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The latest
Justin Houston’s success with Colts proves Chiefs made mistake letting him go | Horseshoe Heroes
While Clark is four years younger, he arrived in KC with a black cloud over his head in the form of domestic violence accusations. Houston, meanwhile, was merely frustrating because injury issues kept him out of 25 total games from 2015-2018. Still, over that span he recorded 30 sacks, 39 tackles for a loss, 51 QB hits and five fumble recoveries — in 43 games.
As for Clark, over his last 50 games, he has 33 sacks, 35 tackles for a loss, 66 QB hits and four fumble recoveries. Any money the Chiefs saved releasing Houston simply went to paying Clark, who cost them even more.
Obviously, the Chiefs won a Super Bowl and are now the undisputed powerhouse in the NFL, but imagine if they had just kept Houston, saved even more money, and kept all those draft picks? They did recoup a second-rounder after trading Dee Ford, but they could’ve just used that as another addition.
2 - Patrick Mahomes
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QB
Mahomes got away with a couple of mistakes on Monday night thanks to some spotty officiating, but he remains the picture-perfect play-maker/point guard for Andy Reid’s system. An “off night” for him is almost always accompanied with a stat line half the NFL’s starting QBs would kill for. Which says something about both our expectations for No. 15 and his own greatness. The only reason he isn’t No. 1 is because Russell Wilson is playing the best football of his career.
Last week: 2
Focus on Chiefs: Just win, baby? Sounds like Kansas City’s new motto | Mercury News
It also doesn’t matter who they play, Titans, Texans, 49ers or Ravens. Nothing changes the bottom line for coach Andy Reid’s team. They. Just. Win.
The Chiefs haven’t lost a game in the last 10 months. The Raiders, who have proprietary rights to Al Davis’ old motto, have lost two games in the last 10 days.
No one’s beaten Kansas City since Week 11 of last season when Tennessee escaped with a 3-point win because of a touchdown with 23 seconds left. The Chiefs will try to extend their NFL-best 10-game winning streak — 13 if you count the postseason — when the Raiders visit Arrowhead Sunday morning.
Round 1 - Pick 32
Brevin Jordan TE
More firepower for Kansas City, as Jordan is another ultra-athletic tight end. Given Travis Kelce just turned 31, the Chiefs could look at a tight end early in the 2021 draft.
Around the NFL
Sources: Monday Night Football game could move from New Orleans to Indianapolis | ESPN
Monday night’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers would be relocated to Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium if needed because of Hurricane Delta, sources told ESPN.
The Saints could also move their practice operations to Indianapolis if needed — as they did for a week in 2008 when Hurricane Gustav hit Louisiana. The Saints have long considered Indianapolis as a contingency option because of the ample hotel space and convenient location of the downtown stadium.
NFL overreactions, Week 4: Time for Cowboys to trade Ezekiel Elliott? | NFL.com
Matt LaFleur is already a Hall of Fame-caliber coach
With a career record of 17-3, Matt LaFleur has the best winning percentage (.850) of any head coach in NFL history (minimum 20 games). Yes, better than Bill Belichick (.681), John Madden (.759), George Halas (.682) and even Vince Lombardi (.738).
LaFleur is calling the plays for a Packers offense that’s on pace to set the record for the most points per game (38.0) in the Super Bowl era. Sure, he had the benefit of inheriting a two-time MVP in Aaron Rodgers, but the 36-year-old QB is having a resurgent year in LaFleur’s second season on the job, becoming just the fourth player since at least 1948 with 12-plus passing TDs and zero INTs through his team’s first four games. So let’s give LaFleur’s scheme the credit it’s due.
The Packers are using motions or shifts on 61 percent of their offensive plays this season (sixth-highest rate in the NFL), per Next Gen Stats. For context, they used motion on 49 percent of their plays in 2019 (15th in NFL) and 36 percent of the time in 2018 (27th in NFL).
What does all this translate to? Open receivers. Rodgers’ unheralded pass catchers have generated 3.6 yards of separation per target in 2020, the highest figure in that category for a Packers team since NGS began tracking the metric in 2016.
The NFC East Is the Worst Division in the NFL, But Just How Bad Is it? | SI
Overall, the worst division over the last decade has been the AFC South. Draft status is another indicator; three of its members landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010s. The Colts took Andrew Luck in 2012, the Texans took Jadeveon Clowney in 2014 and the Titans traded the 2017 pick to the Rams for a bounty of draft capital. The NFC East has not made a top overall selection since the Cowboys took Russell Maryland in 1991.
But you can make a strong argument that the NFC East is a close second, and its stumbles are exacerbated by other compounding factors. One is that this year’s painful start is coming on the heels of a 2019 season in which the NFC East went a combined 24–40—the third worst record of any division over the last 10 years, after only the ’14 NFC South (22–41–1) and the ’16 NFC West (23–39–2), and tied with the ’13 South. Sure, it’s only been four weeks, but odds of a rebound don’t seem promising.
RB Index, Week 5: Alvin Kamara headlines RB rankings at quarter mark | NFL.com
11 - Josh Jacobs
Las Vegas Raiders · Year 2
2020 stats: 4 games | 83 att | 300 rush yds | 3.6 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 13 rec | 100 rec yds | 0 rec TDs
After averaging 4.8 yards per carry in his rookie season, the second-year back has posted a figure under 4.0 in three of his four games in 2020. Injuries to the offensive line are part of the reason why Jacobs’ production has dropped, but Jon Gruden must figure out how to get the O-line jelling and Jacobs going again because that’s when the Raiders are at their best. This team is talented enough to play in the postseason, but it won’t get a shot if the run game remains stagnant.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Former Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith promoted to Washington backup role
Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is one step closer to completing one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera benched starter Dwayne Haskins for Kyle Allen on Wednesday morning, and he also announced the promotion of Smith to the team’s backup.
Smith, 36, fractured the tibia and fibula in his right leg during a game between the Washington Football Team and the Houston Texans in November 2018. Smith’s leg became infected shortly after the injury; at one point, doctors considered amputation.
The rehab process for the injury was long and arduous, as the quarterback had to undergo at least 17 surgical procedures.
Smith continued working, and doctors cleared him for football activity in late July. Rivera said in August he could compete for the starting job.
A tweet to make you think
Rashad Fenton had a DAY on MNF.
— Craig Stout (@barleyhop) October 7, 2020
The INT was a great read, but this sequence earlier -- two plays apart -- helped completely stall a long Patriots drive.
Fearlessly takes on a pulling tackle to submarine and get a TFL on toss sweep, then comes up huge at the catch point for PBU. pic.twitter.com/a9ErtRwAoU
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