Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
All four of the AFC West teams have talented pass catchers who could make big impacts as rookies
The start of the 2023-2024 NFL season is right around the corner and with it a batch of new rookies are ready to make their mark. Over the next couple of days, we will take a look at what rookies could make the most impact for each team. Let’s get started with the AFC West Division.
[lawrence-related id=647281]
Projecting the rookie stats for the Kansas City Chiefs draft class of 2023
With the NFL draft over and rookie camps underway, it is a good time to evaluate the draft picks and see what kind of impacts the projected contributors will make.
Let’s take a look at the Chiefs draft picks and project some stats for the team’s early draftees:
Super Bowl expert picks and predictions for Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl expert picks, predictions, and thoughts on a few of the key prop bets.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
* next to the pick means the team will win, but not cover.
Click on each game for the game preview and CFN Prediction
Line: Philadelphia -1.5
Evan Bredeson, CornhuskersWire.com: Eagles
Jeff Feyerer, CFN: Eagles
Pete Fiutak, CFN: Eagles
Cami Griffin, LonghornsWire.com: Chiefs
Phil Harrison, BuckeyesWire.com: Chiefs
Jeremy Mauss, MWwire.com Chiefs
Big Game Ben Niewoehner, CFN Chiefs
E, CFN Eagles
Tyler Nettuno, LSUTigerswire.com Eagles
Zack Pearson, TarHeelswire.com Chiefs
Nick Shepkowski, FightingIrishWire.com: Chiefs
Scott Steehn, WinnersandWhiners.com: Eagles
Clucko the Chicken (a coin flip), CFN: Eagles
CONSENSUS PICK: Eagles
Super Bowl Experts Predictions
Chiefs vs Eagles | Chiefs vs Eagles Point Total
Super Bowl MVP | Super Bowl 1st TD Scored
Super Bowl Coin Flip | Results So Far
First Round Mock Draft
Super Bowl prediction and game preview, odds, and TV for Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch, Sunday, February 12
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Date: Sunday, February 12
Game Time: 6:30 ET
Venue: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
How To Watch: FOX
Record: Kansas City Chiefs (14-3), Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+
NFL Expert Picks Super Bowl | Mock Draft: 1-31
NFL Draft Underclassmen Position Rankings
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Get the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes in a hurry.
For all of the fun on offense, and for all of the wonderful things Jalen Hurts can do, it’s the Eagle pass rush that’s the biggest issue for the Chiefs.
Mahomes and company have no problems getting into a shootout, and when they want to, they’ve got the ability to grind it a bit and control the clock. What they can’t do is expect the mediocre wide receivers to make big things happen down the field.
A high ankle sprain doesn’t just heal up in a few short weeks. Mahomes proved he could play on it without a problem, but he’s still not going to be quite the same guy moving around and making magic happen.
That’s all fine – he’s obviously a brilliant pocket passer – but he has to rely on the running game that didn’t do anything against the Bengals, and he has to come up with a ton of quick-hitting strikes to get the ball to his guys on the move.
Expect a lot of Isiah Pacheco as a target. Watch out for Jerick McKinnon to be unleashed after not doing a whole lot in the first two playoff games. Beware of all of the periphery parts like Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scandling, and others to be involved.
No one is more of a master at making everyone around an offense better than Mahomes.
However …
– Why the Eagles Will Win
– Chiefs vs Eagles Prediction, What’s Going to Happen
Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs NFL Playoffs AFC Championship game preview and breakdown for the game on Sunday, January 29
Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs NFL Playoffs AFC Championship prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch, Sunday, January 29
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Date: Sunday, January 29
Game Time: 6:30 ET
Venue: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
How To Watch: CBS
Record: Cincinnati Bengals (12-4), Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+
NFL Expert Picks Playoffs AFC/NFC Championship
Mock Draft: First Round 1-31
NFL Draft Underclassmen Position Rankings
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Really, how hurt is Patrick Mahomes?
He’s Patrick Mahomes and this is the AFC Championship, so he’s going to play, but there’s a difference between gutting it out on a high ankle sprain and being able to adequately move.
