Kansas City Chiefs: 7 Observations from NFL Preseason Week 2

The Kansas City Chiefs played their second game of the 2011 preseason last Friday night against Baltimore, losing to the more talented Ravens by the score of 31-13.

While the score might not have showed it, KC played much better in this game than they did in their loss the previous week against Tampa Bay.

Overall, there is still a lot of work for head coach Todd Haley and his staff to do, but that's why it's still the preseason.

Here are some observations I made after watching the Chiefs/Ravens game on Friday night.

OLB Justin Houston Looked Great

The Chiefs selected former Georgia linebacker Justin Houston in the third round of this year's NFL draft, hoping that the rookie would give them another solid pass-rusher.

It looks as if Houston might be that guy after a solid performance against the Ravens in KC's third preseason game on Friday night.

He was in the backfield numerous times, causing a fumble and racking up two sacks in the losing effort.

It's evident he is very talented, and it looks like it will only be a matter of time before he will be starting opposite Tamba Hali on the Chiefs defense.

Tyler Palko Played Efficiently

Journeyman quarterback Tyler Palko played the best game of his preseason career for Kansas City on Friday night.

He completed eight of 13 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Ravens.

The University of Pittsburgh product showed the ability to take the KC offense down the field and score in the third quarter.

Right now, he has the edge over rookie Ricky Stanzi in becoming Matt Cassel's backup for the 2011 season.

The Offensive Line Struggled Mightily

For the second straight preseason game, the Chiefs' offensive line didn't play well as a unit.

They gave up five more sacks to Baltimore in Week 2 of the '11 preseason, and none of it was pretty.

Starters Casey Wiegmann and Ryan Lilja were constantly getting pushed back, hampering both KC's running game and passing game in the process.

They were playing against one of the best defensive lines in all of the NFL in the Ravens, but the line will still need to play much better if Kansas City is going to have one of the top offenses in the AFC in 2011.

Matt Cassel Was Just Average

Chiefs' starting quarterback Matt Cassel turned in a bland performance against the Ravens on Friday.

The Pro-Bowl quarterback was just six for 14 with 73 yards, often times over-throwing his intended receivers while dealing with the many blitzes of the Ravens' defense.

He didn't look like the quarterback who led his team to 10 wins in 2010 but instead looked like the one that threw five interceptions in the team's two losses to end that season.

Hopefully this kind of play is temporary for Cassel and not something that will continue for the rest of this preseason.

Dexter McCluster Looks Explosive Again

Speed receiver Dexter McCluster was a very explosive player in the first half of his rookie season with the Chiefs in 2010.

However, he suffered a high ankle sprain mid-season, which effectively silenced him for five weeks. He was never the same player when he returned.

Now, McCluster is 100 percent healthy, and it showed against the Ravens on Friday night.

He had 24 yards on the ground and three catches for 47 yards through the air. He also showed some of the same flashes of speed and quickness he showed at the beginning of his rookie season last year.

Quinten Lawrence Needs Alot of Work at CB

Third-year man Quinten Lawrence had arguably his worst game as an NFL cornerback on Friday at Baltimore.

He was burned multiple times against the Ravens defense, including this catch by Baltimore wideout David Reed.

Lawrence has to be running on fumes to make the Chiefs roster, considering he is in his second position with the team now.

It's time for Lawrence to improve quickly, or the NFL will stand for "Not For Long" for him.

Dwayne Bowe Was in '10 Form

Mercurial wide receiver Dwayne Bowe looked every bit the part of the No. 1 receiver he will be on this year's Chiefs offense on Friday.

He had three catches for 47 yards, including a couple of nice grabs against Ravens' 2011 first-round pick Jimmy Smith.

It will be important for Bowe to continue the momentum from his strong training camp and second preseason game of 2011 into the regular season opener on September 11th.

He needs to be a Pro Bowl-type wideout once again for this Chiefs offense to flourish this season.