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Here are a few storylines to track in the game between the Chargers and Chiefs..
Los Angeles mercifully ends their season on Sunday afternoon, matching up with a Chiefs team locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs. Blaine Gabbert will start for Kansas City, his first start since 2018.
Here are a few storylines to track in the game.
#Chiefs QB Blaine Gabbert spoke about TE Travis Kelce being 16 yards away from milestone
The Kansas City Chiefs roll into their Week 18 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers without much to play for team-wise, as they have already clinched their spot in the postseason. The focus will be on their reserve players getting some time on the field as the usual starters take the week to rest before the Wild Card round.
Chiefs quarterback Blaine Gabbert will be one of the reserves expected to start on Sunday as he will step in for Patrick Mahomes. During his rare podium press conference appearance on Wednesday, the veteran addressed the elephant in the room about Travis Kelce, who was only a few yards from another 1,000-yard season.
“The best part about the culture that we have here. It’s there’s a lot of selfless individuals. I know you’re getting at Travis 16 yards away from 1000. We all know that,” Gabbert said with a smile. “But, you know, that’s not how Trav plays. He wants team success first, and he’s always been that way.
“He genuinely loves football, and if he wants to play, he’ll play, and if it’s coach (Andy) Reid’s decision to have him rest, he’s going to rest, and ultimately, that’s on coach Reid. But you know, if we’re out there, we’re gonna do our damn best to get him 17 yards.”
Kelce hasn’t been confirmed for this Sunday, so it appears to be an opportunity for him to try and get those precious yards for the milestone.
“It’d be a lot of fun,” Gabbert explained. “I think he’s got a big string of 1000-yard seasons in a row, and I know tight ends (don’t) come even close to that. And now you’re getting into the receiver talk. The Mike Evans of the world has done 10 or 11 straight now this year, and that’s a rare special group of individuals Hall of Fame individuals to kind of have that run in a row. So he may say it doesn’t mean anything, but it means something for the quarterback and for this organization to get another 1000 yards.”
Gabbert saw plenty of time during the preseason for the Chiefs and will look to stay sharp and be a realistic option if needed in the postseason, similar to former backup Chad Henne.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is playing it safe.
The Chiefs announced that quarterback Blaine Gabbert will start in the season finale against the Chargers this Sunday.
The decision to bench Patrick Mahomes comes after Kansas City solidified the No. 3 seed in the AFC with their victory over the Bengals last weekend, which means that the team does not have anything to play for.
Gabbert, who’s in his 12th season, will start his first game since the 2018 campaign when he played for the Titans. The 34-year old hasn’t played since replacing Mahomes in the second half of a win over the Bears in Week 3.
Besides Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid will probably rest a handful of other key players on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
Cam Newton can certainly relate to what Bryce Young just did this past Sunday.
No. 1 overall pick and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young finally got his first NFL win this past weekend—and there’s only one man who knows exactly how he’s feeling right now.
Former No. 1 overall pick and former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton discussed Young’s emotional Week 8 victory on Wednesday’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton. Newton, in fact, dubbed the dub as his “Wholesome Moment of the Week.”
“Every single quarterback knows the first win that you finally got,” he said. “For me, it was the Jacksonville Jaguars, and . . . just everything comes into—this is the reason why you play. Just that whole emotional kind of moment, Of course, you play to win the football game, right? And I think for Bryce, he’s been gettin’ scrutinized a lot. The Panthers organization has been gettin’ scrutinized a lot. And in the league, a win don’t care how it’s made. And I will guarantee you that feeling that Bryce has is: Ok, now it’s beginning to make sense.”
It began to make sense for Newton in Week 3 of his rookie campaign, when he slogged Carolina to victory in an ugly, wet and wild 16-10 triumph over Jacksonville and fellow 2011 draftee Blaine Gabbert. Young would do something eerily similar 12 years later, pushing the Panthers to an uncomfortable 15-13 win against the Houston Texans and fellow 2023 draftee C.J. Stroud.
Newton continued.
