Few factors during a National Football League preseason will move a line more dramatically than the announcement of a starting quarterback sitting out. Andy Reid announced this week that Patrick Mahomes will not be starting at quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tell us something we didn’t know.
I could have told you Mahomes wasn’t going to start this week last December when he injured his ACL and LCL and had surgery the next day. He then began a rehab that put the start of this season in doubt. As it looks now, Mahomes will be able to start at quarterback for the Chiefs when they open at home on Monday night of the opening weekend against the Denver Broncos.
Risking aggravating his knee injury during the preseason in a game is something Reid has pretty much ruled out.
While Mahomes sits for the Chiefs, the Rams will also have a significant number of players not participating in Sunday’s Arrowhead contest. Two of their best receivers, Paul Nacua and Davante Admas, will not see action while nursing minor injuries. That is also the case with newly acquired edge rusher Myles Garrett.
At quarterback for the Rams this week will be Stetson Bennett. While he will start the game, Head Coach Sean McVay has also announced first round draft choice Ty Simpson will see extended play.
In other words, the game in Kansas City will be a very typical preseason scrimmage that would live up to the old name the NFL used for these summer matchups … an exhibition game.
First-year Buffalo Bills Head Coach Joe Brady has announced that his starters will all see action on Saturday when his team hosts the Carolina Panthers at the new 2.1-billion-dollar stadium. With a seating capacity of 60,108, the new Highmark Stadium has about 11,000 fewer seats than the Bills old stadium. That was a controversial decision, having less seating, but leaving the stadium natural grass and open air in frigid Buffalo was a no brainer.
The Bills consider the weather conditions to be an advantage to their team.
The announcement that the Bills starters will see action sent the betting world to the window to get down on Brady and his Bills. The opening line on this game had Carolina favored by 1½ points on the road, now they are getting 2½ points.
Here is the deal.
The bettors are getting down on the Bills because they are going to play their starters. You know how long Brady is going to leave Josh Allen and company on the field? Don’t tune in late, because you will miss them.
That is how it goes in the preseason. Even when a coach announces his starting quarterback and other first line players will see action, it is usually just a series or two … seldom as long as the entire first quarter. I wouldn’t want money on the Bills in the second half of this one, but a first half wager on Buffalo may have some August value.
The NFL will wrap the first full week of preseason action on Saturday with seven games and after their five games on Thursday will stage three preseason contests on Friday.