Arrowheadlines: Chris Jones would like the Chiefs to trade for Frank Clark

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Chris Jones hopes Chiefs will trade for Denver’s Frank Clark | The Kansas City Star

Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones would certainly welcome back Clark, a point he made on X (Twitter).

Jones shared that sentiment after Clark wrote: “Make something shake ASAP!” A pair of Chiefs fans encouraged Jones to get in touch with KC general manager Brett Veach.

Here is how Jones responded to them both, as he told one, “I’m trying.”

Updated 2022 NFL trade grades: McCaffrey, Claypool, Chubb | ESPN

Original grade for the Chiefs: B

New grade for the Chiefs: C

When you think of Toney as a member of the Chiefs, you think of Super Bowl LVII heroics, when he had a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and a 65-yard punt return to put Kansas City at the 5-yard line a few minutes later. He also played just six offensive snaps in that game.

That’s the thing with Toney: He has tantalizing promise, but the results haven’t matched up. He totaled 221 receiving yards over 10 regular and postseason games last season and has just 83 in five games this season. He had a brutal drop-filled Week 1 — including one that resulted in a pick-six — in the Chiefs’ loss to the Lions. He has played in just 23% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps this season, same as last regular season post-trade.

The Chiefs have him on an inexpensive contract this season and next, and there’s always a chance he can put it together; he’s still just 24, after all. But so far, while he has had a couple of very high-profile successes, the results overall have been lackluster.

Original grade for the Giants: B

New grade for the Giants: A

Aaron Rodgers calls out Travis Kelce

Keys to Victory: Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs | Mile High Report

1. Zone Discipline

When playing the Chiefs, zone discipline needs to be at its highest. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are the best duo in the league at finding gaps in the opposing defenses’ zone coverage. Defensive backs and linebackers for the Broncos need to communicate at their best when dropping into coverage on Thursday. The biggest reason why offensive players get open in zone coverage is when the defense is not communicating which receivers they are passing off to the next zone defender. This error cannot happen against Mahomes and Kelce or else they will make you pay every time. Kelce did suffer an ankle injury last week and might not play, but you know what they say, “prepare for the worst.”

Grading all 31 first-round picks after Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season | PFF

PICK NO. 31: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: EDGE FELIX ANUDIKE-UZOMAH

Overall Rookie Grade: 60.7 (Rank: 7/14)

Principal Opponent: Christian Darrisaw

Week 5 Snaps: 25

Week 5 Grade: 59.2

Anudike-Uzomah had a relatively quiet day against Minnesota. He had an unblocked hurry and an assist on a tackle for loss. Otherwise, he couldn’t get by the Vikings’ tackles in his role as a pass-rushing specialist. Chris Jones and George Karlaftis are the only Chiefs defensive linemen with 60.0-plus pass-rushing grades. Kansas City needs Anudike-Uzomah to fulfill his potential or the defense may have problems rushing the passer later in the season.

2023 NFL Awards Market Breakdown: Odds, Picks, Predictions for MVP, DPOY, More | The 33rd Team

MVP Analysis

Quarterbacks on elite teams consistently win the MVP award. Patrick Mahomes is a two-time winner who faces the Denver Broncos in two of the next three weeks. Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins host the Carolina Panthers, while Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills face the New York Giants on Sunday night. All three quarterbacks are in potential smash spots in Week 6. And while the Philadelphia Eagles are 5-0, Jalen Hurts hasn’t been majorly productive during Philadelphia’s softest schedule stretch.

I gave out Brock Purdy as an MVP option last week at 22-1 odds. The San Francisco 49ers are the best team in football, while Purdy leads the league in passer rating and QBR. Last Sunday night, he threw for four touchdowns, the only significant area he was off the MVP pace with.

Around the NFL

Sean Payton on Broncos trade prospects: ‘We’re not looking to do business with any of our players’ | NFL.com

With the NFL’s Halloween trade deadline closing in, conventional wisdom suggests the Broncos would be sellers.

That’s not the case according to head coach Sean Payton, though he said he and general manager George Paton are listeners.

“We’re not looking to do business with any of our players,” Payton said Tuesday, via team transcript, when asked about conversations with Paton as the trade deadline approaches. “That doesn’t prevent teams from calling at times. We just — you pick the phone up, but that’s kind of where it’s at.”

Falcons acquiring WR Van Jefferson in trade with Rams | NFL.com

Cooper Kupp’s return to the lineup and Puka Nacua’s emergence made Van Jefferson the odd man out in the rotation. Now he’s out of L.A. altogether.

The Rams traded Jefferson to the Atlanta Falcons in a swap of 2025 late-round picks — sixth- and seventh-rounders — NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday, per sources informed of the situation.

In Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, Jefferson played just two snaps and didn’t see a target. Head coach Sean McVay brushed aside the lack of playing time for the former second-round pick, but the writing was on the wall.

Dolphins’ De’Von Achane likely out multiple weeks with knee injury, per report; rookie leads NFL with 12.1 YPC| CBS Sports

The Miami Dolphins emerged victorious from their Week 5 game against the New York Giants, but did not make it out of the game unscathed. Rookie running back De’Von Achane is expected to be out multiple weeks with a knee injury suffered in Sunday’s victory over the Giants, per NFL Network.

The injury is not expected to be season ending, but the Dolphins will continue to gather info and evaluate the next steps with their standout rookie running back. Injured reserve could be possible for Achane, who would miss at least the next four games if placed on that list.

Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday Achane was being evaluated for a knee injury suffered during the game.

McDaniel said Achane’s status for this coming Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers is “to be determined,” and noted that it is “trivial” to forecast any timeline for his return because the team is still gathering information about the injury.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs-Vikings snap counts: Toney trends up, Rice and Chenal trend down

Offensive takeaways

Run vs. Pass

After two weeks in which Kansas City was close to a 50/50 split between passing and running plays, the team was back in familiar territory on Sunday afternoon: passing on two out of three plays (67%) in the game. On its first drive, the team ran the ball on four of nine snaps, but didn’t stick to that ratio. When leading in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs did lean into the running game — but with limited success.

Swing tackle

For the second straight week, both Lucas Niang and Wanya Morris were active, replacing Prince Tega Wanogho, who is now on the Reserve/Injured. Neither one had any offensive snaps, but both split special-teams snaps with starters Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor; all four accumulated five snaps in Dave Toubs units.

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