Arrowheadlines: George Karlaftis is already in the defensive rookie of the year conversation

The latest

NFL Power Rankings: Reassessing All 32 Teams After the Draft | SI

1. Kansas City Chiefs

I’ll count myself as one of those folks last year, who overthought the momentary slowdown of the Chiefs and assumed Patrick Mahomes might settle into an early-career period that made him look something closer to human. I was obviously proven wrong, and have applauded the way the Chiefs got younger and attacked both free agency and the draft. While we may be biased (some of Kansas City’s draftees were among personal favorites) their performance in the draft may have netted them three immediate starters in a lineup that’s difficult to crack. See you back in the Super Bowl, Andy Reid.

Ten NFL rookies in the best situations to succeed in 2022 and beyond | NFL.com

7 - Skyy Moore

Western Michigan · WR

Kansas City Chiefs

Drafted: Round 2, No. 54 overall

My favorite player in this draft, Moore lands in an offense where he will often be Patrick Mahomes’ second or third option in the passing game. Andy Reid did the most with Brian Westbrook in Philadelphia, and I see him using Moore in an equally creative way thanks to the rookie’s run-after-catch ability and precise route-running skills.

This offense will look different without speedster Tyreek Hill, but Moore will help it stay explosive and competitive in the AFC.

Answering the 2022 NFL draft’s biggest questions: Experts debate favorite picks, top rookie classes, fantasy stars, more | ESPN

Who is your early pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Kezirian: George Karlaftis, DE, Kansas City Chiefs. I am going off the grid with a 20-1 longshot. While I touted his “over” on his draft prop, I do think the circumstances are conducive to posting solid numbers with pass-rushing opportunities in Kansas City. He didn’t test well but does find ways to make plays.

Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes penned intro to a forthcoming children’s book | Kansas city Star

18,991 yards and 151 touchdowns in just 63 regular-season games. He’s been chosen for four Pro Bowls, won an NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP award, and has helped the Chiefs win eight playoff games.

The numbers speak for themselves, and now Mahomes is lending a hand to help kids learn about math.

Mahomes has written an introduction to the book, “It’s a Numbers Game! Football,” which was written for kids aged 8 to 12, the publishers said.

The book, which will be released July 26, was written by Eric Zweig and published by National Geographic Kids.

Here’s a description of the book: “Beginning with a foreword written by Patrick Mahomes, this exciting and educational new book will teach kids all the ways digits and math factor into their favorite sport, from the countless statistics used to measure an individual player’s performance to the numbers used in defensive formations. Jam-packed with infographics, statistics, fun facts, sports history, and tips and activities to improve their own game, this book will help kids become a number-crunching football pro.”

Kimble Anders, KC’s Latest Hall of Fame Honoree, Flourished at Fullback | The Mothership

When Marcus Allen, who had initially been signed in 1993 to play the position of fullback, took over as the team’s signature running back, Anders, who had rarely played, was thrust into the role.

Anders had played in a pass-oriented offense during his college career at the University of Houston and quickly took to Hackett’s plans. A consummate blocker, he immediately became known for paving the way for Allen’s sixth Pro Bowl season, while showing his own offensive bonafides catching the ball out of the backfield and displaying elusive moves in the open field.

Flourishing now with Joe Montana and Steve Bono as his quarterbacks, Anders worked much in the way the San Francisco 49ers had used Tom Rathman. He averaged 7.8 yards on a team-high 67 receptions in 1994, and by 1995, picked up his first of three consecutive Pro Bowl honors. He has the distinction of having caught Joe Montana’s final touchdown pass.

Perhaps his most memorable game came in 1995 against the New York Giants, where he caught nine passes in the second half to keep the Chiefs’ comeback victory alive. He finished that day with 11 receptions and 68 receiving yards.

The worst cap casualty decisions in NFL free agency history | YardBarker

7. Donnie Edwards, Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs of the early 2000s boasted a high-flying offense, featuring Tony Gonzalez and two fellow Hall of Famers (Willie Roaf and Will Shields) upfront. These teams are largely forgotten due to a lack of defensive talent. During this period, Edwards thrived with the Chargers. The Chiefs cut Edwards in 2002; their defense caved that season. Other issues emerged, but Kansas City could have used Edwards — who had been a five-year starter — especially during an all-offense 13-3 season in 2003. The upper-echelon linebacker made the Pro Bowl after his first Bolts season and led the NFL in tackles in 2004, helping San Diego return to the playoffs.

Around the NFL

Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers matchup set for Week 10 | ESPN

The NFL on Wednesday announced the Cowboys-Packers matchup for Nov. 13 ahead of the full 2022 schedule release Thursday.

McCarthy served as Green Bay coach for parts of 13 seasons and guided the Packers during their Super Bowl-winning 2010 season. He was fired in December 2018 and hired as the Cowboys’ head coach 13 months later after a one-year hiatus from coaching.

This will be the teams’ first meeting since 2019. The Packers lead the all-time series over the Cowboys 20-17, including playoffs, and have won the past three meetings. Dallas defeated Green Bay 30-16 in 2016, the last time the teams played at Lambeau Field.

Veteran edge rusher Jerry Hughes signs with Texans | NFL.com

The veteran edge rusher signed with the Houston Texans on Wednesday, the team announced.

Hughes joins fellow former Buffalo Bills pass rusher Mario Addison, who also signed in Houston this week.

Hughes has spent the majority of his 12-year NFL career with the Bills, where he became a consistently productive and reliable defender, recording an average of nearly six sacks and 26 tackles (8.2 per loss) per season from 2013-2021. As the Bills fought through the tumult typical of a team morphing from pretender to contender, Hughes missed just one game in that span of time.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are becoming good friends off the field

After winning the overtime coin toss, the Chiefs drove 75 yards to win with an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce.

It would be reasonable to expect that the two men would be bitter rivals — and in a manner of speaking, they are. But off the field, they are becoming friends.

Appearing on “The Steam Room” podcast with Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson on Tuesday, the Bills’ quarterback spoke about their developing friendship.

“We were both at Miami this weekend at F1, we were kind of texting to see if we were there,” he said. “Saturday night he FaceTimes me — and he’s like, ‘Come here.’ Sure enough, we hung out for an hour-and-a-half, two hours just kind of hanging around talking, having a good time.”

By “F1”, Allen was referring to the Formula 1 Grand Prix event in South Florida over the weekend — the event where Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle mistook former Duke basketball player Paolo Banchero for Mahomes.

“I’ve spent a couple times around Patrick,” continued Allen, “but every time I’m around him he’s just a great dude, he’s a great personality, he’s fun to be around. Obviously, all the respect that I have for him on the field. I think it’s a different vibe from what people think.”

“When we step on that field, we’re supposed to be competitors — it’s the old mantra of you’ve got to hate your enemy, you know — but I would say we have a really good relationship, especially for the type of games that we tend to play in.

“He’s awesome. He really is. Love being around him.”

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