The Kansas City Chiefs earned their third win of the preseason with a 28-25 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in preseason Week 3.
While players like Willie Gay Jr. and L’Jarius Sneed were clear standouts among the starters, there were some really good performances from players battling for roster spots. The guys who played the majority of the snaps in the game really impressed.
Here are three standout players on defense from the Chiefs’ preseason Week 3 matchup:
DE Tim Ward
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When hasn’t Tim Ward impressed this preseason? If his two sacks in preseason Week 1 weren’t enough for you, his strip-sack of Kellen Mond probably iced the cake. Ward has shown bend, quickness off the snap and really good hands during the preseason. It wasn’t just the one standout play for Ward, though. He also notched a hurry and three defensive stops occupying the edge. He was once tasked with coverage and he surrendered a 16-yard reception. That’s just the good ole reminder that you shouldn’t have a defensive end in coverage. I’m talking to you, Bob Sutton! By all accounts, Ward has improved his game. The big question is, will it be enough to earn him a spot on the 53-man roster?
DE Joshua Kaindoh
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Kaindoh has been pretty quiet this preseason and really looked out of his depth early on. It’s become clear that as the preseason has progressed, Kaindoh is getting more and more comfortable. He played the most snaps of his young career on Friday, with 57 snaps against the Vikings. He built some positive momentum during the game too. While he has yet to get a sack, Kaindoh led the Chiefs’ defense in pressures with three hurries on the night. He also recovered the fumble forced by his teammate on the defensive line, Tim Ward. Add in his two defensive stops and Kaindoh had one of the most impressive showings of the preseason finale.
AP Photo/Ed Zurga
This is Bootle’s second consecutive week catching our eyes with his preseason performance. Don’t let the picture above fool you, he had a really great game against Minnesota. Bootle tied Tyler Clark for the lead in tackles with five, adding three stops playing from the slot. He was solid in coverage too, surrendering two catches on three targets for just six yards. On the target that he didn’t allow a catch, he notched his first career pass breakup and it looked pretty good. He may have not done enough to make the 53-man roster this preseason, but Bootle certainly proved that there’s something worth developing in his game. [listicle id=97402]
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