Tag: PATRICK MAHOMES
Saleh on Wilson: ‘If he plays like that, we’re going to win a lot of football games’
After Patrick Mahomes’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Noah Gray, the Kansas City Chiefs(3-1) led the New York Jets(1-2) 17-0 in the first quarter.
At that point, it appeared that the Chiefs would rout the Jets. However, the Jets got a safety after Jawaan Taylor was called for a facemask penalty in the end zone. On Kansas City’s next possession, Mahomes would get picked off by Ashtyn Davis, which led to a Zach Wilson one-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Uzomah, and New York went into halftime trailing 20-12.
In the third quarter, Wilson got hot and led the Jets on a seven-play, 75-yard drive, which ended with a Wilson five-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson; after converting on a two-point conversion, the game was tied at 20.
However, the Chiefs(3-1) would get a field goal to take a 23-20 lead in the fourth, Wilson would have a costly fumble, and Sauce Gardner was called for a questionable holding call, which wiped out an interception; the Chiefs ran out the clock and defeated the Jets 23-20 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night.
With Aaron Rodgers and Taylor Swift in the house, Wilson may have had the best game of his career; he completed 28 of 39 passes for 245 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh believes if Wilson plays like this every week, the Jets will have a lot of success.
“I thought he was really good,” Saleh said. “He gave us a chance to win the game. Brought us back. If he plays like that, we’re going to win a lot of football games.”
Wilson couldn’t get over his fumble in the fourth quarter despite his solid performance.
“It’s on me,” he said. “Critical situation, I can’t have a play like that. I cannot drop the ball. This team is sacrificing a lot. Guys are making plays. Defense was making plays. O-line was protecting. Receivers were making plays. To be driving right there, to drop a snap, I cannot do that. I lost us that game and I cannot do that. I was making it clear to those guys that I need to be better. I need to be better on the little things, the details. It can’t happen.”
The Jets went toe-to-toe with the world champions and almost got the job done, which gives Wilson confidence that this team can compete with the top teams in the NFL.
“I think we can be really good,” Wilson said. “I think we just need to keep growing together, building off of this and trusting in one another, and we can see where it takes us.”
Saleh is right. If Wilson can continue to play at this level, the Jets can compete with the top teams in the NFL. For now, they are 1-3, and while this was a good effort, it does not mean a thing if it doesn’t end in wins.
Mahomes: ‘I play better when we are down’
Earlier in the week, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won the league MVP. A few days later, he battled a high ankle sprain and outdueled Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts( 304 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, four combined touchdowns) to lead the Chiefs to a comeback victory over the Eagles to win MVP of Super Bowl LVII.
Mahomes, who originally injured his ankle against the Jaguars in the Divisional Round, was walking gingerly after being tackled by Eagles LB T.J. Edwards before halftime, completed 21 of 27 pass attempts for 182 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 131.8 rating and added 44 rushing yards in helping the Chiefs overcome a 10-point halftime deficit en route to a 38-35 win in Super Bowl LVII.
It marked the fourth time ever a team has overcome a second-half deficit of at least 10 points to win the Super Bowl, joining New England in Super Bowls XLIX and LI, as well as Mahomes’ Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
Kansas City scored on all four of their second-half drives, and the Eagles had no answers for anything the Chiefs did on offense.
“To be down to a team like that and come back and win the game,” Mahomes said after the win. “I wish I’d make it easier and not be down, but I play better when we are down.”
Mahomes, also named Super Bowl LIV MVP, is the sixth player to win multiple Super Bowl Most Valuable awards; he is the second-youngest player ever to win multiple Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards, trailing only Tom Brady (26 years and 182 days old).
The two-time league MVP is the seventh quarterback to win both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards in the same season, and he is also the first player to lead the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns and win the Super Bowl in the same season.
The Chiefs have been in three of the last four Super Bowls and won two. Dynasty? Not yet, says Mahomes.
“I’m not gonna say dynasty yet; we’re not done,” he said.
At 27, Mahomes has a lot of football left, and if he continues playing like this, yeah, maybe the Chiefs could be a dynasty.
Mahomes on Hurts: ‘If there were any doubters left, there shouldn’t be now’
On the biggest stage, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts shined the brightest. Against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, the third-year quarterback threw for 304 yards and a touchdown, and he ran for 70 yards and three touchdowns. The 70 yards and three rushing touchdowns are records for a quarterback in Super Bowl play.
