Stark new reality champs must accept; key to Rams revival as MVP fancy blows it: NFL Talking Pts

Week 17

Kelce has been Mahomes’ safety blanket for so long but even he hasn’t produced at a consistently high level this year, seemingly hampered by lower leg injuries.

The result is that the Chiefs are averaging their second-least points per game (22.2) and most turnovers (26) and drops (34) in 10 years under Andy Reid.

The Chiefs have often relied on Mahomes, his exceptional arm and superhuman scrambling abilities but even Kansas City’s superstar quarterback can’t help the team overcome mental mistakes like the ones it made in the 20-14 loss to the Raiders on the weekend.

The wide receiver room remains the biggest issue for the Chiefs, with no real dependable option for Mahomes outside of rookie Rashee Rice, who on Monday set a new franchise rookie record for receptions in a season (74).

Rice also has 811 yards on the season, which puts him 184 short of Dwayne Bowe’s record from 2007.

But even Rice is a work in progress, with his route tree still largely limited to passes near and behind the line of scrimmage, although he saw some expansion in that regard against Vegas.

“I’d say Rashee Rice is playing the best football on this offence right now outside of maybe Creed Humphrey,” former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said on ESPN’s ‘NFL Live’.

“That says a lot about this football team. The reality is, if we go back to Week 1, the drops — I remember saying my biggest concern was, ‘Was Patrick only going to start looking at Travis Kelce if this continued throughout the season?’. That absolutely is happening.

“Patrick is playing at a lesser rate because 1) the tackles, neither of them are playing good and 2) the only person he has a viable trust in is Travis Kelce.

“His play has now been impacted by it. There is no question about it that he is in a stretch of poor play. They play shotgun football, catch-and-throw football, they are not good enough. When they play catch-and-throw football they expose their weaknesses.

“They have to start to cover up those weaknesses and try get Patrick to play better outside of those variables he cannot control.”

It is not just the passing game though. The Chiefs have had mixed success this season running the ball with second-year back Isiah Pachecho, who only returned last week from a brief injury lay-off.

If Kansas City was able to more consistently establish the run it would ease the pressure on Mahomes to produce magic with his arm.

Just look at what Buffalo did recently with James Cook.

“Those issues are exacerbated, and you really saw this against the Raiders, by the fact that they can’t really run the ball well right now,” added ESPN analyst Mina Kimes.

“The Chiefs aren’t explosive. They weren’t explosive last year but last year they were an extremely good rushing team, which helped them still move the ball efficiently.

“They need to accept that reality that they’re not a good rushing team right now because they’re ending up in bad down-and-distance as a result of their inability to carry the ball on the ground.

“Some of that has had to do with the offensive line and the push that they’re getting or not getting but it’s something that is causing major problems for this offence to keep things on time.”

LAMAR SILENCING HIS DOUBTERS

It was a strange but ultimately rewarding off-season for Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The former MVP of the league initially wanted out of the team that drafted him, with the Ravens not willing to meet his demands of at least $230 million (USD) guaranteed money in a new deal.

Jackson wanted to eclipse the $230 million figure that Browns QB Deshaun Watson got from Cleveland the year before.

But it wasn’t just the Ravens digging their heels. Like dominoes, seemingly QB-needy teams publicly stated they weren’t willing to pursue Jackson.

There was a very real possibility that Jackson wouldn’t play another snap for the Ravens, but with rival teams not showing much interest, that bought Baltimore some time to finally nut out the terms which the agent-less Jackson would eventually agree to.

After more than two years of contract negotiations, Jackson signed a new five year, $260 million deal ($185 million guaranteed) with Baltimore on April 28.

The deal made him the highest paid player in the NFL.

Now, not even a season old, the new deal is beginning to look like a masterstroke.

Even with a offence that have lost star tight end Mark Andrews and running backs JK Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell to injuries, Jackson has led Baltimore to a 12-3 record and the top spot in the AFC.

Jackson’s play also has him the firm favourite to collect his second MVP award.

Despite the terrific season, and what Jackson has been able to do with a relatively inexperienced receiving corps, led by rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers, the Ravens and their QB continued to be doubted.

Leading into the Week 16 blockbuster between Baltimore and NFC heavyweights San Francisco, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio declared the 49ers would “kick the s**t out of the Ravens.

Generally, Jackson prefers not to fire back at criticism or give it any credence, instead letting his play do the talking.

However, after throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns (with no turnovers) against a vaunted 49ers defense in a 33-19 win, the usually mild-mannered Jackson couldn’t help but rip Florio.

But being doubted is nothing new for Jackson.

For the vast majority of his pro career, he’s had to hear NFL talking heads and a large volume of fans tell him he’s not an accurate enough passer or that he’s a glorified running back playing quarterback among other critiques.

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager says Jackson has “destroyed” all of those narratives since entering the league.

