Chiefs headlines for Thursday, January 9
The latest
A B+ for 15-2?!?! Yeah, that’s what happens when the entire world thinks the NFL has rigged things in your favor to land a three-peat and you don’t score more than 30 points once in a single season. The bar is really high for the Chiefs , and while they ended up tied for the best record in football, they didn’t exactly do it in incredible fashion. If Patrick Mahomes and Co. turn it on offensively during the playoffs and win another title, no one will be surprised, but this felt like a luck-fueled record in somewhat of a cruise control season, even if there were a lot of injuries on offense to overcome.
Every NFL playoff team, ranked by its 2025 Super Bowl chances | SB Nation
1. Kansas City Chiefs
For weeks, people questioned the Kansas City Chiefs.
Their point differential was used as evidence they were paper tigers. Their record in one-score games meant that eventually their luck would run out. Despite racking up win after win, it seemed the Chiefs faced more questions than answers.
But now, just as the playoffs are beginning, it seems Kansas City is actually rounding into form. Their 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day might have been their most impressive — and complete — performance of the season. Having already secured home-field advantage the Chiefs rested their starters in Week 18, and with their early game in Week 17 that means Kansas City will be coming off an extended bye week in the Divisional Round.
Sure their luck might run out, and yes there is a reason no team has won three consecutive Super Bowls. But right now, the Chiefs look like they may very well be the first team to do just that. — MS
Ranking Every QB Storyline Entering 2024 NFL Postseason | The 33rd Team
1. Is a Super Bowl three-peat coming for Patrick Mahomes?
Mahomes will enter the playoffs as the top AFC seed for the fifth time in his career as he chases his fourth Super Bowl title, which would tie him for second-most with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana behind Tom Brady’s seven wins in the big game. Mahomes’ 15 playoff wins rank third all-time behind Brady’s 35 and Montana’s 16, and his .833 winning percentage is second to Bart Starr’s .900 among quarterbacks with at least six postseason victories.
But Mahomes is seeking something Brady and the others never accomplished—a Super Bowl three-peat after beating the Eagles and 49ers in the last two Super Bowls.
Mahomes’ 2024 regular season stats were not overly impressive by his standards. His 93.5 passer rating ranked 16th, but his 15 wins were a career high. He finished strong with 11 TD passes and no interceptions in the last six games, all victories, before sitting out the last game at Denver with the top seed clinched.
The offense under the team’s 2017 first-round pick is peaking at the right time with better pass protection as the season progressed and the return from injuries of top back Isiah Pacheco and WR Marquise Brown along with the development of first-round WR Xavier Worthy.
Mahomes’ quest for the three-peat with so many top QBs chasing him is the biggest story to follow this postseason.
2025 NFL Free Agency Big Board: Ranking Top 50 Players Before Wild-Card Weekend | Bleacher Report
2. Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs
He won’t carry the name recognition of Tee Higgins heading into free agency, but Chiefs guard Trey Smith has the potential to be one of the most important non-quarterback signings of the upcoming offseason.
We’ve seen a boom in the interior lineman market for a few reasons. A number of offenses are turning back to the running game—with playoff teams like the Eagles, Ravens, Buccaneers and Lions leading the trend—while many defenses have prioritized interior pressure.
Smith has a good chance to top Landon Dickerson’s $21 million-per-season contract and become the league’s new highest-paid guard in 2025. He won’t turn 26 until June, has missed only one start in four seasons and is one of the best all-around linemen in the NFL.
In pass protection, Smith didn’t allow a sack in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. As a run-blocker, he’s truly elite. His ability to pull, deliver blocks on the move and engage multiple defenders frequently pops on film.
Smith’s ability to operate in a confined space and position defenders away from the play is harder to spot, but it’s top-notch.
1 – Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs QB
By his standards, Mahomes has been more scrappy than spectacular for two years and counting, relying primarily on late-game heroics, including as a scrambler, to give Kansas City an almost unbelievable win rate in tight contests. There’s simply no way we can call him an underdog in January, however, as he enters with a Hall of Fame-worthy 15-3 career playoff record, vying for a record third straight Super Bowl trophy. He thrives in these moments under Andy Reid.
