Aug. 17, 2015; St. Joseph, MO; Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (left) and offensive coordinator Doug Pederson (right) talk during training camp. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Chiefs wrapped up the heavy lifting of training camp on Wednesday morning, going through their final full practice at Missouri Western State University.
They were watched by more than 100 members of the armed forces and families that attended the workout, including a flyover from a C-130 out of Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph.
“I think this was the first practice I’ve been at where there was actually a flyover,” coach Andy Reid said. “That’s normally saved for Super Bowls and those types of things, but how awesome was that? We all got to experience it and the guys were able to mingle with the military here, which I think is an important thing.”
Before they spent time with their fans in the military, the Chiefs pushed through their last camp practice. They will hit the field on Thursday for a pre-game walkthrough session, and then head back down I-29 for Kansas City and Friday night’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium.
Quarterback Alex Smith said he would be happy to move off his dorm room bed and get back home, but he felt the time at MWSU was important for the team.
“It’s a special time to be with your teammates up here, (to) really get close because we are away from our families,” Smith said. “When you do get down time, you’re hanging out with each other. You’re spending time with each other and becoming the team. Certainly we are still in training camp mode, even though we are breaking. It’s bittersweet – you’re happy to get out of here, but at the same time, it’s a fun time up here.”
The Chiefs were not in full pads during the practice and worked on red-zone and goal line situations for the offense and defense.
The best play of the exercise came when wide receiver L’Damian Washington outjumped cornerback Marcus Peters for a pass from quarterback Chase Daniel in the end zone.
Medical report
Reid ran down the injury report after practice and said the following players would not play Friday night:
- G/T Jeff Allen (sprained knee ligament).
- QB Tyler Bray (knee).
- LT Eric Fisher (sprained ankle).
- TE Demetrius Harris (foot).
- WR Junior Hemingway (hip).
- LB Justin March (knee).
- NT Dontari Poe (back).
- T Tavon Rooks (unknown).
The head coach listed wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas (shin), linebacker Josh Mauga (heel) and safety Sanders Commings (knee) as questionable for the game against the Seahawks. All 11 of those players did not take part in Wednesday’s practice.
Tests continue on Rooks, who has been having a problem with shortness of breath. He left practice on Monday with the problem.
Plans for Friday night
The Chiefs will use their starters for the first half against Seattle. Reid said the second and third teams would follow in the second half.
With Thomas unlikely to play because of his shin injury, Reid was not sure who would step in and handle the punt returns. “I’m not sure,” said the head coach. “But we’ve got enough guys to do it.”
Reid’s to-do list for playing the Seahawks starts with how his team accomplishes its assignments.
“You’re looking for execution, that’s the primary thing,” Reid said. “Make sure you sharpen it up as you go along here. There’s good competition too, so that’s a good thing. We’re fortunate; this preseason we’ve had good competition.”
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Bob Gretz is the senior editor for ChiefsDigest.com. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @BobGretzcom.
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