Chiefs headlines for Friday, January 10
The latest
Four Fun Story Lines Heading Into the NFL Playoffs | SI
Will a post-2018 quarterback finally win the Super Bowl?
One of my favorite random fun facts about the NFL right now is that no quarterback drafted in 2018 or after has won the Super Bowl. This is not a commentary on the quality of the quarterbacks who have entered the league in the past seven draft cycles. It’s largely a Patrick Mahomes stat.
Mahomes and his achievements (three titles, two MVPs, six consecutive AFC title games, various records) hang over everybody else in the league. In the seven completed seasons since he was drafted, the Super Bowl–winning QBs have been Mahomes three times, Tom Brady twice, Matthew Stafford and Nick Foles. And this is despite a glut of spectacular young quarterbacks, some of whom already look like they’ll be no-doubt Hall of Famers.
Here are some quarterbacks drafted after 2017 that Mahomes has personally taken out of the playoffs: Josh Allen three times, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa.
NFL playoff bracket predictions: Scores, Super Bowl LIX pick | ESPN
Super Bowl LIX
(7) Green Bay Packers vs. (1) Kansas City Chiefs
What a fun set of storylines. Kansas City looking for its third straight title. A rematch from the very first Super Bowl. Andy Reid, in what could be his last game as a head coach, going up against the organization where he started as a tight ends coach in the 1990s. Jordan Love would get a chance to avenge the team that beat him in his first career start, when he went 19-of-34 for 190 yards in a 13-7 defeat in 2021. The Chiefs would be the much higher seed and have the superior record, but by metrics such as DVOA and ESPN’s FPI, the Packers were the better team during the season.
And yet, I think this would be a Chiefs blowout. This is a terrible matchup for the Packers, whose weaknesses hit Kansas City’s strengths and vice versa.
I’ve mentioned Love’s issues with the blitz this season. Well, guess who loves to blitz? Chiefs coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would have no qualms about bringing heavy blitz packages, and he would have two weeks to dial up new pressures for Love and Matt LaFleur to break down. Love is a great player — and the Chiefs don’t have the same caliber of defense that they had with L’Jarius Sneed a year ago — but the best way to attack Kansas City is by throwing downfield up either sideline. The player best suited for that receiving role, Christian Watson, tore his ACL in Week 18.
Bills over Chiefs: ”I hate picking against Jordan in the playoffs,” Prisco says, referring to the reigning Super Bowl champs, “but somebody’s gotta beat ‘em.”
Packers over Buccaneers: Prisco thinks these clubs have the offensive firepower to produce a true spectacle: “The first one to 38 wins. I would love that, and that’s the way I love to see good football.”
Jaden Hicks just the latest young, capable defensive back the Chiefs have developed | The Athletic
Last spring, in the weeks before the NFL Draft, many analysts didn’t describe Hicks’ play style as that of a ballhawk. But most expected Hicks, who played at Washington State, to be selected late in the second or third round. Instead, Hicks woke up on the third morning of the draft still available. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach didn’t even have to trade up in the fourth round to select Hicks, whom The Athletic’s Dane Brugler graded as the 39th overall prospect and the best safety in the 2024 class.
In college, Hicks was known for being an above-average hitter and tackler. In his last season at Washington State, Hicks recorded six tackles from behind the line of scrimmage, two interceptions and six pass breakups.
“I know what I’m capable of,” Hicks said of exceeding his initial scouting report. “When they labeled me as just a run-stopping safety, that fuels the fire even more. I’m glad I got to show it.”
The Chiefs entered the draft with four viable safeties — Reid, Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner and Deon Bush.
“We’re blessed to have him,” Williams said of Hicks. “He has some amazing vets around him — Cook, D-Bush and J-Reid — giving him tips. He’s soaking it all up and making plays.”
Tom Brady’s Power Rankings: Who made the GOAT’s Top 5 teams entering NFL playoffs? | FOX Sports
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) (Last week: 1)
Week 18 result: Lost to Denver Broncos, 38-0
Brady’s thoughts: ”Another incredible season from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. They won a franchise-record 15 games. And how about [Steve Spagnuolo’s] defense ranking top five in scoring for the second year in a row?
“Can K.C. become the first team ever to win three straight Super Bowls? I can’t wait to find out. Let’s go!
“It’s been a lot of fun this regular season bringing you my power rankings, but now it’s a one-game season. I can’t wait to watch these playoffs.”