NFL Awards 2024: MMQB Picks for MVP, Rookies of the Year, Coach of the Year and More | SI
Coach of the Year
T-1. Dan Campbell: 36 points (4 firsts, 4 seconds)
T-1. Kevin O’Connell: 36 points (4 firsts, 4 seconds)
3. Dan Quinn: 17 points (4 thirds, 2 fourths, 1 fifth)
4. Jim Harbaugh: 12 points (1 third, 3 fourths, 3 fifths)
5. Mike Tomlin: 6 points (2 thirds)
6. Andy Reid: 5 points (1 fourth, 3 fifths)
T-7. Matt LaFleur: 4 points (2 fourths)
T-7. Nick Sirianni: 4 points (1 third, 1 fifth)A tie! Four of our panelists put Dan Campbell in first place and Kevin O’Connell in second place. The other four flipped them. So the two coaches whose teams played for the NFC’s top seed on Sunday Night Football in Week 18 will have to share our award. Campbell is being rewarded for a 15–2 season, the best in Lions history. O’Connell entered the season with lower expectations and led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14–3 record with Darnold at quarterback. Below them, our panel rewarded Dan Quinn and Jim Harbaugh for reaching the postseason in their first season with their respective teams.
Andy Reid’s Chiefs enter the playoffs as back-to-back defending champions amid their bid to become the first team to win three successive Super Bowls in NFL history. Having marched out to a 9-0 start, they were dealt their first defeat of the campaign in Week 11 as Josh Allen inspired the Buffalo Bills to a 30-21 victory over their fierce AFC rivals, after which the Chiefs went on to win six straight while clinching the No 1 seed against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.
As was the case last season, this is a different Chiefs team operating with a different identity to the high-octane aerial offensive juggernaut that tormented teams behind Patrick Mahomes during his early years as starter. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense has again played a defining roll, ranking second in scoring while spearheaded by star corner Trent McDuffie and veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Around the NFL
Bears to interview Pete Carroll for open HC position on Thursday | NFL.com
Pete Carroll could be returning to the NFL by way of the Windy City.
The Chicago Bears are set to interview Carroll on Thursday for its vacant head-coaching position, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source.
Carroll coached the Seattle Seahawks from 2010 to 2023 when he stepped away from his position as head coach to remain with the organization as an advisor. At the time, Carroll indicated that he did not believe that he was done as a coach, and he reiterated those statements during a Seattle radio interview before the start of the 2024 season.
With Vikings-Rams set for L.A. on Monday, the NFL is “closely monitoring” wildfires | NBC Sports
As the Rams prepare to host the Vikings on Monday night, a wildfire is raging near Los Angeles. Between the spreading of the blaze and the impact of the flames on air quality, the league is paying attention to the situation.
“The NFL continues to closely monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA,” chief NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told PFT by email.
Delaying the game wouldn’t seem to be an option, given that the winner will play the following weekend. If the fire gets too close to the venue or if the air quality in Inglewood slips toward unhealthy levels, the game could be moved.
The closest options for relocation include Phoenix and Las Vegas.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
5 Chiefs’ statistics to know before the playoffs
2. The defense allowed the fourth-fewest runs for 10+ yards
This season, Kansas City surrendered 42 runs of 10 or more yards, which tied the Denver Broncos for the NFL’s fourth-fewest.
While the Chiefs have had a stout run defense for most of the season, there have been blemishes in recent games. In Week 17, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed 202 rushing yards — and in Week 15, the Cleveland Browns had a 62-yard running play. But these were outliers for a unit that consistently forced teams into second-and-long.
In the postseason, limiting explosive runs by teams like the Buffalo Bills or Baltimore Ravens will be crucial. For these teams, big rushing plays can only make things easier for their star quarterbacks.
3. Patrick Mahomes set a career-low for time to throw
PFF says Mahomes averaged 2.76 seconds from snap to throw — his fastest time in any season as a starter. It ranked ninth among 2024’s starting quarterbacks.
It is no coincidence that this took shape as Kansas City reworked its offensive lineup. Joe Thuney has held up well at left tackle, but the offense has also benefitted from the quarterback’s faster release. The ascension of rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy — and the return of veteran receiver Hollywood Brown — have helped it along.
In the postseason, this needs to continue; it will help keep the offense in rhythm. The AFC playoffs will feature four of the top six teams in sacks. That doesn’t even include the Bills, who sacked Mahomes twice in Week 11 — and also forced an interception during a drawn-out dropback.
Social media to make you think
Chiefs Kingdom, you helped this champ win the #WPMOYChallenge presented by @Nationwide! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zY6EhxZ5Re
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 8, 2025
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