The Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the twelfth practice of training camp on Saturday morning as the defending Super Bowl champions continued their preparation for the upcoming season.
Here's a quick rundown of what took place during Saturday's practice, and for reference, all previous practice reports can be accessed below.
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1. It was "Family Fun Day" at training camp.
Thousands of fans made their way to Missouri Western State University on Saturday for the annual "Family Fun Day" event, which is always one of the most popular days of training camp.
For just $5, fans from all over had an opportunity to watch the defending Super Bowl champions take the field before a full-team autograph session took place following practice. This marked the final practice this will take place on a weekend day, but seven practices remain over the next two weeks.
For a look at the remaining practice schedule, click here.
2. It was a lighter, "10-10-10" practice on Saturday.
The Chiefs engaged in a lighter, "10-10-10" style practice on Saturday, which focused more on the cerebral part of the game following a stretch of six padded practices in eight days.
These sorts of practices – which are not padded – essentially seek to demonstrate what success looks like in all three phases. They feature three 11-on-11 segments of 10 plays each, constituting a circuit of 30 plays that is repeated two or three times. The first segment, which is designed for the offense, pits the Chiefs' starting offense against the reserve players on defense, who basically act as a scout team. Next, the starting defense logs 10 plays against the reserve players on offense. The circuit then wraps with 10 special teams' plays focused on a specific area.
In simple terms, unlike a typical 11-on-11 segment, each portion of a "10-10-10" practice is largely designed with one side of the ball in mind while the other side provides a scout team look. In each case, the idea is that the starters can experience what success looks like in a given situation while still taking a relative break physically.
This was the second "10-10-10" practice of camp so far. In both cases, Head Coach Andy Reid has elected to hold a "10-10-10" session on the eve of an off day from camp. In fact, the past several days have followed two sets of an identical schedule: three padded practices, a "10-10-10" practice and then an off day. This system is designed to gradually prepare the players for the grind of the NFL season without pushing or letting up too much in either direction.
3. The screen game was an area of emphasis on Saturday.
An emphasis for the offense on Saturday was clearly the screen game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes executed a number of creative screen passes during the session, which included a remarkable behind-the-back pass that landed in the arms of wide receiver Skyy Moore.
The defense, meanwhile, used their periods of practice to work on a "tempo" drill, which simulated defending a fast-paced offense, before working on a "goal-to-go" situation a bit later. Safety Deon Bush made a noteworthy play for the defense, hauling in an interception off a deflection during the first "defensive" period.
4. Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling made a handful of impressive catches.
One standout from Saturday's practice was wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who caught multiple passes deep down the field during the "offensive" portions of the "10-10-10" session. Valdes-Scantling caught the first pass of the day when he made an impressive grab on a corner route near the sideline. The veteran receiver was then back at it a bit later with another reception deep down the other sideline during the second "offensive" period.
5. Here's a look at Saturday's injury report.
The players who did not participate in Saturday's practice due to injury were defensive end Mike Danna (calf), cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (knee), tight end Jody Fortson (shoulder), defensive lineman Charles Omenihu (calf) and wide receiver Kadarius Toney (knee).
Cornerback Jaylen Watson, who missed Friday's practice for personal reasons, was back out there on Saturday.
The Chiefs will now have an off day from practice on Sunday before returning for the thirteenth practice of training camp on Monday morning. For a look at the training camp schedule or for more information on how to reserve tickets, click here.
