Patrick Mahomes gazed over the first-team Kansas City offense Thursday night, lined up before him as if members of a choir, and together the Chiefs took a poignant penalty to honor Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson.
Then they beat the Green Bay Packers 17-10 in the preseason finale.
Yet it was the penalty to honor Dawson, who died this week at the age of 87, that left the lasting impression.
It came after the first-team Chiefs defense forced the Packers, playing their starting offensive line with Love and a host of backups, to a 3-and-out to start the game. Mahomes headed onto the field with most of Kansas City’s starting offense and lined them up in the old-fashioned style of huddle favored by Dawson in the 1960s and ’70s.
Mahomes high-fived his guys while allowing the play clock to run out, then the delay-of-game foul was announced not on his No. 15 but on 16, the number Dawson wore during his playing days. Green Bay declined it.
The Chiefs visit the Arizona Cardinals for their season opener September 11th.