The Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the 18th practice of training camp on Wednesday morning as the back-to-back defending Super Bowl 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 available below:

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1. The offense had a strong day in the red zone.

The Chiefs' offense tallied several highlights in the red zone during 11-on-11 drills on Wednesday as wide receivers Justin Watson, Justyn Ross, Rashee Rice and Mecole Hardman each recorded a toe-tap reception in the end zone.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes kicked off the period by slinging a sidearm throw into the arms of Rice, who secured the catch in the back of the end zone. Mahomes then made another memorable play a bit later when he scrambled to his right before lofting a pass across his body and in the direction of Watson, who made the catch just inside the back boundary.

Quarterback Carson Wentz also made some plays during the period, notably when he scrambled out of the pocket and found Hardman near the sideline for a touchdown.

Maybe the play of the morning, however, was courtesy of Ross, who stuck with a tipped pass to secure the ball and get both feet in-bounds. The defender played the pass well, but to Ross' credit, he successfully adjusted his body and finished the play with a reception.

2. Cornerback Trent McDuffie hauled in a one-handed interception during 1-on-1 drills.

McDuffie was responsible for an outstanding interception during wide receiver vs. cornerback, 1-on-1 drills in which he stuck with the intended receiver, deflected the ball and secured the ricochet off his knee – all with one hand. It was a great play by McDuffie, who appears primed for a big season in 2024.

Another defensive player who stood out on Wednesday was cornerback D.J. Miller, who hauled in an interception during 7-on-7 drills. Cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Kelvin Joseph notched pass-breakups during the 7-on-7 period, too.

3. There was a clear emphasis on short-yardage and goal line situations on Wednesday.

The Chiefs worked on short-yardage situations at midfield on Wednesday before moving to the goal line a bit later in the practice. The play-calling during the initial short-yardage period was largely focused on runs and quick throws, but fortunately for the fans in attendance, the play sheet also included a deep throw from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who hauled in the catch for a touchdown.

During the goal line portion of the morning, tight end Irv Smith impressed with multiple touchdown grabs.

4. The Chiefs wrapped Wednesday's practice by working on punt returns and kickoff coverage.

The Chiefs almost always end their padded practices with a special teams segment, and on Wednesday, that period was split between the punt return scheme and kickoff coverage.

An interesting note (albeit a nerdy one) during Wednesday's punt return segment was that the Chiefs used a Jugs machine to fire the ball in the air rather than punter Matt Araiza. There were likely a variety of reasons for this, but for one thing, the machine simulated a punt from a right-footed punter (which causes a clockwise spin). Araiza, who is left-footed, puts a counter-clockwise spin on his punts.

Left-footed punters are relatively rare in the NFL, so it makes sense that the Chiefs' returners would practice handling the rotation caused by a right-footed punter from time to time in practice.

5. Here's a look at Wednesday's injury report.

The Chiefs were without running back Louis Rees-Zammit (back), offensive lineman Wanya Morris (bone bruise on knee), wide receiver Hollywood Brown (shoulder), tailback Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ill), wide receiver Jaaron Hayek (shoulder), defensive lineman Chris Jones (shoulder), offensive lineman McKade Mettauer (knee) and safety Bryan Cook (personal reasons) for Wednesday's practice.

Additionally, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor left practice early due to a shoulder injury.

As for the players who have yet to practice in St. Joseph, defensive end BJ Thompson (who suffered a medical emergency in June) remains on the "Non-Football Injury/Illness" list while defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee) is still on the "Physically Unable to Perform" list.

Next up, the Chiefs will take the field on Thursday for the 19th and final practice of training camp. The practice will be open to the general public, but even though it will be free to attend, tickets must be reserved online ahead of time.

For more information on how to reserve tickets, click here.