The Shovel Pass To Travis Kelce Is A Cheat Code | Deadspin
The read-option shovel pass to Kelce is a play that the Chiefs have brought out periodically in the past, and so far this season it’s worked to great effect. Kelce rumbled for a few positive gains after taking shovel passes against the Patriots, and yesterday’s game showed off the full potential of the play.
It’s a fun play to watch because it is the perfect marriage of scheme and personnel. Kelce is a running back in a tight end’s body, and Andy Reid has always shown a willingness to get Kelce the ball in the parts of the field where he’s most dangerous. But it’s not just Kelce’s strength and elusiveness that makes the play deadly, it’s also the quality of the decoys.
Alex Smith continues to be just what the Kansas City Chiefs need | NFL.com
There's been a lot of early-season talk about the new Alex Smith, especially after he lit up New England for 368 yards and four touchdowns. It's more accurate to say this is simply a better version of the same guy. Anybody who thought Smith was going to continue generating crazy numbers on a weekly basis was living a fantasy. The pragmatic signal caller who showed up this past Sunday is more of what the Chiefs ultimately need right now.
Week 3 Tale Of The Tape: Kansas City Chiefs At Los Angeles Chargers | CBS Pittsburgh
The Chargers have not been able to finish the game successfully to this point, but they have excellent skill-position players who are capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Start with running back Melvin Gordon, who combines speed with make-you-miss moves. Wideout Keenan Allen is a dangerous receiver with excellent hands and speed, while TE Antonio Gates still gets it done in the red zone.
Mellinger Minutes talks Chiefs, Royals, cheap food | The Kansas City Star
Then, on the very next snap, the Chiefs ran Tyreek Hill in motion from right to left, then back from left to right, Smith calling for the snap just in time to flip the ball to Hill with a running start around the edge. He was past the first down marker before a defender even had a chance, and ended up with an 18-yard gain.
The whole half was full of this stuff. The Chiefs have talent, and when everything is calibrated correctly, the options at different levels of the field can be impossible to cover. But it has to be calibrated correctly, and the same way a baseball hitter’s success is dictated by timing, so is Andy Reid’s offense.
KC Chiefs Justin Houston back after two injury-plagued years | The Kansas City Star
“50 is one of those players you can’t go up to and be like ‘I need you to do this,’” said Jones, a second-year defensive end. “Because he’ll do it and be like ‘What now?”
That’s exactly what happened, too, as Houston sacked Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz on Philadelphia’s next drive, which led to a three-and-out that helped the Chiefs pull away.
It was an example of the way the Chiefs’ ramped-up defensive line, which terrorized Wentz and New England quarterback Tom Brady during a 2-0 start, has fed off each other.
Jones is a guy I'm very familiar with; I did an NFL draft breakdown of him when he was coming out of Mississippi State a couple of years ago. What I saw back then was a guy who was very talented and who had very good technique, but who was also just a tad bit lazy.
Even with my problems with his motor back then, there simply was no denying his immense potential. This was a kid who could line up almost anywhere on the defensive line and not just look good, but dominant. So I wasn't surprised at all that Jones flashed so much last year in his rookie season.
When he wants to to be Jones is damn near unblockable at times.
KC Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles snap count & analysis | The Kansas City Star
Thomas still logged 73 percent of the special teams snaps, while Robinson only logged 17 percent. That’s a pretty steep drop-off for Robinson from a year ago, when he played 62 percent of the snaps on special teams. Might be something to keep an eye on in the future.
Chiefs rank No. 1 in some NFL power rankings on Sept. 9, 2017 | The Kansas City Star
There are eight 2-0 teams, and the Dolphins have won their only game (their opener was postponed because of a hurricane). Not surprisingly, there is no consensus on what team is the best in the NFL. But these 11 power rankings all agree on one thing: The Chiefs are in the top three.