7 round mock: Chiefs draft two Texas Longhorns, Kansas Jayhawks legend | Chiefs Wire
Round 1, Pick No. 32: Texas Longhorns OT Cameron Williams
Sep 14, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Cameron Williams (56) blocks during the first half against the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners at Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Williams was profiled by Chiefs Wire’s Sam Teets ahead of the College Football Playoff and would be a steal for Kansas City with the final pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Though Williams isn’t as polished as some of the tackles who went before him in our simulation, he could compete to start for the Chiefs as a rookie and may have the potential to develop into an anchor on Kansas City’s line for years to come.
Around the NFL
Falcons GM Terry Fontenot ‘comfortable’ with Kirk Cousins as backup quarterback in 2025 | NFL.com
The Atlanta Falcons might have benched Kirk Cousins late in the season, but they say they’re not necessarily moving on from him.
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said the team wouldn’t hesitate bringing back Cousins next season as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup quarterback — even with Cousins’ large salary-cap hit in 2025.
“We are very comfortable moving forward with (Cousins) as backup,” Fontenot said Thursday. “Kirk is a great man, and he’s been great support for Mike. We are very comfortable moving forward with him as the backup.”
Is Cousins comfortable with that arrangement? He did not speculate on his future publicly prior to the end of the regular season, which ended with Atlanta missing the playoffs.
Raiders fire GM Tom Telesco days after firing coach Antonio Pierce | ESPN
The Las Vegas Raiders have fired general manager Tom Telesco after one season, the team announced Thursday.
The move comes two days after the team fired coach Antonio Pierce after his first full season as the team’s coach.
“We appreciate his efforts in helping build a foundation for the future. We wish Tom and his family all the best,” the team said in a statement.
The Raiders finished 4-13 this season, hampered by an unsettled quarterback situation. Telesco signed Gardner Minshew, giving him a two-year, $25 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. Minshew began the season as the starter but was benched in favor of Aidan O’Connell after five games. Both Minshew and O’Connell dealt with injuries during the season, forcing the team also to start Desmond Ridder.
Ravens rule out Pro Bowl WR Zay Flowers (knee) vs. Steelers | ESPN
Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers was ruled out for the Baltimore Ravens’ wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. Flowers injured his right knee in Saturday’s regular-season finale and did not practice all week.
Moments after Ravens coach John Harbaugh made the announcement Thursday that Flowers wouldn’t play, the former first-round pick walked through the locker room wearing a brace on his injured knee.
“We’ll move forward with the guys we have,” Harbaugh said, “and we’re excited about the guys we have.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs’ Joshua Williams: ‘Every morning, Steve Spagnuolo has new stuff’
As the Kansas City Chiefs wait out the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend to find out who they will face in the playoffs’ second round, there has been some news surrounding the team’s coaching staff.
On Wednesday, we learned that the New York Jets and AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders have requested to interview Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their vacant head coaching positions. The Jacksonville Jaguars also announced interest in Spagnuolo on Thursday.
On Wednesday’s episode of the Up and Adams Show on FANDUEL TV, cornerback Joshua Williams offered some insight as to why Spagnuolo might be so coveted.
“I think every morning, Spags has new stuff,” Williams explained. “He would be a great general – no funny stuff. He is really just a wonder. He can come up with all these different types of pressures [and] all these different types of zone drops. All of that is just stuff to kind of confuse the quarterback. A lot of times, guys get in a defense and they kind of do the same thing year in, year out. That’s good because you still get to perfect what you’re doing.
“But in this system, I think one of the benefits for us is you have different guys doing different things all the time. We have corners who blitz. We have corners who drop to a half. We have corners playing man-to-man. We have corners playing off man [and] off zone. There’s so many different types of defense we run, and I feel like that’s one of the benefits that Coach Spags brings.”
Williams benefited from Spagnuolo’s creativity during the Chiefs’ Week 16 victory over the Houston Texans. Down 27-19 (the game’s eventual final score), the Texans faced third-and-11 from their own 25 late in the fourth quarter. Williams dropped quarterback CJ Stroud for a 12-yard sack on a perfectly timed blitz.
Social media to make you think
Patrick Mahomes’ playoff stats are absolutely ridiculous…
18 Games
15-3 Record
5,659 Total Yards
46 Total TDs
8 INTs
105.8 Passer Rating pic.twitter.com/49z93O9JpA— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 8, 2025
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