Print edition: 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —Arrowhead Stadium was mostly empty by the second half, most of the starters barely made an appearance, and both teams appeared to be looking more toward their regular-season openers.
Yes, this was the fourth preseason game, and the Chiefs won it, 17-13. And meaningless or not, they'll take a victory of any kind, especially after losing their first three exhibitions.
But these four games have, if nothing else, been about self-education for the Chiefs. Kansas City learned what it'll be, for better or worse, in 2010. They now know what they have, and that includes some strengths and plenty of promise, but there remains a worry that a most important position could be a weakness.
Here's what Kansas City learned the past four weeks:
Kansas City can run the ball. Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are serious threats, and when Jackie Battle can break a 50-yarder, some encouraging things are happening in the Chiefs' backfield.
The defense hasn't looked so bad either, and who would've seen that coming two weeks ago in a loss at Tampa Bay? Whatever adjustments coordinator Romeo Crennel made, they've worked. Whatever the team did to invigorate linebacker Demorrio Williams, who had his third sack in two games, it's impressive. And the faith Kansas City has in its young and talented secondary is warranted.
And the Chiefs' group of kick returners look like game-changers. Rookie Javier Arenas had a 44-yard punt return, and at least one big return per game seems to be becoming the expectation.
Kansas City made its discoveries, and it's happy with many of them. But there is the matter of reality, and it must be addressed. Quarterback Matt Cassel proved nothing Thursday night, and he did himself no favors if he hopes to quiet the concerns that intensified this preseason: that he might not be up to the job.
Cassel didn't play much Thursday, but when he did, the comfortable thing was to look away. He missed his first three passes, and two of those weren't close, overthrowing Jerheme Urban and passing behind Dwayne Bowe. Then there was the matter of his interception on Kansas City's next possession, when Cassel spoiled a promising drive — the Chiefs ran the ball six consecutive times for 40 yards — before throwing behind Bowe again, and this time, cornerback Jarrett Bush was there. Sure, he led a touchdown drive before Brodie Croyle relieved him, but most of Cassel's passes on that possession were low-risk throws that let the receivers do the heavy lifting.
The Chiefs learned this preseason what they have, but one question the team didn't answer was whether it has a quarterback it can believe in — especially as other parts of the offense seem to be improving. Dwayne Bowe? Yep, he still looks reliable. Charles? Sure, he has his shortcomings — he nearly fumbled Thursday on a catch and run, but he was ruled down — but the kid is exciting. More than that, he's effective; Charles had 26 yards on two catches in limited duty. And Kansas City rushed for nearly 150 yards, most of them after Jones and Charles ended their nights.
It was Cassel who hung around longer than expected, and maybe that was because the Chiefs needed to see him more than the others. See how he responded. See if he could gather himself against a mediocre defense. And he never did, not Thursday and not this preseason.
In an exhibition game that's traditionally used to give a team's starters a peek at the field and then a long look from the sideline, Cassel played three series. He completed 4 of 9 passes for 58 yards, and 30 of those came one completion to Bowe.
