Arrowheadlines: Keenan Allen unlikely to play against the Chiefs

The latest

Chargers WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) unlikely to play Thursday vs. Chiefs | NFL.com

NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that Allen is unlikely to play on the short week, but there is optimism after tests that his injury isn’t a long-term issue, per sources informed of the situation.

Allen missed the second half of the Chargers’ Week 1 win over the Las Vegas Raiders after suffering the injury. He caught four passes for 66 yards, including a 42-yarder, before exiting.

As L.A. travels to K.C. on a short week, it’s not surprising Allen will miss Thursday’s game. With extra time before the Chargers face the Jaguars on Sept. 25, the hope is the star wideout can return swiftly.

NFL Week 2 picks: Chiefs win thriller over Chargers, Tom Brady ends Saints curse, Vikings upset Eagles | CBS Sports

Anyway, another reason you should order Prime is so that you can send something to Patrick Mahomes for his birthday! Mahomes’ big day is on September 17, and now that I’m thinking about it, I guess that explains why he’s the best September quarterback in the history of football. The man does not lose in the month of September. I mean, if there’s one rule to making NFL picks, it’s “Never pick against Patrick Mahomes in the month of September.”

Since he took over the Chiefs starting QB job in 2018, Mahomes has gone 12-2 in the month of September and he’s thrown 49 touchdown passes in those 12 games (That’s an average of 4.1 per game for those of you who hate doing math). As if that’s not impressive enough, he’s also averaged 328.9 yards passing in those 14 games wins. I’m not saying we should rename the month “Mahtember,” but I’m also not saying we shouldn’t.

The Chiefs have won six straight home openers and they’re 11-2 in their past 13 prime-time games and I think what I’m trying to say is that there’s no way I’m picking against the Chiefs.

The pick: Chiefs 34-27 over Chargers.

One thing we learned about each NFL team in Week 1: Lamar Jackson can pass, Chargers now can close games | CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are always contenders with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes: The notion the Chiefs were going to take a step back because they traded Tyreek Hill always seemed silly. Reid is the only head coach to win 100 games with two different franchises and he has arguably the best quarterback in the NFL at his disposal.

Mahomes went 30 of 39 for 360 yards and five touchdowns in a dominant performance over the Cardinals, showcasing how much deeper the Chiefs are at wide receiver and in the passing game. Kansas City has one of the top offensive lines in football and a young defense that gets after the quarterback consistently.

The Chiefs are still one of the best teams in football. They’ll always be in the Super bowl conversation with Reid and Mahomes.

Chiefs release cool video about Justin Reid filling in for Harrison Butker against the Cardinals

Early NFL Week 2 betting odds and lines | Atlantic City Weekly

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings and subject to change)

NFL week 2 betting odds, schedule, TV

Thursday, Sept. 15

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

When: 8:10 p.m., PRIME

Spread: Chiefs -3.5 (-110); Chargers +3.5 (-110)

Money line: Chiefs -180; Chargers +155

Over/Under: 54 (-110)

Three Chiefs Week 1 Snap Count Trends That Stood Out | Arrowhead Report

2. Noah Gray is trusted in year two

Last year, Chiefs fifth-round pick Noah Gray didn’t make a great impact as a rookie. He did manage to make some plays down the stretch but in an offense that had Travis Kelce garnering unquestioned snaps at the primary tight end spot and Kansas City preferring blocking options like Blake Bell behind him, there wasn’t a huge role for him. With Bell out due to his ongoing recovery from a hip flexor injury and the Chiefs’ offense going to backups late in the second half, however, Gray logged a whopping 53% of offensive snaps and also played 16 special teams snaps.

Gray finished with two targets against Arizona, finishing with a pair of targets for one catch and 10 yards in the process. The Chiefs’ tight ends, as a whole, also displayed some terrific blocking ability on run plays. Jody Fortson got a healthy amount of snaps in Week 1 and projects to be far more of a threat in the red zone than Gray, yet Gray does seem to be a better player in year two. All reports coming out of training camp were positive, and he’s parlaying it into playing time early on. It remains to be seen what his workload will look like in more competitive games but for now, Gray appears to be trusted in year two.

Around the NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers ‘encouraged’ by injury outlook for T.J. Watt, Mike Tomlin says | ESPN

“We’re probably in a lot better place than we were after the game,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “... I can definitively say that T.J. won’t play this week [against the Patriots], but I won’t make any commitments beyond that.

“We’re encouraged, and we’ll just continue to look at the situation and gain opinions and do what’s appropriate.”

Asked to clarify if being encouraged suggests the Steelers don’t believe Watt has a season-ending injury, Tomlin said: “That does suggest that, yes.”

Broncos take the ball out of Russell Wilson’s hands as Geno Smith earns Seahawks-style win | NFL.com

But Wilson never got the chance because Hackett decided there was a higher probability of winning with Brandon McManus’ right leg than Wilson’s right arm or legs. His explanation: McManus had decided pregame that he was good for anything from the 46-yard line or closer, with the ball on the left hash mark. So with the ball on the 46 and the left hash, Hackett decided to trust his kicker over Wilson. There really is no other way to view it, unless you were Wilson or his teammates.

“I believe in Coach Hackett,” Wilson said. “I believe in what we’re doing. Believe in everything, and any time you can try to find a way to make a play on fourth-and-5, that’s great, too. Also, I don’t think it was the wrong decision. I think (McManus) can make it.”

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Week 2 AP NFL Power Rankings: The AFC dominates the top five

11. San Francisco 49ers (9th)

I’m willing to give a pass to the 49ers — but only because of the field conditions.

12. Las Vegas Raiders (12th)

Derek Carr was holding the ball for soooooooo long during that final drive. Have some self-awareness, man.

13. Miami Dolphins (21st)

The way Chiefs Twitter collectively went after Tua after he underthrew Tyreek was both hilarious and predictable.

14. New Orleans Saints (20th)

It’s nice to see elite players come back from injury and prove that they’ve still got it. Before you ask, I’m talking about Michael Thomas — not Jameis Winston.

A tweet to make you think

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