The latest
QB Index: Which Championship Sunday passer most needs to win Super Bowl LV? | NFL.com
4 – Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs · Year 4
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 4 | Blair: 4 | Filice: 4 | Parr: 4
2020 stats: 15 games | 66.3 pct | 4,740 pass yds | 8.1 ypa | 38 pass TD | 6 INT | 308 rush yds | 2 rush TD | 2 fumbles lost
Next game: vs. Buffalo Bills | Sunday, Jan. 24 at 6:40 p.m. ET (CBS)
Parr: Mahomes remains in concussion protocol as of this writing, so his status for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game remains uncertain. But the reasons he needs this season’s title the least of the four remaining quarterbacks stem from where he’s going and where he’s been.
A year ago, he became the youngest player in NFL history with an MVP award and a Super Bowl victory to his name. Consecutive championships would undoubtedly enhance his legacy, but we’re talking about a 25-year-old who plays for a perennial contender. He’ll be back, and potentially on a regular basis. We can’t say the same thing with any confidence for Brady and Rodgers, despite their stunning elusiveness in fighting off Father Time.
How the Bills Turned Over Their Roster, and Other Conference Championship Teams Were Built | SI
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Homegrown on the 53: 30 (21 draftees/9 college free agents)
Outside free agents on the 53: 18
Trades/waivers on the 53: 5
Quarterback acquired: Drafted Patrick Mahomes with the 10th pick in 2017.
Last five first-round picks: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (32nd, 2020), Mahomes (10th, 2017), CB Marcus Peters (18th, 2015), DE Dee Ford (23rd, 2014), LT Eric Fisher (first, 2013).
Top five cap figures: DE Frank Clark $19.3 million, WR Tyreek Hill $17.74 million, S Tyrann Mathieu $16.333 million, DT Chris Jones $15.001 million. Fisher $15.138 million.
Why Tyreek Hill shoved Chiefs coach in awkward playoff moment | New York Post
“It’s just my energy level,” he explained to reporters. “I feel like I play the game with so much passion. Not only me, but we put so much into this game. I come off the sideline fired up and I just give my coach a shove. That’s just me and my personality, man. I’m just fired up and happy to be in the NFL and to be a part of this great organization.
“A lot of people see it as me being a hothead on the sideline or being a diva. It wasn’t like that,” he continued. “I was just fired up and trying to give the guys energy. I wish everyone would’ve just thought about it. If I were to really have pushed my coach, everybody would’ve been holding me back. It was just us being fired up, giggling, laughing. We’re just enjoying each other. That’s all it was.”
Patrick Mahomes is the Super Bowl MVP favorite | NBC Sports
Via PointsBet, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes leads the way at +300 (bet $100 to win $300). Next on the list is Rodgers at +325, followed by Bills quarterback Josh Allen at +475 and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady at +625.
There’s a significant drop after that, with Packers receiver Davante Adams at +1500, Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill at +1600, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at +1800.
NFL Championship Sunday game picks: Buccaneers edge Packers; Chiefs outlast Bills | NFL.com
Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 27
Allen has improved as much in one season as any quarterback in memory, with his decision-making growing sharper. But he’s still behind in his development compared to his quarterbacking counterpart on Sunday. Mahomes’ performance against the Browns — and in the first Chiefs-Bills meeting — showed why he’s different this season. He’s patient. He’s avoiding negative plays, taking the easy throws when presented and saving Full Mahomes for when it’s absolutely necessary. The longest completion he had against Cleveland came on a push pass that was essentially a run. There will be holes in a Bills defense without a difference-making pass rush and with cornerback Tre’Davious White slumping over the last month. The ability of the Chiefs’ rushing attack to get big yards last week was a promising development for Kansas City, especially if Clyde Edwards-Helaire is back on Sunday.
NFL Championship Weekend: Picks and preview | YardBarker
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: Kelce is a matchup nightmare no matter what, and he had a pair of touchdowns in these teams’ first meeting, but he could be even more important in this game, given that Buffalo has in corner Tre’Davious White the kind of player who can significantly slow down Tyreek Hill. Buffalo’s safeties are good against the pass, so look for Reid to try and isolate Kelce on Tremaine Edmunds, and rely on his tight end to dominate that matchup.
The pick: Chiefs 34, Bills 27
1. Patrick Mahomes plays, but the Bills advance to the Super Bowl
The early indications are that Mahomes is on the right track to suiting up for the Chiefs in a bid for his second Super Bowl appearance in as many seasons. And make no mistake: Kansas City will not bow out easily if No. 15 is under center, even at less than full speed. The thing is, Mahomes himself is no guarantee of a return trip to Super Bowl Sunday. The superstar quarterback has been just a touch looser with the football since mid-December (three fumbles, four interceptions), and Buffalo’s defense is coming off an inspired rout of the Ravens. Even more threatening is the Bills’ offense, which has rivaled the Chiefs at times in terms of sheer explosiveness. Andy Reid’s squad is superior on paper, but this feels like the season where Sean McDermott finally and fully rises to the occasion.
Buffalo Firefighters Hose Down Kansas City Chiefs Sign Ahead of AFC Championship | Yahoo Sports
Firefighters in East Aurora, New York – in the Buffalo metro area – promised local Buffalo Bills fans that they will “take care” of any Kansas City Chiefs signs placed around the town ahead of the AFC Championship football game this Sunday.
In a tongue-in-cheek video shared to Facebook by the East Aurora Fire Department, a firehose is deployed from a cherry-picker to lay waste to a Kansas City Chiefs sign.