You know that football cliché – are you injured or hurt? Mahomes is injured.
Of course he can still throw, and the offense should be able to tweak and adapt around what he’ll be able to do, but when it comes to his magical improvisational ability that makes him so special, that’s going to be limited.
That, and even if he’s at 100%, Cincinnati is a problem.
The Bengals won the regular season meeting in Week 13 – without Joe Mixon – because it controlled the clock. Joe Burrow was brilliant on third downs, the ground game was good enough with Samaje Perine, and the defense came up with the one big takeaway it had to have in the 27-24 victory.
But that was when Mahomes was at full-go.
Kansas City’s offense is obviously great, but it doesn’t have Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengal receivers. Travis Kelce is amazing, and the running game works, but 15 is the brilliant conductor who orchestrates it all. Chad Henne can step in, but …
Again, Cincinnati is a tough out no matter what.
The defense dialed it up a few notches in the stunningly dominant win over Buffalo. Nothing is rattling Burrow, the offensive line that’s so banged up blasted away for the running game, and yeah, there was one massive chip on this team’s shoulder.
However …
– Why Kansas City Chiefs Will Win
– Bengals vs Chiefs Prediction, What’s Going to Happen
The Kansas City Chiefs got huge contributions from some of their rookies in last week’s playoff victory
The Kansas City Chiefs have proven time and time again to be one of the elite teams in the modern NFL.
With a top-shelf coaching staff, and a roster already loaded with blue-chip talent on both sides of the ball, the Chiefs hardly needed huge contributions from this year’s rookie class.
However, Kansas City’s first-year players showed up in a big way in the divisional playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and were key in coming away with a win in a down-to-the-wire contest.
It started (and perhaps finished) with the incredible talents of seventh-round running back Isiah Pacheco, who lead the team in rushing. The Rutgers product had over 100 scrimmage yards on the day, including breaking off a 39-yard run to put the Chiefs down at the one-yard line late in the second quarter. Pacheco became key in grinding it out on the ground against the Jacksonville defense.
.@isiah_pachecoRB goes 40 YARDS!
📺: #JAXvsKC on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3PQhoYeSUP pic.twitter.com/DlmzGPHW8Y— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2023
Two rookie members of the secondary also showed up huge for the Chiefs, as both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson had impressive games in the biggest moments.
Watson, yet another seventh-rounder, broke up two passes, and came up with an incredible one-handed interception to put a dagger in the game late into the fourth quarter. First-rounder McDuffie was a lock-down corner all game long, only allowing one catch for seven yards against one of the best passing attacks in the league.
ONE-HANDED PICK @JaylenWatson12!
📺: #JAXvsKC on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/3PQhoYeSUP pic.twitter.com/PQDr05mz1l— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2023
The Chiefs are proving that finding starters and depth late into the draft is invaluable in this league, as playmakers at any level are hard to find. These rookies will once again need a huge showing if they want to help carry Kansas City to the Super Bowl against the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals.
[listicle id=641804]
Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs NFL Playoffs AFC Divisional Round game preview and breakdown for the game on Saturday, January 21
Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs NFL Playoffs Divisional Round prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch, Saturday, January 21
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Date: Saturday, January 21
Game Time: 4:30 ET
Venue: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
How To Watch: NBC
Record: Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8), Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+
NFL Expert Picks Playoffs Divisional Round
Mock Draft: First 23 Picks, Draft Order
NFL Draft Underclassmen Position Rankings
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
The firepower is there.
There’s no questioning the Jacksonville talent, or skill parts, or coaching. When Trevor Lawrence and the offense get rolling, the show is as unstoppable as any in the NFL.
The problem is the consistency – it’s not there. However, as long as Lawrence can just get through the first quarter and – as Aaron Rodgers would put it – R-E-L-A-X, keeping up with the high-powered Chief machine shouldn’t be a problem.
For all of the great things Kansas City does, it has a big problem giving up touchdown passes, it allows a few too many yards, and if Lawrence can get a little time, he should go off.
