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The latest
NFL Team Needs: Prioritizing Every Roster’s Biggest Weaknesses After Week 5 | Bleacher Report
Add Now: None
The Chiefs are doing exactly what the Chiefs are expected to do at this point in the season. They boast one of the top offenses and top defenses in the league right now and it’s hard to come up with many areas for improvement. As injuries arise and situations change, there might be a move for them to make. Right now, they are best served to keep things as is.
2024 Free Agency: LB Isaiah Simmons, New York Giants
4. Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice was back in the end zone.
Rice hauled in his second-career touchdown on Sunday with an 8-yard scoring grab early in the third quarter. It was part of a strong day for Rice, who caught four passes for 33 yards – two of which picked up a fresh set of downs. Additionally, Rice’s touchdown took place on a 3rd-and-8.
Rice now has 17 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns on the year. The former second-round pick ranks eighth among all rookies in terms of receptions. According to Pro Football Focus’ grading metrics, Rice was the Chiefs’ top performer on Sunday.
MVP Watch
5 - Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs · QB
Caesars odds: +450
Weeks in top five: 5
Next game: vs. Broncos | Thursday, Oct. 12
NFL top-10 rankings: 49ers clear No. 1; Dolphins, Lions climb; Cowboys, Bills fall | FOX Sports
2. Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 4-1; Last Week: 2
It has not been pretty, but the Chiefs keep stacking wins, utilizing a workmanlike approach that meshes a rugged defense with a ball-control offense. Although Patrick Mahomes has been forced to adopt a more managerial style with limited offensive firepower, the two-time MVP will jump into superhero mode in the clutch to seal a win. Considering the Chiefs are sitting atop the AFC without playing their best ball, the defending champs are setting themselves up to make a serious run at a back-to-back title.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Kay® Jewelers, the Official Provider of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence, will honor Class of 2009 member Derrick Thomas with a pregame ceremony Thursday, Oct. 12.
Thomas will be recognized with a presentation of his Ring of Excellence as his Kansas City Chiefs host the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. Adrian Allison, Chief Relationship Officer at the Hall of Fame, will be on hand for the ceremony before the game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Thomas will be represented by Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO; Betty Brown, President of Thomas’ Third & Long Foundation; and his former teammate and current officer for the Third & Long Foundation, Neil Smith. Thomas’ Ring of Excellence will be displayed in the Chiefs Hall of Honor alongside other items from his career.
Around the NFL
IOC set to vote on flag football for 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles | NFL.com
Flag football took a key step toward becoming an Olympic sport in 2028, a victory for the NFL and organizers in Los Angeles who want to bring a distinctly American sport to the Summer Games as they return to the United States for the first time in 32 years.
The Los Angeles organizing committee proposed five sports — including flag football — to the International Olympic Committee, setting it up for a vote at the IOC’s meeting that starts Friday in Mumbai, India.
Other sports on the list included baseball and softball — which were in the Tokyo Games in 2021 but will not be played next year in Paris — lacrosse, squash and cricket, a sport with a much wider global reach that will go over well in Brisbane, Australia, which is hosting in 2032, and in India, where the vote will take place.
Raiders end three-game losing streak with win over Packers | ESPN
The Raiders ended a three-game losing streak, and the schedule looks promising with the woeful New England Patriots coming to Las Vegas on Sunday before the Raiders head to the equally inept Chicago Bears a week later.
Promising trend: Spillane preached takeaways throughout the offseason, into training camp and throughout the start of the season ... despite never having an interception and only recovering one fumble in his five-year career. Two picks against the Packers sent a message for a defense in desperate need of big plays. His first INT set up a Carlson field goal late in the second quarter and was the Raiders’ first score off a turnover this season. Las Vegas entered the game as one of two teams — next week’s opponents, the Patriots, were the other — without a point off a turnover this season.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson to seek multiple opinions on injured hamstring | NFL.com
The coach didn’t provide a timeline on Jefferson and is unsure if the wideout will be available Sunday against Chicago.
“Justin’s still going through the evaluation process on that hamstring strain,” O’Connell told reporters on Monday. “I’ll keep you guys posted on what that timeline may look like and how his availability may be for this week or moving forward.”
Jefferson left Sunday’s home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter with the hamstring injury. He did not return, ending his day with three catches on six targets for 28 yards.
O’Connell added that given Jefferson’s competitive nature, the team would have to protect the wideout “from himself.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs News: Matt Nagy reaffirms committee approach at wide receiver
Reiterating a longtime adage of Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid, Nagy said that the Chiefs’ young receivers will need to show they can handle multiple roles to increase their snap counts. He trusts that Mahomes will be able to continue functioning with the current committee approach.
“[The receivers] also know,” Nagy stated, “that they’ve got to know these circles and spots within the offense — and not just their particular route. They’ve got to understand the concept. Then we have a phenomenal quarterback that’s able to spread the ball around.
“I think it probably makes it difficult for defensive coordinators to go into a game and say, ‘Hey, listen, this guy, we’re going to shut him down, and they can’t throw it to these other two or three guys because they’re just guys.’
“We feel like we’ve got a bunch of really good players at the wide receiver position that all have different strengths — and we just want to utilize them to the best of our ability.”
Two receivers who may have a path to expanding their roles are rookie Rashee Rice and veteran Justin Watson. Rice caught four passes for 33 yards and the go-ahead touchdown against the Vikings. In a season where Mahomes is struggling on deep passes, Watson brought in two impressive deep throws for 56 yards.
A tweet to make you think
The @Chiefs have officially become the team everyone hates due to perennial winning. This happens often in sports.
— Brad Symcox (@BritChiefUK) October 9, 2023
I didn't want to believe it before, but it looks like the Chiefs have become the very thing we hated most ... Prime New England Patriots!
And I'm ... pic.twitter.com/HCvlV2zwHM
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