The Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks played as AFC West rivals for a quarter of a century until the NFL realigned in 2002. The meetings have been infrequent since then with only four regular season hookups. But the teams will meet for the third consecutive year in the preseason with their Week 3 contest. The teams split the last two meetings with each decided by a single point. Those took place at Arrowhead Stadium and now the Seahawks have their rabid fan base behind them in an effort to take down one of the AFC favorites.
The Week 3 preseason contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks will take place Friday, August 25, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at CenturyLink Field. Watch the game line on CBS.
Odds Analysis
The line and total had yet to hit the board but expect the Seahawks to be favored by at least the standard field goal. Home field has been good to Seattle even in the preseason with the Seahawks going 10-2 SU and ATS in their last 12.
Quarterback Rotation
Alex Smith isn’t ready to give up the starting job and he’s played like it this preseason. Smith and the rest of the Chiefs’ quarterbacks played flawlessly in a win over the Bengals last week, with Patrick Mahomes supplanting Tyler Bray as the No. 2. Smith led two scoring drives completing 8 of 9 passes for 83 yards and a score. He’s 12 of 15 for 131 yards in his limited playing time and will be extended in Friday’s game.
Mahomes was moved up the depth chart prior to last week’s game and solidified his role by going 10 of 14 for 88 yards and a pair of scores. He will follow Smith in the order with Bray getting some mop up duty. Bray threw his first preseason touchdown last week and all threw QBs had a scoring pass while combining to go 20 of 28 against the Bengals.
With starting left tackle George Fant lost for the season with a leg injury in last week’s game, the Seahawks might consider the amount of playing time Russell Wilson gets in this one. Wilson had a strong outing against the Vikings with 206 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. But with the line in limbo, we might see more of Trevone Boykin and Austin Davis.
The line was a concern heading into camp but Fant was playing well and had the job locked up. Now Pete Carroll will have to shuffle guys around to make up for the loss. It isn’t the most ideal situation at this point of the season, but why risk injury to Wilson because the line hasn’t figured things out. Besides, what does Wilson have to prove? He’s completed 16 of 22 passes this preseason for 247 yards and two touchdowns without a pick.
Coaching History
Andy Reid has produced just a 35-39 career record during the preseason but he takes the Week 3 dress rehearsal game seriously. He has a losing record in every week of the exhibition season except Week 3, where his record is an astounding 12-6. With the Chiefs Reid is 3-1 SU and ATS in Week 3 games, winning the last two.
Carroll has put together a solid 20-10 preseason record during his stay in Seattle and the Seahawks’ only losing record came in his first season in 2010. Last week’s win over Minnesota was their fourth straight and seventh in the last eight preseason games. The home field advantage has extended to the exhibition games with Seattle going 10-2 SU and ATS in its last 12 at home.
Free ATS Pick
This matchup between two favorites from their respective conferences should be a good one. We’ll see most of the starters play the entire first half and that could be problematic for the Chiefs. Seattle has its defense intact and the group will be hungry to shut down a team that ripped off over 400 yards last week.
The loss of Fant from an offensive line that was a question mark to begin with is a blow to the Seahawks and we could see less of Wilson because of it. It’s back to the drawing board for Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who need to work out who and where guys will play along the front.
Without Wilson the Chiefs will have an edge in quarterback play and that carryover into the fourth quarter when the reserves start taking over will be enough to get the Chiefs a narrow victory.
NFL Odds: Chiefs 26, Seahawks 22
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