The O is great on third downs, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, and tight end Evan Engram can make plays all over the field, and if Travis Etienne can add enough yards per carry to matter, get ready for a show.
On the other side, the Jaguar defense will give up passing yards, but that’s the cost of doing business. Patrick Mahomes won’t have any issues getting to 300 yards – he hit the Jaguars for 331 in the 27-17 win in Week 10. It’s the running game that has to be stuffed.
Kansas City is 1-2 when running or fewer than 75 yards. The Jaguar defensive front is good enough to hold up for stretches – the team is 5-1 when allowing fewer than 75 yards, but …
– Why Kansas City Chiefs Will Win
– Jaguars at Chiefs Prediction, What’s Going to Happen
5 best NFL Playoffs predictions and picks against the spread and point totals for the Divisional Round games.
5 best predictions for the Divisional Round round of the NFL Playoffs. What appear to be the best bets and picks?
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
The Wild Card round is the buffet of various carbs and fillers. The Divisional Round has the prime rib and crab legs.
This is it. This is everything to the hardcore NFL types. The Super Bowl … your mom watches the Super Bowl. Championship Sunday is big, but this is the weekend we get the best bulk games. Four of them that all take on a life of their own.
I’ll try to find the five best picks against the spread – and point totals – out of them.
As I mentioned for the Wild Card round, with so few games to choose from, the reasonable goal is to bat .600, and I got that last week going 3-2 thanks to the obvious call of Dallas over Tampa Bay and Jacksonville’s easy-peasy walk in the park win – and the over – against the Chargers (yeeeeeeeeeeeeesh).
I overestimated Buffalo, underestimated San Francisco, and I might just do it again – at least with the latter – starting with …
Click on each game for the game preview
LINE San Francisco -4
ATS PICK Dallas
Warning, I’m going to underestimate the guy yet again – it hasn’t been working well for me.
No, the definition of insanity is NOT doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. However, picking against Brock Purdy hasn’t exactly shown sound judgement so far.
The guy has been absolutely magnificent.
If it was, say, Kenny Pickett, or Sam Howell, or even Trey Lance, he’d be hailed as the next big NFL thing. But because he’s Brock Purdy, and because he’s a third-string option, and because he was Mr. Irrelevant – that whole tag and bit annoys me for some reason; does that mean Travon Walker was Mr. Relevant? – it’s hard to fully buy in.
Every NFL quarterback has a clunker at some point, but seriously? 67%, 13 touchdown passes, four picks, unbeaten as a starter in these big games?
This is more about Dallas.
[lawrence-related id=557017]
Going along with the name recognition thing, if this wasn’t Dallas, and if it wasn’t carrying all this baggage and all of these expectation, it might be favored.
The one giant worry I have is time. San Francisco played on Saturday morning, Dallas played on Monday night, and Dallas had to travel. The 49ers are getting close to two days of extra time off. That’s a problem, but I’m going with talent.
Dallas has the combination of offensive firepower and defensive playmaking that the 49ers – and Purdy – haven’t had to deal with yet. I’d like to be getting a little more than four, but I’ll take it.
And I’ll probably pick against Purdy in the NFL Championship, too.