In addition, he converted on the game-tying two-point conversion, and when he stepped off the field for the final time in the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 35.
However, Super Bowl LVII MVP Patrick Mahomes would lead Kansas City on a game-winning drive, which ended with a 27-yard Harrison Butker field goal with eight seconds left as the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Hurts was great, but he had one blemish, a second-quarter fumble that Chiefs safety Nick Bolton returned 36 yards for a touchdown, but all in all, he was special.
According to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, this was Hurts’ best game as a pro.
“That was the best game I saw Jalen Hurts play,” Sirianni said. “It was awesome for the NFL to see the two best QBs in the league on the big stage.”
Hurts, despite the loss, is proud of his team.
“I think you want to cherish these moments,” he said. “You want to cherish these moments with the people that you come so far with. Your family, your loved ones, your teammates, your peers, everyone you do it with and do it for. I’m so proud of this team. I’m so proud of this team for everything we’ve been able to overcome. Obviously we had a big time goal at the end that we wanted to accomplish and we came up short.”
Mahomes was impressed by Hurts and believed the Eagles star silenced the doubters with this performance.
“If there were any doubters left, there shouldn’t be now,” Mahomes said. “I mean the way he stepped on this stage and ran, threw the ball, whatever it took for his team to win, I mean, that was a special performance that I don’t want it to get lost in the loss that they had.”
The 24-year-old Hurts most definitely silenced the doubters with this performance. However, he and the Eagles, who led 24-14 at halftime, will see this game as a missed opportunity.
Top three reasons why the Eagles will win Super Bowl 57
On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles are hoping to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl when they battle the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Coming into this game, the Eagles are favored by 1.5 points.
Here are three reasons why the Eagles will win Super Bowl 57.
Eagles’ pass rush:
The Eagles get after the quarterback at a high level. In the regular season, they led the NFL with 70 sacks, and in two games in the playoffs, they’ve had eight sacks and knocked out two quarterbacks. The Eagles are the only NFL team to have four different players – Haason Reddick (16.0), Brandon Graham (11.0), Javon Hargrave (11.0) and Josh Sweat (11.0) (all career highs for everyone) – record 10.0+ sacks in the same season
This pass rush, led by Reddick, will test Patrick Mahomes’ injured ankle, and if the Eagles do what they’ve done all season long, Mahomes will be under duress.
In addition, Philadelphia has the number one pass defense in the NFL and have allowed only 14 points in these playoffs.
Brown and Smith:
This season, Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 183 receptions with 2692 yards and 18 touchdowns. They were a dynamic duo and maybe the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL.
Interestingly, Kansas City has allowed the most receiving touchdowns(33). In addition, Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is a stud and is a big part of Philly’s passing game.
Expect Brown and Smith to get their yards on Sunday.
Jalen Hurts:
When you talk about Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts(35 combined touchdowns), it’s not what he does with his arm(22 TD passes); it’s what he does with his legs(13 rushing touchdowns) and how he impacts the running game.
The Eagles have rushed 488 yards(4.7 ypc) and seven touchdowns in the playoffs. The offensive line is excellent, and the running backs are solid, but Hurts makes it all go.
The chip has been on his shoulder for a long time, and he’s played in many big games at Alabama and Oklahoma. The Super Bowl is more significant than all those games, but he’s built for this moment.
Prediction:
Kansas City has league MVP Patrick Mahomes, and he’s special. They get after the quarterback(55 sacks this season). Furthermore, experience is on their side(Andy Reid’s fourth Super Bowl and Mahomes’ third Super Bowl), but the Eagles have the most complete team in football, and if Philadelphia protects the ball and plays a clean game, they win Super Bowl 57.
Eagles win 34-20; Hurts is named Super Bowl MVP.
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes named league MVP
On Thursday, the NFL handed out awards from the 2022 season at the 12th Annual NFL Honors. Before he plays in Super Bowl 57, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was shown a little love as he was named the AP Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career.
Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards(5250) and touchdown passes(41).
Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing(1653) this season, became the first recipient of the Jim Brown Award, and Cowboys quarter Dak Prescott was awarded the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
Below is the complete list of awards and winners:
AP Most Valuable Player |
Patrick Mahomes |
Kansas City Chiefs |
AP Coach of the Year |
Brian Daboll |
New York Giants |
AP Comeback Player of the Year |
Geno Smith |
Seattle Seahawks |
AP Offensive Player of the Year presented by Microsoft Surface |
Justin Jefferson |
Minnesota Vikings |
AP Defensive Player of the Year |
Nick Bosa |
San Francisco 49ers |
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year |
Garrett Wilson |
New York Jets |
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year |
Sauce Gardner |
New York Jets |
AP Assistant Coach of the Year |
DeMeco Ryans |
San Francisco 49ers |
NFL AWARDS |
WINNER |
TEAM |
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year |
Dak Prescott |
Dallas Cowboys |
Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award |
Calais Campbell |
Baltimore Ravens |
Deacon Jones Award |
Nick Bosa |
San Francisco 49ers |
Jim Brown Award |
Josh Jacobs |
Las Vegas Raiders |
Eagles’ Sirianni talks Hurts’ performance against Chiefs in 2021
The last time Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 in Arizona, started a game against the Chiefs was October 3, 2021.
In that contest, the Eagles would fall to Kansas City 42-30 at Lincoln Financial Field.
However, Hurts had career-highs of 32 completions and 387 yards in that game. He also threw two touchdowns and no interceptions. Hurts had 434 yards of total offense (including 47 rushing yards on eight attempts). The 387 passing yards were the most by an Eagles quarterback since 2018.
That was one of Hurts’ best games of 2021, and the Eagles’ offense went toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but they fell short.
On Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni discussed Hurts’ performance against the Chiefs.
“I thought he played really well that game,” he said. “Actually, that was one of the things we’re doing too right now, is just rewatching some of that, just like I know they are, just watching some of the things that happened in that game. I thought Jalen played a really good game. I know everybody did, and then just to see him, how he’s continued to grow each day since then.
“That’s some of the things you see there, too, are like, man, he continues to get better. He had a great game this day, but he continues to get better. That’s the kind of guy he is. He just strives to get better each day.
“I don’t have any particular plays that stick out or anything like that from the game, again, just watching it, looking at some things from it. But just Jalen, his leadership, his ability to improve each day, you’ll definitely see that, and you’ve definitely seen him improve since that day.”
That game feels like ages ago, and a lot has changed. Last season, the Chiefs were 27th in total defense, while Philadelphia’s offense was 14th overall. However, in 2022, the Eagles were third in offense, and the Chiefs were 11th in total defense, so both units have improved, but it seems the Eagles would have the edge.
We shall see…
Eagles led the way with eight Pro Bowl selections
The Philadelphia Eagles, who have the best record in the NFL at 13-1, led all teams with eight Pro Bowl selections as the NFL announced on Wednesday night the AFC and NFC rosters for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games.
Thirty teams had at least one player selected to the 2023 Pro Bowl Games roster.
The players from each conference will compete in a series of exciting Pro Bowl Skills competitions throughout the week and the first-ever AFC vs. NFC Flag football games on Sunday, February 5, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The 2023 Pro Bowl Games will begin with both new and fan-favorite Skills and continue on Sunday with Skills and Flag games
There will be a lot of youth in the quarterback rooms in this Pro Bowl. Four of the six quarterbacks selected to the initial roster – Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts(first time), and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes – are age 27 or younger.
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, who is having the best season of his career, was chosen for his first Pro Bowl in his 10th career season
The Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs each had seven players chosen. Three additional teams – the Baltimore Ravens(six), Minnesota Vikings(five) and San Francisco 49ers (six) – each placed at least five players on the Pro Bowl roster.
Twenty-five of the players selected to the Pro Bowl today are first-time All-Stars.
Roster selections are determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players.
