[Quesadilla Joe]

Good, Bad and Ugly First Impressions
My 10 takeaways from the beginning of preseason, as teams shake off the rust


1. I think I liked what I saw on our trip to St. Joseph, Mo., to check out the Chiefs. Really liked their defense, including underrated signings in end Mike DeVito, linebacker Akeem Jordan and safety Quintin Demps. Kansas City is loaded with talent—yes, some of it unrealized to this point (Tyson Jackson, Dontari Poe)—especially in the secondary. I’m enthusiastic that coordinator Bob Sutton is in charge. Romeo Crennel was a good coordinator, but he was a little unimaginative. Sutton said he learned a lot under Rex Ryan with the Jets, and it looks like he’s putting it to good use. Safety Eric Berry played around the line of scrimmage on 80 percent of the snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and that will happen again. But here’s hoping Sutton actually follows through and puts Berry in a playmaking role. Biggest concerns with the Chiefs: whether Alex Smith can be more than just a game manager, and the lack of speed on offense. There are a lot of big, lumbering players, but no one scares with speed. Dexter McCluster needs to have a huge season, but the Chiefs could really use an infusion of speed.

http://mmqb.si.com/2013/08/15/nfl-pr...t-impressions/