Chiefs at Saints, preseason Week 1 preview
Get injury report updates, players to watch, picks and more in this Kansas City Chiefs preseason Week 1 preview.
Wes Roesch
Chiefs football is back. Well, almost.
Before Kansas City kicks off the NFL’s regular season with a Week 1 matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7, the team must loosen up with a few preseason games. The Chiefs’ first preseason matchup against the New Orleans Saints is set for a noon CT kickoff on Sunday, Aug. 13 at Caesars Superdome. This Chiefs-Saints matchup will be aired on NFL Network and local affiliate TV stations.
Both the Chiefs and Saints plan to play starters, but whom and how long each player plays will vary. The Chiefs generally take it light in the first game, so don’t expect to see much Patrick Mahomes beyond the first quarter. Saints coach Dennis Allen has confirmed that he plans to play starters, but don’t be surprised if most or all of theirs are pulled after halftime as well.
Given that Allen has plenty of new faces on his squad, including former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, it’s possible the Saints end up playing their starters much longer than the Chiefs do. That’s likely why the Saints are three-point favorites in this matchup by most sportsbooks.
Chiefs injury report: Notable camp injuries
While there’s no official injury report for preseason, Chiefs tight end
Jody Fortson
(shoulder), running back Isiah Pacheco (shoulder), cornerback L’Jarius Sneed
(knee), receiver
Kadarius Toney (knee) and defensive tackle
Tershawn Wharton
(knee) will not play Sunday. Defensive tackle
Chris Jones, though not injured, could miss the game as well as he continues to hold out for a new contract extension. If Jones misses the game, he'll be fined around $1 million.
Saints injury report
Saints linebacker
Demario Davis (calf), left guard
Andrus Peat (quad) and receivers
Rashid Shaheed
(groin) and
Tre'Quan Smith
(groin) have all missed recent training camp practices. It’s possible all four of those guys end up missing Sunday’s game.
Chiefs key players to watch in preseason Week 1
Later this season I plan to break this section into two: “players to watch” and “matchups to watch.” However, with not much actual game planning happening in the preseason, I’ll stick to an extensive list of players to watch until the regular season begins.
Running backs Deneric Prince and Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Fan-favorite RB Isiah Pacheco has been strictly non-contact during training camp due to recovery from offseason surgeries. This has paved the way for the rookie Prince out of Tulsa to step in and take a bulk of first-team reps in camp, even ahead of 31-year-old veteran Jerick McKinnon. Prince should see a ton of volume in preseason, including looks at kick returner.
2020 first-round pick Edwards-Helaire should see volume, but possibly for different reasons: the Chiefs may want to move on from him via trade, so what better way to boost his trade value than show off his skills in the preseason.
Tight end Matt Bushman
The Chiefs’ depth at tight end has been stacked for years, with Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jody Fortson and Blake Bell keeping a hold on the position. But don’t sleep on Bushman, who impressed in last year’s preseason before going down with a season-ending injury. Bushman has continued to impress in camp this year, and could fill three roles as a tight end, occasional fullback and multi-phase special teamer.
Receivers Richie James, Rashee Rice, Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio
Nobody truly knows how the Chiefs’ receiving squad will shake out this year, especially with Toney’s injury now in the mix. Any of these guys, plus Skyy Moore or Marquez Valdes-Scantling, could end up as the team’s WR1 by the end of the season. For now, eyes will be on these four: James needs reps with the team, Rice needs NFL reps in general, and both Ross and Remigio are pushing to make the team’s 53-man roster. Ross has the edge given his hype, but Remigio is a sleeper as he impresses with highlight-worthy catches in camp. Plus, Remigio can return kicks and punts.
Defensive linemen Keondre Coburn and Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Will Coburn end up starting at defensive tackle next to Chris Jones this season? Will Anudike-Uzomah start at defensive end while Charles Omenihu serves his six-game suspension? These are big questions heading into the season, but in the meantime we’ll get to see these rookies receive plenty of action this Sunday. Keep an eye on Coburn’s surprising speed and FAU’s development with his pass rush move set.
Cornerbacks Nic Jones and Ekow Boye-Doe
Unfortunately the Chiefs lost a potential breakout candidate for the season as cornerback/safety hybrid Nazeeh Johnson tore his ACL during training camp practice. That injury does pave the way for interesting rookies to step forward. Jones has put together a solid camp with frequent pass breakups and interceptions, while the local product Boye-Doe could push to make the roster with an impressive preseason showing.
Safety Chamarri Conner
Training camp has been relatively quiet for the 2023 fourth-round draft pick, though the hard-hitting Conner has earned some first-team reps in practice. Conner has a chance to turn some heads on defense and special teams this Sunday – if he does, the Chiefs could consider him in nickel and dime packages early on in the regular season.
Chiefs-Saints matchup history
The Chiefs haven’t had a chance to play the NFC South’s New Orleans Saints much over the years. Kansas City leads the all-time series 7-5, with the last matchup between the two coming in 2020. The Chiefs won that outing against Drew Brees and the Saints 32-29.
Chiefs-Saints prediction, picks
It’s likely futile predicting the score of a preseason game, but for the fun of it I’ll pick the Chiefs 30-27 since they have the deeper squad, plus Andy Reid is 19-15 in preseason games in Kansas City.
In preseason, the real predictions lie in the individual performances. My guess is third-string QB Shane Buechele will see plenty of work and play well. Prince, Ross and Remigio will each make a play and earn some return work. Others who could have a good game are Bushman, WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette and OL Mike Caliendo.
On defense, the rookies Conner and Jones should receive a bulk of snaps and show off their passion for laying big hits. Look for players like Coburn, LB Jack Cochrane and DE Truman Jones to show out as well.