Speaking of digging the underdog on the road …
CFN Experts Picks: Cowboys at 49ers
NFL predictions, schedule, game previews, lines, how to watch, and TV listings for Week 14 of the 2022 season
NFL predictions, schedule, lines, how to watch, and TV listings for Week 14 of the 2022 season highlighted by Dolphins at Chargers, Eagles at Giants, Vikings at Lions, Jets at Bills
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09m93q11d4tbgfy player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Results So Far
SU: 65-36-1, ATS: 53-46-3, Point Total: 63-38-1
Prediction: Los Angeles 24, Las Vegas 23
Line: Raiders -6.5, o/u: 42.5
Final Score: Los Angeles Rams 17, Las Vegas 16
Expert Picks Week 14 NFL | Bowls 16-19
Prediction: Buffalo 24, New York Jets 17
Line: Buffalo -10, o/u: 43.5
Final Score: Buffalo 20, New York Jets 12
Prediction: Cincinnati 26, Cleveland 20
Line: Cincinnati -5.5, o/u: 46.5
Final Score: Cincinnati 23, Cleveland 10
Prediction: Dallas 30, Houston 16
Line: Dallas -17, o/u: 44
Final Score: Dallas 27, Houston 23
Prediction: Minnesota 27, Detroit 24
Line: Detroit -2, o/u: 51.5
Final Score: Detroit 43, Minnesota 23
Prediction: Tennessee 24, Jacksonville 17
Line: Tennessee -3.5, o/u: 41
Final Score: Jacksonville 36, Tennessee 22
Prediction: Philadelphia 26, New York Giants 20
Line: Philadelphia -7, o/u: 45
Final Score: Philadelphia 48, New York Giants 22
Prediction: Baltimore 16, Pittsburgh 13
Line: Pittsburgh -1.5, o/u: 36.5
Final Score: Baltimore 16, Pittsburgh 14
Prediction: Kansas City 27, Denver 16
Line: Kansas City -9.5, o/u: 43.5
Final Score: Kansas City 34, Denver 28
Prediction: San Francisco 23, Tampa Bay 16
Line: San Francisco -3.5, o/u: 37
Final Score: San Francisco 35, Tampa Bay 7
Prediction: Seattle 26, Carolina 20
Line: Seattle -3.5, o/u: 44.5
Final Score: Carolina 30, Seattle 24
Prediction: Miami 30, Los Angeles 27
Line: Miami -3.5, o/u: 53.5
Final Score: Los Angeles Chargers 23, Miami 17
8:15 ESPN
Line: New England -1.5, o/u: 43.5
Final Score: COMING
NFL Teams on Bye: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Washington
Expert Picks Week 14 NFL | Bowls 16-19
[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the game on Sunday, December 11
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch, Sunday, December 11
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f1343a1wt7q817p7 player_id=none image=https://collegefootballnews.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
Expert Picks: Bowl Games Dec 16-19
NFL Week 14 Expert Picks |
Bowl Schedule, Predictions
Ranking all 41 Bowls | Quick Analysis on Every Bowl
Date: Sunday, December 11
Game Time: 4:05 ET
Venue: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
How To Watch: CBS
Record: Kansas City Chiefs (9-3), Denver Broncos (3-9)
– Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+
Kansas City leads the NFL in scoring and yards, Denver is dead last in the league in scoring, and it’s not going to take much to put this away.
And the Chiefs aren’t all that bad defensively, either.
Denver is moving the ball okay at times, and it’s got the defense to keep the team in games, but it’s just not able to put the biscuit in the basket . It hasn’t been able to get to 17 points in any of the last four games and pushed past it just twice all season.
Kansas City only scored 17 once.
The Broncos aren’t converting on third downs, they’re miserable in the red zone, and the ground attack has stalled. However …
– Week 14 CFN NFL Expert Picks
The defense continues to hold up.
Denver lost the last four games and eight of the last nine, but the D only gave up more than 16 points just twice all year. The pass defense is holding up well, it’s great on third downs, and it should be able to keep Patrick Mahomes from getting into a groove with anything down the field.
On the other side, Russell Wilson might be getting hammered on left and right, but he’s improving his accuracy. After not being able to do much of anything for most of the season, he hit 77% of his passes in two of the last three games.
Denver will rise up at home and keep this close for about a half. The offense will actually click on a few drives, the defense will do its job, and then right at the end of the first 30 minutes …
Boom, boom, book. Patrick Mahomes will hit a few quick strikes to change the tone of the game, and then the points will flow. It’s not going to be an avalanche of scoring, but it’ll be more than Denver can do.
Kansas City 27, Denver 16
Line: Kansas City -9.5, o/u: 43.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos Must See Rating: 3
[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]
Expert Picks: Bowl Games Dec 16-19
NFL Week 14 Expert Picks
Bowl Schedule, Predictions
Ranking all 41 Bowls | Quick Analysis on Every Bowl
