They did keep score.
The Chiefs did finish out their preseason with a 33-32 win against the Browns.
But if we needed any further reason that the outcomes of these things are irrelevant (which we did not), let me share this: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Nick Bolton were among the Chiefs’ healthy scratches at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
But, hey, they played anyway. And there are some things to learn from what we saw Saturday, even if the final score isn’t one of them.
Here are five observations from Saturday:
1. The Justyn Ross dilemma
A good problem to have. Let’s start with that.
The receivers on the roster bubble continue to perform like guys worthy of being on NFL opening rosters. While the Justyn Ross hype has been blown out of control, he does continue to flash here and there on game days. So too does Ihmir Smith-Marsette, by the way.
Ross high-pointed a three-yard touchdown pass Saturday, his second score of the preseason. Ross does offer the Chiefs a dimension they don’t have elsewhere in the wide receiver room — capable of winning a jump ball.
Is that alone enough for a roster spot? Would the Chiefs commit to using him in that role?
Because nothing has changed from what I wrote earlier this week ahead of Tuesday’s cutdown day.
The Chiefs have enough talent to keep seven receivers.
They do not have enough regular-season snaps to justify keeping seven.
Their internal history shows they rarely use a sixth wide receiver, at least not on offense. On the six occasions in which Andy Reid teams kept six receivers, those six combined for seven catches — for their entire seasons.
Which makes keeping a seventh receiver feel like a real stretch. It’s basically stashing a guy for development purposes, in a league in which you so often need all 53 to contribute.