“If anyone notices any KC signs around town, please message us. We may be able to take care of them,” the East Aurora Fire Department said.
Daniel Sorensen
KC • FS • 49
The 30-year-old Sorensen has been a presence in Kansas City’s secondary since they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2014. He’s finishing up a four-year, $16 million contract extension he signed with the club back in 2017 and is enjoying a productive season from a statistical standpoint. In 2020, he totaled a career-high 91 tackles to go along with five passes defended and two forced fumbles. That said, his PFF grades are not much to write home about. While he’s not someone to anchor the back of your secondary with, Sorensen — who does have an affinity for making timely plays — is a player the Chiefs would likely want back so long as his price tag doesn’t get steep.
2021 NFL Mock Draft: Jets acquire Deshaun Watson, trade Sam Darnold to the NFC | CBS Sports
Round 1 – Pick 32
Wyatt Davis OL
Kansas City
Kansas City has not devoted many assets to its INTERIOR (I left that point of context out last time) offensive line in recent years and it is time for that to change with a half billion dollar investment in the backfield.
Around the NFL
Brady was the Bucs’ noteworthy offseason addition for one obvious reason—he’s the greatest quarterback of all time. But Tampa Bay presented a roster worthy of courting NFL royalty. That started with the defense, a unit that Licht has taken to an elite level thanks in part to exemplary draft choices in the past three years. The 2018 class featured defensive lineman Vita Vea, defensive backs Carlton Davis and Jordan Whitehead, and linebacker Jack Cichy. In 2019, the team picked up linebacker Devin White and defensive backs Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jamel Dean, and Mike Edwards. The 2020 draft brought safety Antoine Winfield Jr. into the fold. Each of those players serves a key role in a unit that finished as Football Outsiders’ no. 5 defense in DVOA. The Bucs defense sealed last Sunday’s divisional-round win over the Saints by forcing a fumble and intercepting Drew Brees three times.
“We might be young, but we can get after it when we’ve got our mindset to it,” White said. “It wasn’t nothing Brees did. It was everything our defense did.”
Source: Washington Football Team to hire 49ers executive Martin Mayhew as GM | ESPN
Mayhew, who most recently was an executive in the Niners front office, interviewed with Rivera on Jan. 16 and had long been considered a strong candidate. Among the other known interviews, Washington also spoke with Ryan Cowden, Tennessee’s vice president of player personnel, Nick Polk, Atlanta’s director of football operations and JoJo Wooden, the Los Angeles Chargers’ director of player personnel.
Earlier today, it was reported that the search was coming down to Sirianni versus McDaniels. We offered some bullet point thoughts on the Colts OC:
Isn’t Josh McDaniels.
Seems like a personable, likable guy based on some videos the Colts have put out. Emotional intelligence!
Relatively young in head coaching terms, only turns 40 in June. But hardly inexperienced. Has been coaching since 2004 and in the NFL since 2009. Bit of a diverse background thanks to coaching wide receivers, quarterbacks, and being an offensive coordinator. Hasn’t been a play-caller, though.
Contributed to Colts offenses that ranked 10th (Andrew Luck), 19th (Jacoby Brissett), and 12th (Philip Rivers) in DVOA. Can bring some of Frank Reich’s influence back to Philly. Carson Wentz would probably like that.
In terms of passer rating, Rivers had two of his most average seasons when Sirianni was his quarterbacks coach in San Diego. Not sure if he’s the guy to magically fix Wentz, though I guess it’s good to hear that he “can coach hard if he needs to.”
Tyrell Williams had his best season when Sirianni was his wide receivers coach in 2016. Ditto for Keenan Allen in 2017.
Ex-Washington QB Dwayne Haskins signs on with Pittsburgh Steelers | ESPN.com
The quarterback was released by the Washington Football Team less than a month ago, a day after he was benched in a loss to the Carolina Panthers. He had been photographed without a mask at his girlfriend’s birthday party following a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He was fined $40,000 for his second breach of the COVID-19 protocols and lost his captaincy.
He still started against the Panthers but played poorly and was benched. Haskins was then demoted in favor of Taylor Heinicke, who was signed to Washington’s practice squad less than a month earlier. Haskins was then abruptly released the day after the loss to Carolina.
“I told him that I believe it benefits both parties that we go our separate ways,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said in a statement at the time. “We want to thank Dwayne for his contributions these last two seasons and wish him well moving forward.”
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs secondary may need to mix and match against tough Bills offense
The Bills dropped to 4-2 in the loss, then went 9-1 in their remaining games. In the final 10, Allen threw for 2,833 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. Allen no doubt improved as the year carried on, but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo explained that he is not overlooking his Week 6 performance.
“We thought he was pretty good when we played them,” said Spagnuolo on Thursday. “The way he’s functioned in these last 10, 12 weeks, whatever it’s been, has been highly efficient, very confident. I see a real confident football player who is not afraid to make any throw, from any spot. Most of these guys just say, ‘Make them go in a certain direction, he’s weaker.’
“This is an athletic quarterback, he’s big, tough to tackle. I think he’s functioning in the offense that Brian (Daboll) has him in very well.”
A tweet to make you think
#Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy today: “It’s always good to be mentioned & having an opportunity to pursue your dreams. Yes, I want to be a HC, but when it’s all said and done, my job is to make sure I’m not taking away from the goals we’re trying to accomplish.” pic.twitter.com/KwERl9WqTe
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 21, 2021
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