“We ask so much from Lamar Jackson,” Schrager said.

“We almost have a higher expectation for Lamar, and the one thing that you always hear is, ‘Can he lead a team back? Can he do it with his arm?’”

He can and he has.

The one query is being able to get it done in the playoffs, which he is yet to do. However, there’s no doubting his excellence since the Ravens drafted him with the 32nd pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

In his first 76 starts, Jackson has compiled an impressive 57-19 win-loss record.

That has him on par with the greatest player to put on an NFL uniform, Tom Brady.

Pretty good going.

LATE-ROUND DRAFT GEMS SPARK SUDDEN RAMS REVIVIAL

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Rams. Instead, they are close to sealing an unlikely postseason berth — and they could make some noise in the playoffs too.

Los Angeles has won five of its last six games, with its only loss coming in overtime to a Baltimore team that currently has the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl.

The success is a strong stamp of approval for the Rams front office, which kept Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford as the cornerstones of the defence and offence respectively heading into this season.

Building around the two was always going to be a challenge, with ESPN reporting before this season kicked off that the Rams were carrying $75 million of dead money against their salary cap in 2023.

However, crucially, they are said to have just $700,000 counting against their 2024 salary cap.

That puts Los Angeles in a strong position to build on what has been a formative season for a young roster that has quickly exceeded expectations.

Puka Nacua has a real chance to surpass Ja’Marr Chase’s rookie record for yards (1,455) and Jaylen Waddle’s rookie record for receptions (104), needing just 129 yards and 11 catches.

In case you missed it, he was a fifth-round pick.

“He’s outstanding,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of Nacua.

“You see around the league, you know, (C.J.) Stroud has had a great year, but this guy is – he would get my vote.”

Fifth-round running back Kyren Williams, meanwhile, had an injury-interrupted rookie campaign and missed time this year too but has exceeded 100 total scrimmage yards in eight of 11 games this season.

In fact, since returning from injury, Williams has rushed for over 100 yards in four of five games.

The Rams called on veterans Darrell Henderson Jr. and Royce Freeman to take on added responsibility with Williams and back-up Ronnie Rivers sidelined and while they were solid, McVay’s praise for the second-year back ahead of his return spoke volumes to how important he is to this team — not just as a runner but as a pass blocker too.

“I think just everything that he brings, competitiveness, the production, feel as a runner, explosiveness, production in both the pass and the run, good feel and understanding for what we’re trying to get done in protection,” McVay said.

“He just was playing at a really high level. I’ve been pleased with the job that Royce (Freeman) and Darrell (Henderson) have done kind of filling in his absence but you look at where he was playing among these other really good players in the league, and he had a stretch where he is playing some really good football.

“So his production and just the overall presence and his competitiveness I think is what you’ve missed.”

Guard Steve Avila (second round) and defensive linemen Byron Young and Kobie Turner (third round) have also proved valuable picks for the Rams while shrewd additions like cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and guard Kevin Dotson helped bolster a defence and offensive line that was projected in the pre-season to be among the worst in the league.

PURDY’S MELTDOWN FORCES DRAMATIC SHIFT IN MVP RACE

A turnover-filled disaster for Brock Purdy turned him from MVP favourite to an afterthought in just a few minutes.

The Baltimore Ravens’ swarming defense kept the 49ers’ offense off balance, and a four-interception performance moved Purdy from a clear $1.45 favourite to $13 with the TAB, the fifth best odds.

Meanwhile, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is now in the driver’s seat, but as firmly as Purdy was a week ago, coming in at $1.55 with the TAB.

During “Monday Night Football’s” heavyweight battle between the 49ers and Ravens, running back Christian McCaffrey passed Purdy on the odds board, now sitting in second as a $6 pop.

McCaffrey is getting ton’s of love from pundits, who claim that this is the year for a non-quarterback to grab the award.

The dramatic shift from near certainty to $13 outsider in the span of one game can’t be understated and goes to show just how fickle the MVP race is this season.

For one person though, Purdy’s disastrous showing couldn’t have come at a worse time, after purchasing a Brock Purdy to win MVP ticket for $125,000 off another punter.

The original owner of the ticket turned his $2,000 investment into $125,000 while the buyer saw Purdy’s MVP chances go up in smoke, just three days after purchasing the bet slip.

– with The New York Post

RAIDERS NOT PREPARED TO LET ANOTHER INTERIM COACH WALK

The Raiders’ season was heading nowhere fast at 3-5 after an ugly offensive showing in a Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.

Star wide receiver Davante Adams’ overt frustrations on the sideline said it all. This team is too talented to be 3-5.

Something had to give. Within 24 hours, it did.

After just one and a half seasons at the helm, the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels the day after the Lions loss.

According to FOX reporter Jay Glazer, McDaniels’ dismissal seemed to be in the works even before the Lions loss.

