group compete this pre-season as well. I think Daniel, and Bray, will be throwing a lot of passes to the tight ends this pre-season.
The defense was involved today as well. Outside linebackers, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston met in the backfield several times this morning, but weren’t allowed to take the QB’s down. Another guy to keep an eye on once the games start, is defensive end, Austen Lane. The Jaguars cut him earlier this off season, and the Chiefs were able to sign him on a free agent deal. Lane is 6’6 and has been making some serious noise at camp lately. Some even speculate that he is currently the Chiefs best pass rushing end. He wears number 90, so we’ll have to keep an eye out for him as well.
Cornerback Dunta Robinson had a good day in coverage, batting down a few balls. The competition has been fierce the last few days amongst the team. It’s been very back-and-forth since the offense had such a bad day on Thursday. The past two days in particular, the offense has had its way with the defense in the red zone drills. Brandon Flowers touched on how he felt about the defense’s day,
"“We did some good things on defense,” Flowers said. “But, we have to be better. Whenever we’re in the red zone, we don’t want any scores down there. The offense came out and executed, but like I said all of camp, we’ve been battling back and forth and that’s a sign of good competition.”"
The Chiefs are back on the field Monday and Tuesday morning at 8:15 AM. The players will have the day off on Wednesday, then travel on Thursday to New Orleans. I don’t know about the rest of you in the kingdom, but I’m stoked for Friday.