The Patriots Steal Back The Top Ranking | FiveThirtyEight
I know what you’re thinking: Kansas City won on Sunday, so what gives? You can dig deep into Elo’s methodology here, but the basic premise is that it assigns each team a power rating that can be used to predict the outcome of any game. Once that game is in the books, Elo takes rating points away from the loser and gives them to the winner, in proportion with how unlikely the victory was (upsets shift the ratings more than routine wins) and the winner’s edge on the scoreboard (big wins are worth more, although there are diminishing returns to running up the score).
The Kansas City Chiefs' Offense Is Humming Right Now | numberFire
Through two weeks, the Chiefs have the best offense in the league by Adjusted Net Expected Points (NEP) per play. They’re fifth in Adjusted Passing NEP per play and first in Adjusted Rushing NEP per play. For a team that has long been guided by defense, the offense has now taken the lead.
Photo Gallery: Chiefs vs Eagles Halftime Show | Chiefs.com
Photos from the Chiefs halftime show in recognition of the first responders for the 16th anniversary of the tragedies of September 11, 2001,
Chiefs sign three to practice squad, including ex-Raider’s son | The Kansas City Star
Atkinson, son of former Oakland Raiders star George Atkinson, and three other players — cornerbacks Makinton Dorleant and Ezra Robinson and outside linebacker Garrett Sickels — worked out for the Chiefs on Tuesday.
For San Diegan Alex Smith, trade changed luck from bad to good | The San Diego Union-Tribune
But he said he’ll have adjust to facing his childhood team in Carson, rather than Mission Valley. “I’m trying to see how many times I don’t say San Diego this week,” he said.
Having caught and passed Colin Kaepernick, might Smith do the same to Philip Rivers? Has he already?
If the Chiefs win Sunday, it’d be seven in a row over the lightning-bolt team (though Smith sat out one of those games) that had dominated Kansas City early in Rivers’ tenure. Also, it’d be a 9-26 (.257) win-loss record overall for Rivers’ team, dating to 2015.
Scouting Report: Chiefs vs. Chargers | Los Angeles Chargers
Kansas City has won the last six meetings against the Bolts, owning a 58-55-1 edge in the all-time series. However, the Chargers own a 32-24-1 record against the Chiefs at home.
The Debrief, Week 2: Soaring AFC West is 2017's division to beat | NFL.com
Oakland son Marshawn Lynch's dance like no one is watching while everyone is watching moment Sunday also summed up the mood in Kansas City, where coach Andy Reid proved his team can win games in a variety of ways. The Eagles' front seven is great, but the Chiefs' crew, led by rejuvenated outside linebacker Justin Houston and defensive tackle Chris Jones, was even better in K.C.'s win over Philly. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is one of the game's best escape artists, yet it was Alex Smith's fancy footwork, when he avoided a sack by Eagles pass rusher Vinny Curry, that set up the Chiefs' go-ahead score. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt's incredible ability to fight through traffic, backing defenders into the end zone like a possessed Karl Malone, is symbolic of this organization's leg drive for national respect. They truly are fun to watch. They truly are contenders. Just accept it.
Chiefs take over top spot in AP Pro32 poll; Falcons are 2nd | AP
Because of that start, Kansas City grabbed the top spot in the latest AP Pro32 poll , which was released on Tuesday, receiving eight of 12 first-place votes for 378 points in balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL.
"Alex Smith has never looked better, Justin Houston is healthy again and creating havoc with the pass rush, and the Chiefs have made a clear statement with wins over the Patriots and Eagles that they are to be taken very seriously," Newsday's Bob Glauber said.
PODCAST: Previewing Chargers/Chiefs with Arrowhead Pride | Bolts From The Blue
Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride joined me on the Locked On Chargers podcast today to talk about it, and he sounds about as smug and comfortable as I would sound if the team that I rooted for and covered had played that well in the first two weeks of the season.
Wentz sure wasn’t perfect against Kansas City, but the reality is he was one of major reasons the Eagles were in the game. Philadelphia gained 406 offensive yards against the Chiefs. Wentz accounted for 388 of those yards (333 passing and 55 rushing) — which come to 95.5% of the Eagles’ total offensive performance. He clearly didn’t receive much help in the run game.