Below are the complete Pro Bowl rosters for the NFC & AFC:
2023 PRO BOWL GAMES PLAYERS BY POSITION
(*First-time Pro Bowl selection; Bold/Italic: Starter)
AFC
OFFENSE (21)
|
|
QUARTERBACKS (3) |
TIGHT ENDS (2) |
||
Josh Allen, Buffalo |
Mark Andrews, Baltimore |
|||
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati |
Travis Kelce, Kansas City |
|||
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City |
||||
TACKLES (3) |
||||
WIDE RECEIVERS (4) |
Terron Armstead, Miami |
|||
Davante Adams, Las Vegas |
Orlando Brown, Kansas City |
|||
Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati |
Laremy Tunsil, Houston |
|||
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo |
||||
Tyreek Hill, Miami |
GUARDS (3) |
|||
Joel Bitonio, Cleveland |
||||
RUNNING BACKS (3) |
Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis |
|||
Nick Chubb, Cleveland |
* |
Joe Thuney, Kansas City |
||
Derrick Henry, Tennessee |
||||
Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas |
CENTERS (2) |
|||
* |
Creed Humphrey, Kansas City |
|||
FULLBACK (1) |
* |
Mitch Morse, Buffalo |
||
Patrick Ricard, Baltimore |
DEFENSE (18)
|
|
DEFENSIVE ENDS (3) |
|
INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (2) |
|
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas |
C.J. Mosley, N.Y. Jets |
|||
Myles Garrett, Cleveland |
* |
Roquan Smith, Baltimore |
||
Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati |
||||
CORNERBACKS (4) |
||||
INTERIOR LINEMEN (3) |
* |
Sauce Gardner, N.Y. Jets |
||
Chris Jones, Kansas City |
Xavien Howard, Miami |
|||
Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee |
Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore |
|||
* |
Quinnen Williams, N.Y. Jets |
* |
Pat Surtain II, Denver |
|
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (3) |
FREE SAFETY (1) |
|||
Matthew Judon, New England |
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh |
|||
Khalil Mack, L.A. Chargers |
||||
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh |
|
STRONG SAFETIES (2) |
||
|
|
Derwin James, L.A. Chargers |
|||
|
|
* |
Jordan Poyer, Buffalo |
SPECIALISTS (5)
PUNTER (1) |
RETURN SPECIALIST (1) | |||
| * | Tommy Townsend, Kansas City | Devin Duvernay, Baltimore | ||
| PLACEKICKER (1) | SPECIAL TEAMER (1) | |||
| Justin Tucker, Baltimore | * | Justin Hardee, N.Y. Jets | ||
| LONG SNAPPER (1) | ||||
| Morgan Cox, Tennessee |
2023 PRO BOWL GAMES PLAYERS BY POSITION
(*First-time Pro Bowl selection; Bold/Italic: Starter)
NFC
OFFENSE (21)
| QUARTERBACKS (3) | TIGHT ENDS (2) | |||
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota |
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota |
|||
* |
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia |
|
George Kittle, San Francisco |
|
* |
Geno Smith, Seattle |
|
||
|
|
TACKLES (3) |
|||
WIDE RECEIVERS (4) |
Lane Johnson, Philadelphia |
|||
A.J. Brown, Philadelphia |
|
Trent Williams, San Francisco |
||
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota |
|
Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay |
||
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas |
|
|||
* |
Terry McLaurin, Washington |
GUARDS (3) |
||
* |
Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia |
|||
RUNNING BACKS (3) |
* |
Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta |
||
Saquon Barkley, N.Y. Giants |
|
Zack Martin, Dallas |
||
* |
Tony Pollard, Dallas |
|
||
* |
Miles Sanders, Philadelphia |
CENTERS (2) |
||
|
|
Jason Kelce, Philadelphia |
|||
|
|
FULLBACK (1) |
|
Frank Ragnow, Detroit |
|
|
|
Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco |
|
DEFENSE (18)
|
|
DEFENSIVE ENDS (3) |
INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (2) |
||
Nick Bosa, San Francisco |
* |
Demario Davis, New Orleans |
||
Brian Burns, Carolina |
Fred Warner, San Francisco |
|||
Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas |
||||
CORNERBACKS (4) |
||||
INTERIOR LINEMEN (3) |
Jaire Alexander, Green Bay |
|||
Jonathan Allen, Washington |
Trevon Diggs, Dallas |
|||
Aaron Donald, L.A. Rams |
Darius Slay, Philadelphia |
|||
* |
Dexter Lawrence, N.Y. Giants |
* |
Tariq Woolen, Seattle |
|
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (3) |
FREE SAFETY (1) |
|||
Micah Parsons, Dallas |
Quandre Diggs, Seattle |
|||
| * |
Haason Reddick, Philadelphia |
|||
Za’Darius Smith, Minnesota |
STRONG SAFETIES (2) |
|||
Budda Baker, Arizona |
||||
* |
Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco |
SPECIALISTS (5)
PUNTER (1) |
|
RETURN SPECIALIST (1) |
||
Tress Way, Washington |
* |
KaVontae Turpin, Dallas |
||
PLACEKICKER (1) |
|
SPECIAL TEAMER (1) |
||
Jason Myers, Seattle |
* |
Jeremy Reaves, Washington |
||
LONG SNAPPER (1) |
||||
* |
Andrew DePaola, Minnesota |
NFL playoff scenarios for Week 16
Things are starting to heat in the NFL, and as we get closer to the end of the season, more teams are beginning to clinch playoff spots.
