For Chiefs, 3 areas of concern loom after preseason loss to Seahawks

SEATTLE — No, the score isn’t important.

The Kansas City Chiefs fell 33-16 to the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night at Lumen Field, but the preseason caveats when explaining that away are rightfully numerous.

K.C. did not play its best starters, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones. This was mostly all backups beginning with the second quarter, meaning the result shouldn’t be perceived as an accurate measure of team dominance.

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What did become real for the Chiefs on Friday, however, was an even greater realization that three concerns could affect the games that actually matter in three weeks.

Here’s a look at what stood out:

1. A position waiting for answers

The Chiefs might be in a real pickle when it comes to the running back position.

Start with the good news from Friday: Starter Isiah Pacheco showed some nice burst on a 22-yard first-quarter reception, the best sign yet that he’s past ankle and rib injuries that zapped his explosiveness last season.

Beyond him on the depth chart, though? Right now, it’s a mess.

The Chiefs held veteran Kareem Hunt (bruised quad) out of the game. But at age 30, he’s more of a role player as a short-yardage specialist who isn’t likely to help the Chiefs create the big plays they lacked last year.

K.C. gave plenty of first-quarter snaps to Carson Steele, who serves as a running back/fullback hybrid. He didn’t do much to stand out with seven carries for 22 yards.

Elijah Mitchell has struggled this preseason while appearing to lack the speed he had earlier in his career. He had four rushes for 9 yards against the Seahawks.

Rookie Brashard Smith, meanwhile, showed some flashes Friday but isn’t being used much as a running back after spending most of his college career as a receiver.

This position seems unsettled. The Chiefs brought in former Washington Commanders back Michael Wiley in the last few days, and they still appear as if they could be searching for upgrades over the next few weeks.

2. Will Chiefs keep the faith?

The Chiefs tried to start Kingsley Suamataia as a rookie left tackle last season. That experiment didn’t work, as he was benched in Game 2 because of poor performance.

In the ensuing weeks, coach Andy Reid devised a new plan: move Suamataia to left guard, hoping to rebuild his confidence at a different position.

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Suamataia appears to have all the athletic traits needed to succeed in his new role. Yet, Friday was just another example of him showing himself to be an enigmatic player who combines enticing peaks with sort of scary lows.

The positive? Suamataia overall had a better effort than his preseason debut a week ago. Pro Football Focus’ preliminary grades had him as the highest-rated player on the Chiefs offense Friday, which was buoyed by a dominant effort in the run game.

With pass blocking, though? Suamataia once again was inconsistent.

That started with the Chiefs’ first offensive snap, when Suamataia was bowled off his feet by a charging pass rusher. The moment was eerily similar to one that took place against the Arizona Cardinals when an off-balance Suamataia was shoved to the side by a blitzing linebacker.

In the locker room afterward, Suamataia described his 10 snaps Friday as “good” while also saying he still has “some stuff to improve on.”

He also specifically spoke about the significance that pass blocking will play in his overall evaluation.

“We’ve got a passing quarterback,” Suamataia said of Mahomes, “so putting that responsibility on your back to block the guy in front of you so he can make big plays is very important.”

The Chiefs made only minor changes to their offensive line rotation in practice this past week after Suamataia’s game against the Cardinals, rotating Mike Caliendo in for Suamataia at left guard midway through drives to get him a handful of reps with the first string.

Though Reid has continually backed Suamataia this preseason, it’s worth wondering how concerned the Chiefs are about his small-sample-size pass struggles. Suamataia’s run blocking should be an asset when utilized, but the reality is the Chiefs, with Reid and Mahomes, will always value pass protection more than run-game bulldozers.

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Suamataia’s inconsistency thus far — along with his history from last season — should at the very least have the Chiefs considering their backup plan if these short-term hiccups become a long-term issue.

3. A deep group is becoming thin

Just last month, Pro Football Focus ranked the Chiefs’ secondary second best in the NFL while lauding the team’s depth.

That advantage took a hit on Friday, as three projected rotation players left the game with injury.

Cornerbacks Nazeeh Johnson (shoulder), Nohl Williams (concussion protocol) and safety Mike Edwards (hamstring) all exited and didn’t return. Reid didn’t provide any further update on those guys afterward, so we’ll be left waiting a couple of days before knowing how impactful these ailments might be.

The Chiefs should be getting one reinforcement back soon. Cornerback Kristian Fulton, one of the team’s top offseason signings, recently returned to practice after a knee injury and should be ramping up his reps over the next week.

It’s still not an ideal situation, especially after cornerback Jaylen Watson entered concussion protocol after last week’s game.

A positional strength has quickly become a question mark for K.C. — with the next few days promising to tell us more.

(Photo: Joe Nicholson / Imagn Images)

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