Arrowheadlines: Tommy Townsend isn’t your typical punter

The latest

Chiefs replacing a punting institution with fiery Tommy Townsend | ESPN

“I’ve always had a little bit of fire as a football player,” Townsend said. “Growing up I played running back and in high school I played corner and safety, so I’ve always been pretty aggressive. That’s one thing I have in my mind that I think is an advantage. I’m a little bit more aggressive than the typical punter.”

2020 NFL schedule: Ravens get huge travel-related advantage, Seahawks will fly the most miles | CBS Sports

12. Jets: 17,246 (2)

13. Giants: 15,928 (2)

14. Chiefs: 15,782

15. Buccaneers: 15,766 (1)

16. Jaguars: 15,234 (1)

Taco Charlton will wear No. 94 jersey with Chiefs | Chiefs Wire

According to the Chiefs’ media portal roster, Charlton will wear the No. 94 jersey for the 2020 season in Kansas City. Previously, at Pickerington Central and the University of Michigan, Charlton wore the No. 33 jersey. In the NFL, defensive linemen are only allowed to wear numbers 60-79 and 90-99. Once Charlton got to the NFL he switched to the No. 97 jersey with the Dallas Cowboys and then wore the No. 96 jersey with the Miami Dolphins this past season.

Denver Broncos: Predicting 2020 AFC West records | Predominantly Orange

Kansas City Chiefs

2020 AFC West Record Prediction: 4-2

While the Chiefs finished their Super Bowl campaign season with a 6-0 AFC West sweep, it is unlikely they will go through 2020 unscathed. The AFC West should be much more competitive than it was last season, and a least a couple of other in-division teams should be making bids for the playoffs (although which ones remain to be seen).

While the chances of Kansas City getting swept by a divisional opponent are low, it is a good possibility that at least a couple teams are victorious over the mighty Chiefs and Mahomes at least twice this season. Here are the two games they could lose this season:

October 25 @ Broncos

November 22 @ Raiders

Marc Sessler’s 10 favorite players he’s seen: Swooning for Al Toon | NFL.com

Christian Okoye

Running back; Kansas City Chiefs (1987-1992)

Okoye hails from a time when bruising runners looked twice as imposing due to a trend at the time of wearing gargantuan shoulder pads. I wouldn’t call Okoye a one-hit wonder, but his six-year career for the Chiefs might be lost in time if not for his 1,480 yards and 12 scores for a frisky Kansas City club in ‘89. The 6-foot-1, 253-pound bowling ball matched his Nigerian Nightmare nickname with outings that left the enemy in shambles. It’s fair to ask what sort of role he’d play in today’s NFL as a big-body thumper who caught just two passes for 12 yards that season.

Nerdy side note: In high school (minus an automobile or girlfriend), I became obsessed with APBA, a football simulation game for the PC. Real teams, real players — and the chance to replay full seasons. When the ‘89 campaign arrived by mail (in floppy disc form!) I made a habit of unleashing that Chiefs offense on repeat to see just how much destruction I could generate on the ground. In an outing against the Oilers roster, Okoye blew the doors off Houston with 300-plus yards rushing and four scores. I asked Steve DeBerg to pass twice all contest.

Jamaal Charles Went From Competing in the Special Olympics to Making $41 Million in the NFL | Sports Casting

As explained on the running back’s official website, Charles was diagnosed with a learning disability in the third grade. While he eventually got the help he needed, it wasn’t the easiest adjustment; his special education classes “excluded from field trips and other activities his peers enjoyed.”

There was a silver lining, however. Charles did get to attend the Special Olympics each year; it was there that he realized he had the speed that would later make him famous.

“When I was a boy, I had trouble reading. I found out I had a learning disability. People made fun of me. They said I would never go anywhere. But I learned, I can fly,” Charles said at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics, as documented by For The Win. “When I was 10 years old, I had the chance to compete in the Special Olympics. That’s right. The Special Olympics gave me my first chance to discover the talent I did not know I had.”

Around the NFL

Tony Dungy Discusses the Work Players and Teams Can Do to Better Their Communities | SI

“To me, that means more than just doing great things on your off day. Visiting young people, all of that’s part of it, and we need to do that,” he said. “But it also is at times like this, when you see things that aren’t going right. And you’ve gotta use your voice and you gotta be part of the solution. I think it’s very important that our athletes do have a voice and they need to use it. And I’m proud of them for it.”

Drew Brees: ‘Completely missed the mark’ in comments on flag | ESPN

“In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country,” Brees wrote. “They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character.”

Bills rookie QB Jake Fromm apologizes for ‘elite white people’ text | ESPN

Fromm went on to say he was not an “elite white person” later in the conversation.

“I am extremely sorry that I chose to use the words ‘elite white person’ in a text message conversation,” Fromm said in a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday afternoon. “Although I never meant to imply that I am an ‘elite white person,’ as later stated in the conversation, there’s no excuse for that word choice and sentiment.

“I stand against racism 100%. I promise to commit myself to being part of the solution in this country.”

Nine NFL bandwagons to hop aboard in 2020: Bills, Bucs top list | NFL.com

7 Denver Broncos

I don’t have the Broncos making the playoffs, but if they do, I won’t be shocked. This is a longer-term play. Get a premium seat on the bandwagon now and thank me later.

I love how John Elway has surrounded Drew Lock with an influx of talent this offseason. When you finally get a young quarterback you believe in, give him every chance to be successful. The Broncos have certainly done that. In free agency, Elway and Co. signed Melvin Gordon to partner with Phillip Lindsay in the backfield. And they spent big bucks on versatile O-lineman Graham Glasgow. In the draft, Denver used their first two picks on explosive receivers (Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler), selected a plug-and-play center (Lloyd Cushenberry) and then grabbed Lock’s old college tight end (Albert Okwuegbunam).

All of that means that we’re gonna find out if Lock’s the real deal real quick. That’s smart team management.

In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride

NFL: coaches may return to team facilities

Aside from the Chiefs, it is believed that all NFL coaching staffs would be able to return to team facilities on Friday — except for San Francisco 49ers coaches. Another report from Rapoport said that the Bay Area team “is aware and supportive of the plan and has been in communication with its local authorities to obtain all necessary permissions.”

Appearing on NFL Network Thursday, Rapoport said that he had spoken to some teams that said they may choose to wait until Monday to bring coaches into their facilities — or perhaps not at all until training camp.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafalo wondered which coach would drive up the team facility at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Assuming local authorities allow it, we would not bet against Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

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