The Chiefs(AFC West) and Bills have clinched in the AFC, and in the NFC, the Eagles, Vikings(NFC North), 49ers(NFC West), and Cowboys are all in.
Below are the playoff scenarios for Week 16 in the NFL:
AFC
CLINCHED:
Kansas City Chiefs – AFC West division title
Buffalo Bills – playoff berth
BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-5)
Week 16 – vs. Atlanta (5-9), Saturday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX
Week 17 – vs. Pittsburgh (6-8)
Week 18 – at Cincinnati (10-4)
Baltimore clinches playoff berth with:
-
BAL win + MIA loss or tie + NE loss or tie OR
-
BAL win + MIA loss or tie + NYJ loss or tie OR
-
BAL win + NE loss or tie + NYJ loss or tie OR
-
BAL tie + NE loss + NYJ loss OR
-
BAL tie + NE loss + MIA loss + LAC win OR
-
BAL tie + NE loss + MIA loss + NYJ tie OR
-
BAL tie + NE loss + NYJ tie + LAC win OR
-
BAL tie + NE tie + NYJ loss + MIA loss OR
-
BAL tie + NE tie + NYJ tie + MIA loss + LAC win OR
-
NE loss + NYJ loss + CLE loss or tie + LV loss or tie + TEN loss or tie + LAC win\
BUFFALO BILLS (11-3)
Week 16 – at Chicago (3-11), Saturday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS
Week 17 – at Cincinnati (10-4)
Week 18 – vs. New England (7-7)
Buffalo clinches AFC East division title with:
-
BUF win or tie
OR
-
MIA loss or tie
CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-4)
Week 16 – at New England (7-7), Saturday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS
Week 17 – vs. Buffalo (11-3)
Week 18 – vs. Baltimore (9-5)
Cincinnati clinches playoff berth with:
-
CIN win or tie
OR
-
NYJ loss or tie
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8-6)
Week 16 – at Indianapolis (4-9-1), Monday, 8:15 PM ET, ESPN
Week 17 – vs. L.A. Rams (4-10)
Week 18 – at Denver (4-10)
L.A. Chargers clinch playoff berth with:
-
LAC win + LV loss or tie + NE loss + NYJ loss OR
-
LAC win + LV loss or tie + NE loss + NYJ tie + MIA loss OR
-
LAC win + LV loss or tie + NE tie + NYJ loss + MIA loss
NFC
CLINCHED:
Minnesota Vikings – NFC North division title
San Francisco 49ers – NFC West division title
Dallas Cowboys – playoff berth
Philadelphia Eagles – playoff berth
NEW YORK GIANTS (8-5-1)
Week 16 – at Minnesota (11-3), Saturday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX
Week 17 – vs. Indianapolis (4-9-1)
Week 18 – at Philadelphia (13-1)
N.Y. Giants clinch playoff berth with:
-
NYG win + WAS loss + DET loss
OR
-
NYG win + WAS loss + SEA loss OR
-
NYG win + DET loss + SEA loss
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (13-1)
Week 16 – at Dallas (10-4), Saturday, 4:25 PM ET, FOX
Week 17 – vs. New Orleans (5-9)
Week 18 – vs. N.Y. Giants (8-5-1)
Philadelphia clinches NFC East division title with:
-
PHI win or tie
-
Philadelphia clinches homefield advantage and NFC’s lone first-round bye with:
-
PHI win
OR
-
PHI tie + MIN loss or tie
Week 14: Chiefs, Vikings, Eagles can clinch playoff sports
As enter Week 14 of the NFL season, three teams have put themselves in a position to clinch a playoff spot. Two of those teams can clinch division titles.
Below are playoff scenarios for Week 14:
AFC
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-3) (at Denver (3-9), Sunday, 4:05 PM ET, CBS)
Kansas City clinches AFC West division title with:
1) KC win + LAC loss
NFC
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (10-2) (at Detroit (5-7), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Minnesota clinches NFC North division title with:
-
1) MIN win or tie
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-1) (at N.Y. Giants (7-4-1), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Philadelphia clinches playoff berth with: