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The latest
Chris Jones, Chiefs defense roll into AFC playoffs | NFL
Overlooked in all the statistical splendor showcased by the likes of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, receiver Tyreek Hill and other teammates, Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones sacked his way into the NFL record books this regular season.
The best quotes of the year in the NFL | ESPN
“There’s only one cheetah in the league, just know that. You can’t be a cheetah and run a 4.48, or whatever you run.”
-- Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill not allowing San Francisco 49ers RB Matt Breida usage of the “Cheetah” nickname.
When the Chiefs moved quickly and signed Kelvin Benjamin shortly after the Buffalo Bills waived him, the assumption was Benjamin would help fill the void created by Sammy Watkins’ absence due to a foot injury. The snap counts tell a different story.
An already in-house option, third-year wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, has taken on the bulk of Watkins’ playing time.
And it’s not hyperbole to say that Mahomes playing for your team is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This is the ground floor of something that Kansas Citians will talk about for 50 years, the same way we still talk about Len Dawson. He changes the calculus. Changes what’s possible.
Blake Bortles Stands Level With Patrick Mahomes Thanks to a Ridiculous Stat | Fanduel
Mahomes had a monumental regular season, and made even more NFL history with his final numbers, becoming only the second quarterback since the 1970 merger to record at least 4,000 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns and 250 rushing yards in their second season.
The other quarterback? None other than Bortles, obviously.
Around the league
Antonio Brown has requested trade, has issues with Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Tomlin | CBS Sports
Originally, the Steelers said the Pro Bowl receiver was struggling with a knee injury. Turns out, Brown had a midweek practice temper tantrum directed at quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He went missing in the days before the game and by Sunday, he was on the sidelines in his civvies.
Chris Harris sees ‘big rebuild coming’ for Broncos | NFL
“I think, after the Super Bowl, we just kind of got stagnant. We haven’t evolved,” Harris said Monday, via The Denver Post’s Sean Keeler. “So we’ve got to figure out how we can evolve on offense, defense, special teams, everything. ... In terms of the NFL, we’re behind right now.
Five Reasons Why Ravens Can Make a Deep Playoff Run | BaltimoreRavens.com
“Not just this season, but past seasons. I feel like we can go into any situation and battle our tails off and have a chance to win. This group is a special group, we play for each other. We play for our coaches and our coaches play for us. We win as a team and lose as a team, and when you have that bond, anything is possible.”
Chargers should temper expectations for potential Hunter Henry return | ESPN
While acknowledging that Henry has looked good in individual work and team drills while working with the scout team, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn also said he will need to see more before potentially activating the Arkansas product for his first live action in the Chargers’ AFC wild-card matchup on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
NFL Rumors: Patriots’ Brian Flores Meeting With These Four Teams This Weekend | NESN
It sounds like Brian Flores won’t have much time to relax during the first weekend of the NFL postseason.
Although the Patriots will be on bye as Wild Card action gets underway, New England’s de-facto defensive coordinator reportedly will be meeting with four teams that currently have head-coaching vacancies.
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes talk about the Raiders game and the postseason
“I thought the team played well collectively,” he said in his opening statement. “Offense, defense and special teams. I thought the coordinators had a good plan. Oakland, I felt, was a team on the rise. They’ve been strong here [in] the latter part of the season. Jon Gruden has done a good job [with] that. We had to come in with the right attitude and I thought our guys did that.
Week 18 NFL power rankings: Chiefs rise to second place
With their 35-3 win over the Oakland Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs secured the AFC West and the number one AFC seed in the postseason — plus a little bit of respect from the national writers. In the final week of our aggregated pundit power rankings, the Chiefs move up into second place.
Patrick Mahomes: An MVP on and off the field
“His work ethic and everything else is MVP-caliber level,” Reid continued. “He comes to work with a purpose. [He] makes everyone feel a part of it, makes everyone around him better. [He] has done that for our organization, for all of us, his fans and coaches and owner too. He’s been very important.”
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