KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Much went right for the Kansas City Chiefs in Saturday's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, but maybe the most important takeaway is that they appear to have made the correct choice on their top draft pick.
Defensive lineman Chris Jones, a second-round pick from Mississippi State, was one of the more impressive players in the Chiefs' 17-16 loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
QB depth chart: Each of the top four quarterbacks led a scoring drive. Alex Smith took the Chiefs to a touchdown on the game's first possession, and then he was done for the afternoon. Nick Foles, Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray each guided the Chiefs to a field goal. Each player had some good moments, but none made a move on a depth chart that looks like it's set.
Maybe that player could start: Jones had an impressive game. He got pressure on the Seattle quarterback a couple of times and helped stuff a fourth-down running play that ended a Seahawks drive. Jones played against Seattle reserves, but he still looked like someone who will earn some playing time when the regular season begins.
Who got hurt? The Chiefs appear to have escaped without any major injuries.
A surprise player who impressed: Linebacker Dezman Moses was able to get pressure on the quarterback a couple of times and also deflect a pass while on the rush. The Chiefs are searching for pass-rush help in the absence of the injured Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. Moses, who was looking for a job before the Chiefs signed him on June 7, is an unlikely candidate. But he did have four sacks as a rookie for the Green Bay Packers in 2012.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Chiefs looked: The Chiefs seemed strong offensively but needed more work defensively. Smith needed eight plays and just one third down to put the Chiefs in the end zone on his only drive. But the Seahawks needed nine plays to move into the red zone, though the Chiefs were bailed out when Marcus Peters came up with an interception in the end zone.
One reason to be concerned: The Chiefs played without four injured defensive starters and a fifth, Eric Berry, who is unsigned. Almost half of their defensive starters missed the first dress rehearsal. In the case of Berry and two other Pro Bowlers, Houston and Hali, the absences could extend through the preseason. That means three key players would miss the entire preseason.
Marcus Peters again with the pick: The Chiefs' No. 1 cornerback continued to serve notice that things won't be any different for him than they were as a rookie, when he led the NFL with eight interceptions. His end zone interception of a Russell Wilson pass ended Seattle's first drive. Rare has been the training camp practice this year when Peters hasn't had at least one pick
Cairo Santos a long-range kicker: Santos kicked a 58-yard field goal in the third quarter, but having him try one from that distance was no preseason gimmick. Santos has made field goals from beyond 60 yards more than once in practice. The Chiefs had him try a 65-yard kick on the final play of a game last season that would have beat the Chicago Bears, but that one failed.