“There was such a big disconnect with the players there and Josh McDaniels,” Glazer said.

“The players had recently gone upstairs to the owner, Mark Davis, to tell him what their problems were.”

McDaniels was swiftly replaced by interim coach Antonio Pierce.

The Raiders interim gig is Pierce’s first head coaching role in the NFL.

In fact, Pierce has only coached in the NFL since 2022, when he was hired by McDaniels to coach the Raiders linebackers.

Unlike McDaniels, Pierce is a player’s coach.

Despite his fierce intensity and will to win, he connects easily with his players and it’s clear they love putting it on the line for him.

McDaniels meanwhile, despite his strong reputation as an offensive play caller, reportedly played favourites and had an almost churlish disposition.

Not everyone warmed to him easily.

In Pierce’s first game as interim coach, the Raiders had a date with the Giants – the team Pierce spent five seasons at as a linebacker and won a Super Bowl with.

It wound up being no contest, with the Raiders thrashing the Giants 30-6.

Interestingly, the Raiders’ post-game locker room had a very different feel to it than it did while McDaniels was in charge.

It was lively, players could be themselves. A new day had dawned.

Since that win, the Raiders have gone 3-3 with Pierce but that has included an upset road win against their AFC West-rival Kansas City Chiefs and scoring a franchise record 63 points against the LA Chargers.

In all likelihood, the Raiders will miss the postseason, but stranger things have happened.

You’d think if they can pull off the near impossible and progress, Pierce is a shoe-in to shed the interim tag.

But even if they don’t, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Graziano believes Pierce has already made a strong case.

Graziano even noted how the Raiders decided to not hire former special teams coach Rich Bisaccia as head coach after being given the interim tag in 2021 following the firing of Jon Gruden.

“I think he’s got a real chance. He’ll be a strong candidate at the end of the year,”Graziano said.

“The rules say they’re going to have to open it up and do a full search and interview multiple people from outside the organisation but two years ago Raiders owner Mark Davis let go of a popular interim head coach in Rich Bisaccia that had taken over the team mid-season and led them to the playoffs, electing to instead hire Josh McDaniels.

“We all know how that worked out. I would not be surprised, based on the conversations I’ve had, if Mark Davis takes that into account this time around.

“Antonio Pierce has absolutely proven the players will play for him and that is a massive part of the requirements for this job. Now what he’s going to have to do is sell Davis on his vision for the organisation long-term and his ability and his plan for implementing that.

“Every other candidate will have to do the same thing. Pierce has a leg-up because he’s already there in the building and can have those conversations already but I do think he’ll get a serious look at this based on his job performance so far.”

FLACCO GOING WACKO… AND EXPOSING BROWNS’ BIG ISSUE

Cleveland’s enormous commitment to Deshaun Watson, a $336 million fully-guaranteed contract, was already ridiculously stupid at the time.

Rival teams hated the guaranteed nature of the deal, and Watson was a hot trade property despite the massive number of sexual assault allegations against him. The only thing that could’ve made it worse for the Browns was if he stunk it up on the field.

Oh, he did that too.

After a horrendous brief 2022 campaign once he returned from his suspension, Watson wasn’t much better this year before requiring season-ending shoulder surgery, leaving the Browns with a tremendous defence but little offensively.

They just needed something on that side of the ball, especially without Nick Chubb, to capitalise on Amari Cooper’s brilliance and keep them in games.

Late-round rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson didn’t work. Failed Panthers QB PJ Walker didn’t work.

And somehow, former ‘elite’ Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco has?

Hired off the couch – after his career effectiely ended following a second stint with the Jets in 2022 – Flacco has become the bomb-throwing signal-caller the Browns’ offence desperately needed, capitalising on their one strength from past years; the play-action passing game.

While Flacco still has a tendency to throw a few arm punts that look terrible every week, he has also turned Cooper into an All-Pro candidate again and kept the Browns well and truly in the playoff mix.

“The play-action passing attack right now in Cleveland really looks as good as any in football,” ESPN analyst Mina Kimes said on NFL Live after the Browns’ win over Jacksonville.

“It just turns out they needed a quarterback to accurately deliver the football from under center and Joe Flacco is perfectly capable of doing that in 2023.”

Ex-NFL QB Dan Orlovsky added: “I think it’s fascinating to me that Kevin Stefanski has taken Flacco who has always been big arm talented and has him operating the run-pass option and has him doing it at a very high level.”

Flacco, who turns 39 in a few weeks, obviously isn’t the long-term option in Cleveland.

But three straight games with over 300 yards passing – for the first time in his entire career – have shown it doesn’t take a whole lot of talent to pilot the Browns offence.

The problem is they almost have to keep Watson in the job once he returns next season, because the financial commitment is so absurd.

But if a guy off the street can outplay him, surely they can at least sniff around other options, and treat him as a sunk cost?

Not that we’re too upset with karma’s impact in this situation.