Preseason Week 1 discussion!

[Knox Steel Curtain]

Don't invest or expect much from Hunt this year. Chiefs offense is not that great and line play is not what it was. I have a feeling Perine and Hunt have been over drafted. All three of top tight ends. I would take over these two if doing a draft today.

[DLF3000]

What do we make of the lack of offensive involvement for Kareem Hunt in the first pre-season game? Being a rookie that has been talked about getting first team reps, I settled in front of the TV expecting to see him getting a lot of work. He only ends up with 1 carry and 1 reception, this seems a little concerning considering the expectations for him.

I would love to think they are "saving" him for the regular season but it does not look like that.

Not surprised - I mean, he's still a rookie and wasn't that high a draft pick. Plus, the Chefs have rolled out all kinds of backs successfully, sometimes at the same time, in the post-Charles era.

So Hunt could take over at some point just as easily as he could be a committee back. It's really hard to tell right now.

[ninotoreS]

What do we make of the lack of offensive involvement for Kareem Hunt in the first pre-season game? Being a rookie that has been talked about getting first team reps, I settled in front of the TV expecting to see him getting a lot of work. He only ends up with 1 carry and 1 reception, this seems a little concerning considering the expectations for him.

Personally, I believe people are a bit rash to write off Spencer Ware.

But to be fair, the fact that Hunt DID NOT get a long stretch of touches in the second half vs fringe players likely to be cut in three weeks implies Hunt's already a valued quasi first-teamer with whom the KC coaching-staff doesn't feel the need to risk injury in these exhibitions. Especially in this first week preseason week, the coaches are most concerned with getting an extended look at guys they're on the fence about.

I have little doubt Hunt will get a long look in at least one of these games, but it may only be one.

[Cameron Giles]

What do we make of the lack of offensive involvement for Kareem Hunt in the first pre-season game? Being a rookie that has been talked about getting first team reps, I settled in front of the TV expecting to see him getting a lot of work. He only ends up with 1 carry and 1 reception, this seems a little concerning considering the expectations for him.

I would love to think they are "saving" him for the regular season but it does not look like that.

It's possible they'll give him a role as the season goes on. But, I don't think it was ever realistic that they'd just make him the starter and give him 20+ carries.

[dmac37]

What do we make of the lack of offensive involvement for Kareem Hunt in the first pre-season game? Being a rookie that has been talked about getting first team reps, I settled in front of the TV expecting to see him getting a lot of work. He only ends up with 1 carry and 1 reception, this seems a little concerning considering the expectations for him.

I would love to think they are "saving" him for the regular season but it does not look like that.

It's possible they'll give him a role as the season goes on. But, I don't think it was ever realistic that they'd just make him the starter and give him 20+ carries.

Did not expect them to just make him the starter, just seemed very odd as a 3rd round rookie to only get 2 offensive touches in the first preseason game....

[Shcritters]

Any thoughts on Mixon? Small sample size, but McCaffrey looked very fluid and solid in Car. I have the 1.03 pick in an upcoming draft and likely need to decide between Mixon and McCaffrey (if Fournette or Davis are available I'm taking them).

I'm still a little burned from the Gio Bernard early pick in '14 and it has turned me off to players under 6' who are barely pushing 200 lbs.

[jimmychoi]

Any thoughts on Mixon? Small sample size, but McCaffrey looked very fluid and solid in Car. I have the 1.03 pick in an upcoming draft and likely need to decide between Mixon and McCaffrey (if Fournette or Davis are available I'm taking them).

I'm still a little burned from the Gio Bernard early pick in '14 and it has turned me off to players under 6' who are barely pushing 200 lbs.

As a fellow Bernard owner, I can appreciate your situation.

[ninotoreS]

I'm still a little burned from the Gio Bernard early pick in '14 and it has turned me off to players under 6' who are barely pushing 200 lbs.

Lots of RBs fitting the under '6' barely pushing 200lbs' parameter do much better with contact than Gio. McCoy coming out of Pitt was right at 200lbs, Charles has played at that weight his whole career, Freeman is 205ish, as was Ray Rice. Going back further than recent history, we get Hall of Famers like Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, and Walter Payton. And of course we got other scatbacks / space-backs like Sproles, Woodhead, and Jalen Richard that do better with contact than Gio, and mostly with them it just has to do with good pad-level. Actually, good pad-level is a consistent theme with all these guys.

Contact has just always been an issue with Gio. This was evident with him on his college film and the first couple of episodes of Hard Knocks his rookie year, when we saw him blown up in more than one scene when a tackler squared him up. Gio needed / needs better pad-level to compensate for his lack of power, and he's never quite developed it for the NFL level.

[onetwothree]

Re: Hunt and pretty much every other rookie. It's the 1st game. Way too early to be stressing about roles. I don't understand the concern.

The guys you should worry about are the ones playing deep into the 3rd or 4th. Those are the ones the coaches need to see more from and/or just need to send out to have a legal lineup. No worries on the guys coming out with the 1st or 2nd teams even if it's just a handful of plays. Sometimes the plan is to give them a long series and it's ruined by a 3 and out. If the trend continues in the 2nd game then worry.

[jimmychoi]

Kupp pretty involved thus far.

[Meretc01]

Rams offense/defense looks productive lol

Cooper kupp made a few nice plays

[Cowboysfan33]

Thank goodness this is a preseason game for my Cowboys because the ball isn't bouncing their way early on. After stopping the Rams first team offense for a 3 and out, some rookie FA muffs the punt then after on 3rd down inside the 10 yard line, Hitchens nails Robert Woods causes a fumble but it's recovered for a TD in the endzone by Cooper Kupp. The good news, the defense looks good so far.

[ninotoreS]

Dang it, I missed Kupp's reception. I am dying to see for myself how he looks against pro DBs.

Those who saw it: I see it was a 19 yard catch... was that yardage run-after-catch, or did he actually get behind the defense? What sort of route was it?

[Cowboysfan33]

I've watched every play. It was 2nd and 9 after the Cowboys muffed the punt, they got Goff rolling out and Kupp found a spot in the zone. It's literally the only play the Rams have made and it was a good play,the Cowboys have basically shut them down. Kupp just on the ball in the end zone after Woods got plastered by Hitchens. The Rams have recovered a muff punt and two of their own fumbles. Kind of a bad luck night for my Cowboys but our defense has looked pretty stout so far, especially with so many starters out.

[Cowboysfan33]

The Rams just snapped the ball literally 10 yards over Sean Mannions head and they recovered that too, geez.