{"id":297355,"date":"2025-08-18T06:40:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T06:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/297355\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T06:40:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T06:40:44","slug":"seahawks-beat-chiefs-5-winners-3-losers-from-preseason-week-2-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/297355\/","title":{"rendered":"Seahawks beat Chiefs: 5 winners, 3 losers from preseason Week 2 loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preseason games can be fun to watch. Sometimes we get a glimpse of what a team will look like in the regular season. Sometimes we can try to judge the depth of a team compared to its opponent.<\/p>\n

But the Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 33-16 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks wasn\u2019t fun to watch. Sometimes the Chiefs looked like they were going through the motions, letting the Seahawks run all over them. Some of the highlights came from guys like wide receiver Skyy Moore or cornerback Nazeeh Johnson, who also had serious struggles. Other highlights were followed by failures \u2014 like Bryan Cook\u2019s terrific fourth-down play that was wasted when the offense immediately gave up a safety.<\/p>\n

So how can we assess winners and losers from a game like this one? We\u2019ll give it a shot\u2026 but we\u2019ll hope we never have to watch the game again.<\/p>\n

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Getty Images<\/p>\n

Tight end Robert Tonyan: If there\u2019s one veteran who has consistently shown up at training camp and on the field, it\u2019s this eighth-year veteran. It doesn\u2019t seem to matter which quarterback is throwing the ball. They all find Tonyan in those open areas that Travis Kelce has exploited for years. Against the Seahawks, Tonyan logged five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. If there\u2019s a competition to become the Chiefs\u2019 third tight end (after Kelce and Noah Gray), Tonyan could not have done much more to make his case.<\/p>\n

Running back Isiah Pacheco: In this offseason, many expected to see a big upgrade in the Chiefs\u2019 running back group. But what if the upgrade was already there? Pacheco has been a standout in the preseason, displaying the explosiveness he seemed to lack in 2024. Many starters didn\u2019t play on Friday night \u2014 and Pacheco didn\u2019t play much \u2014 but his lone touch was an electric 22-yard catch-and-run. This offense needs big plays from its running backs, and there\u2019s once again hope that they come from No. 10.<\/p>\n

Running back Brashard Smith: No\u2026 he doesn\u2019t look like an every-down back \u2014 but we knew that already, right? Smith showed us some positive signs on Friday \u2014 including turning a loss into a 10-yard gain by spinning out of the backfield in the third quarter. He\u2019s got the speed to break big plays, along with the route-running ability to be a threat in the passing game. If Kansas City can be creative, he\u2019ll be able to contribute.<\/p>\n

Quarterback Gardner Minshew: Unless he\u2019s mopping up in a big win, we all hope that the preseason is the only time we\u2019ll see the backup quarterback play. But Minshew is fun to watch \u2014 and he\u2019s executed well in the preseason. On Friday, he gave another steady, efficient performance, going 7-9 passing and moving the ball with his legs. His rollout touchdown throw to Tonyan showed how a backup quarterback with limited opportunities can win the hearts and minds of Kansas City fans.<\/p>\n

Linebacker Jeffrey Bassa: It feels like the excitement about this fifth-round pick from Oregon has been quietly growing \u2014 and on Friday night, we saw more flashes of his potential. Late in the game, the rookie exploded through the Seahawks\u2019 line to make a tackle for loss. While it was just one play, it happened on a night when there were few like it. Throughout the offseason, Bassa has been showing us who he is.<\/p>\n

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Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The run defense: From the opening drive, it was an ugly performance from every level of the defense. It\u2019s difficult to call out any one player here, because so many contributed. Jerry Tillery, Marlon Tuipulotu, Cam Jones, Mike Edwards, Jack Cochrane and others all played a role. There were missed tackles, defenders washed out by blockers, penalties and more. It was the primary reason the game was so frustrating to watch. 268 yards rushing with two touchdowns? Preseason or not\u2026 that was ugly.<\/p>\n

Running back Elijah Mitchell: Maybe the Chiefs already have him slotted on the roster. Maybe they already know he\u2019s not making the team. Either way, they didn\u2019t give the fourth-year veteran much opportunity to succeed. Four carries netted just nine yards \u2014 including a safety in which Mitchell was swarmed long before he reached the line of scrimmage. On that play, it felt like Mitchell never had a chance. We\u2019ll see if he gets a shot in the regular season \u2014 whether it\u2019s in Kansas City or elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Short-yardage offense: In the first quarter, we love to see head coach Andy Reid going for it on fourth down in the red zone. But we hate it when it\u2019s a predictable run that goes nowhere. The play-calling wasn\u2019t creative and the blocking wasn\u2019t there. Yes\u2026 we can\u2019t expect much creativity in the preseason, but we can at least hope for execution. When the defense finally got a stop in the second quarter, the offense once again tried to run into the teeth of the Seahawks\u2019 defense \u2014 and gave up a safety. We\u2019d chalk this up to meaningless preseason play \u2014 but unfortunately, we\u2019ve seen these kinds of short-yardage struggles before.<\/p>\n

Note: Applying the labels \u201cwinners\u201d and \u201closers is not intended to be a judgment on the talent or character of any of these players. It\u2019s just a simple way to grade their performance in a single game. No disrespect should be inferred. <\/p>\n

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