The Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the 13th practice of training camp on Wednesday morning as the three-time defending AFC champions continued their preparation for the upcoming season.
Here's a quick rundown of what took place during Wednesday's practice, and for reference, all previous practice reports are below:
1. The Chiefs moved the majority of Wednesday's practice indoors due to weather.
Practice began outside on Wednesday before lightning in the area forced the remainder of the session to take place within the indoor facility on campus. It was an unfortunate stroke of luck for the fans in attendance, but in terms of the football aspect, the team was still able to get some quality work in despite the change in venue.
"A little bit of a shift in gears today, but I thought the guys did a pretty good job," said Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. "I thought they came in and played fast. That was a good thing."
2. Wednesday's practice included another round of multifaceted 1-on-1 drills.
The tailbacks, tight ends, linebackers and safeties were tested in a variety of ways early in Wednesday's practice as part of two separate – but closely related – drills.
First, the running backs and tight ends took turns in pass-protection against a charging linebacker or safety. This drill inherently means the defensive player has an advantage due to their running start, providing the offensive player with a real challenge as they attempt to hold their own as a blocker.
A few standouts from this portion of the drill included tailback Isiah Pacheco, linebacker Nick Bolton, safety Jaden Hicks, linebacker Cooper McDonald and linebacker Leo Chenal.
Chenal, in particular, provided the highlight of the period when he powered through his blocker and got to the quarterback.
Next, the advantage reversed as the defensive player was tasked with covering the offensive player on a passing play. Defensively, Bolton delivered the play of the segment when he broke up a pass in coverage. On the other side, tailback Brashard Smith hauled in a pass deep down the sideline before veteran tight end Robert Tonyan corralled a one-handed grab a bit later.
3. The final segment of Wednesday's practice featured some "Mahomes Magic."
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is seemingly always challenging what's possible on the football field, and while only a practice, "Mahomes Magic" was alive and well on Wednesday morning.
The play, which took place during a "long drive drill" segment, saw Mahomes sprint to his right (and mere inches from the sideline) before flipping a pass back across the field and into the arms of his intended receiver, who made the catch in-stride.
It was nothing short of an awesome play that demonstrated the intensity with which Mahomes practices, even amidst the "dog days" of camp.
4. The Chiefs worked on "big red zone" during Wednesday's practice.
The coaching staff clearly emphasized the "big red zone" on Wednesday, tasking both sides of the ball with snaps at the 30, 25 and 20-yard lines.
A few standouts from the 7-on-7 period included tight end Noah Gray, who made a heads-up play when he hauled in a reception off a deflection over the middle, and wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, who continued his strong camp with a touchdown grab near the corner of the end zone. Tailback Elijah Mitchell tallied a touchdown catch up the seam during the segment, too.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe later wrapped up the period with a dart of a touchdown pass to wide receiver Jimmy Holiday.
5. Here's a look at Wednesday's injury report.
The Chiefs were without wide receiver Rashee Rice (groin), linebacker Drue Tranquill (back), wide receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle), cornerback Kristian Fulton (knee) and tight end Jake Briningstool (hamstring) due to injury on Wednesday.
Next up, the Chiefs will take the field on Thursday for the 14th practice of training camp. For a look at the training camp schedule or for more information on how to reserve tickets, click here.
