Arrowheadlines: Patrick Mahomes reminds us that football is a game

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Patrick Mahomes is the simple, undeniable reason why Chiefs can three-peat | FOX Sports

The more I watched Reid, Mahomes and the Chiefs at work, the more I came to realize just how different they are than the Bill Belichick-Brady Patriots. There’s no denying that Kansas City is a dynasty, like New England was. There’s no denying that the Chiefs are the favorite to win the Super Bowl and are, therefore, in the mix to become the first team to ever win back-to-back-to-back championships. And yes, Mahomes is The Reason why, just like Brady was for the Patriots.

But Mahomes couldn’t be more different than Brady, even if they’ll always draw comparisons to each other.

Brady was a control freak hell-bent on repetition, intensity and seriousness. His reliance on structure led to his consistency and his greatness. He was the perfect quarterback for Belichick.

Mahomes is a living reminder that football players play, that this is all a game. It’s not just a game, of course, but Mahomes plays with joy and creativity that helps him achieve his unique greatness. He’s the perfect quarterback for Reid, who knows how to rock a Hawaiian shirt better than anyone.

The more you watch Mahomes, the goofier he gets. And Reid embraces that goofy side, building the team’s identity around Mahomes’ personality — not just his skill set.

Joe Burrow opens up about facing Mahomes

5 NFL Players Who Can Break into NFL Top 100 Next Season | Bleacher Report

CB Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs

It’s no coincidence that the Kansas City Chiefs have won back-to-back Super Bowls in the two seasons that Trent McDuffie has been on the roster.

While the cornerback hasn’t received the recognition and praise that his superstar teammates Chris Jones, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes—all ranked in the top-10 of the latest NFL 100 list—have been showered with, McDuffie has been a pivotal piece of the team’s defense during his short NFL tenure.

Kansas City’s decision to trade up for McDuffie in the 2022 draft has been one of general manager Brett Veach’s best moves. While Kansas City had to give up No. 29, No. 94 and No. 121 to get the No. 21 selection that year, it was well worth it for a player who emerged as an All-Pro in just his second professional campaign.

McDuffie has started all 27 games he’s been available for, tallying 124 tackles, 14 pass defenses, six forced fumbles and four sacks in that span. He’s yet to record a single NFL interception, but McDuffie has only faced 127 targets—allowing just 77 completions for 777 yards and five touchdowns—despite lining up against plenty of elite wideouts.

NFL Power Rankings: Jets biggest mover as preseason nears; are Bears the real deal? | NFL.com

1 - Kansas City Chiefs

The receiver group was a real issue for most of last season, even if it didn’t ultimately matter at the end. Still, Kansas City invested a lot in the position this offseason, signing Hollywood Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy, who could both play even more pronounced roles if Rashee Rice’s troubling offseason leads to discipline by the league. Now the focus on offense appears to be squarely on the left tackle spot, where rookie second-rounder Kingsley Suamataia appears to be getting every chance to win the starting role over Wanya Morris, who had a few starts down the stretch last season. Morris left practice with a shoulder injury last week after working out at guard, but was back out there this week. Patrick Mahomes can offset almost anything, we’ve learned, so maybe the bigger question is how the defense replaces L’Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs have some things to figure out, but until someone knocks them off their perch, they’re my top dogs.

Chiefs Announce 2024 Edition of Red Wednesday; Online-Only Flag Presale Begins at 1pm CT Tomorrow | The Mothership

To capitalize on the excitement of the Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens for the NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, September 5, the club has announced that for the second year in a row, the traditional Red Friday celebration to start the football season will become Red Wednesday and will take place on Wednesday, September 4.

For the 11th consecutive year, the club will sell a limited-edition commemorative flag to celebrate this annual tradition and benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City. This year’s flag features a special back-to-back championship design to honor the team’s victories in Super Bowls LVII and LVIII.

A special limited-quantity, online-only presale will go live on shop.chiefs.com at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow, allowing fans in Kansas City and throughout the country to purchase this year’s Red Wednesday flag with guaranteed delivery before Red Wednesday. Flags purchased as part of the online presale will cost $10. There is a special free shipping offer for all flags purchased during the Wednesday presale, while any presale purchases after Wednesday – should flags remain available – will be subject to shipping charges.

2024 Fantasy Football Blueprint to Win Your Draft and the League | Bleacher Report

Avoid

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (ADP: 27)

Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the game today. He might be the best ever when he’s done playing. But having him on your team is a key to winning a Lombardi Trophy, not fantasy football championships.

His ADP lands him in the late second round or early third round, and his recent scoring just hasn’t justified that kind of draft stock.

He finished 12th in fantasy football scoring on a per-game basis last season.

The Chiefs will again have some new faces to break in in the passing game. Mahomes is going to have a hard time living up to fantasy expectations.

Around the NFL

Packers QB Jordan Love, big new deal in hand, to play Saturday | ESPN

Love signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension less than two weeks ago that tied him atop the quarterback pay scale at $55 million per season. He missed the first four practices of training camp while the final details of the contract were negotiated.

LaFleur played Love in all three preseason games last summer in large part because it was Love’s first year as the starting quarterback. Previously, Aaron Rodgers had not played in any preseason games during LaFleur’s tenure as coach, which began in 2019.

Ex-Dolphins OL Connor Williams signing one-year, $6M deal with Seahawks | NFL.com

Connor Williams was poised to be a highly coveted free agent before a torn ACL cut his 2023 season short and derailed his 2024 plans.

Williams’ longer-than-expected free agency has concluded with the interior offensive lineman signing a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks that’s worth up to $6 million with $3 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday night.

Having played four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and the last two with the Miami Dolphins, Williams is still just 27 years old and has 77 starts under his belt. He started nine games last year for Miami before tearing his ACL.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Rister: Matt Araiza asks, ‘Where else would you want to be?’

Araiza was dropped from the lawsuit in December. After two complete seasons away from the sport, he signed with the Chiefs in February.

Speaking after Monday’s practice at the team’s training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Araiza wouldn’t get into specifics about what happened in college.

“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion,” he noted, “but I think if you do your own research, I think you can come to a pretty clear conclusion.”

Araiza admitted he did not know if another opportunity would ever come.

“There were times that I didn’t,” he recalled, “and there were times that I did. It honestly kept going back and forth in my mind. There were a lot of moments where I thought it was over, so I’m incredibly grateful to be here.”

During his two-year hiatus, Araiza was diligent in keeping himself prepared. He kept himself fit by running and lifting weights — and, of course, kicking.

“[I was] just continuing to punt,” he explained, “[and] continuing to try and mentally make it a game-like situation. [You have to] keep your mind sharp.”

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