“So Bryce, I’m excited for you and keep it up. I think for the whole Panthers organization—keep it up. ‘Cause this is a perfect example of what hard work does. And it was a collective effort, right? And it keeps you yearning for the next win, the next win. Each week we would always say, “Let’s just become 1-0.” Each and every week. So for Bryce to be able feel that feeling of victory, we love it.”
Now, Bryce and the Panthers are back at 0-0 for Week 9.
[lawrence-related id=684213,683977,684169]
With the trade deadline looming, the Vikings could make a trade to acquire a quarterback
The Minnesota Vikings saw their season take a major blow this past Sunday as quarterback Kirk Cousins reportedly tore his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers.
The Vikings are riding high on a three-game winning streak, but not having their starting quarterback with how the team is structured is heartbreaking and could crater the season.
There are multiple options that the Vikings could take and they start in-house. Jaren Hall replaced Cousins on the field Sunday afternoon and is the likely option moving forward. There is also Nick Mullens who can return from injured reserve next week against the Atlanta Falcons.
If they don’t like either of those two options, they can try and trade for someone at the trade deadline, which is Halloween. There aren’t going to be many teams who will want to trade a quarterback at the end of October, but its not unprecedented.
It’s slim pickings for a position that is very shallow but there are options available. Here are 11 quarterbacks that the Vikings could acquire after the unfortunate injury to Cousins.
Former #Chiefs QB Shane Buechele signs practice squad contract with the Bills | from: @EdEastonJr
The Kansas City Chiefs surprised many fans who expected to see Shane Buechele remain with the team after the roster was trimmed to 53 on Tuesday. A decision that opened the quarterback to the other 31 teams in the league for an opportunity.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Buechele has signed a practice squad contract with the Buffalo Bills. The deal was announced a day after Chiefs general manager Brett Veach wished Buechele well after deciding to keep Chris Oladokun as the team’s third-string quarterback. Buechele played well through the first two preseason games but fell flat in the finale against the Cleveland Browns, highlighted by two interceptions as the starter.
Former Chiefs’ QB Shane Buechele is signing today to the Bills’ practice squad, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 31, 2023
The Chiefs coaching staff decided to move forward with a seasoned veteran in Blaine Gabbert, who played exceptionally well throughout the preseason games. Buechele gets a fresh start in Buffalo on their practice squad as the Chiefs turn the page and prepare for the beginning of a new season next week.
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach revealed the status of quarterback Shane Buechele in comments to the media on Wednesday. | from: @EdEastonJr
On Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs made a flurry of moves to accommodate the 53-man roster limit deadline. The parting ways with several players that helped play roles on the team over the last few seasons were brutal for fans but even tougher for the front office in charge of making the decisions.
Chiefs’ general manager, Brett Veach, is charged with making the big personnel decisions for the franchise and was faced with the tough call not to retain backup quarterback Shane Buechele following an improved preseason performance. He spoke with reporters on Wednesday for a press conference to explain the critical decision.
“Yeah, that was a tough one,” Veach said of his decision to cut the former SMU Mustang. “We’ve gone in different directions in different years. We just try to keep some young guys, too; it’s difficult. You do try to project some guys that you can get in the practice squad and, you know, keep in six linebackers with something that is a little bit of an oddity in some regards.
“Still, when you have these young guys that are likely to be gone, you want to see that through. I think sometimes you have to make tough decisions. Obviously, Shane is a good football player. And you know, we love having him around. You know, certainly gonna miss him.”
Buechele played well in the first two preseason games but struggled with two interceptions as the starter for last Saturday’s preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns.
“It was just one of those things where at the end of the day, we always say this all the guys at the end of the day, like make our jobs easy and put it on tape, and that’s where Blaine (Gabbert) came out and won the job,” Veach continued. “It doesn’t make it any easier because I think there was a lot of trust and belief in Shane Buechele and loved him as a player but it wasn’t an easy decision. I think just from a roster management standpoint, and trying to navigate through the D-Line and (Charles) Omenihu suspension and wanting some extra corners because they’re young. They’re just sometimes rostered. As soon as Yeah, decisions you have to make. And that was what we felt was best at this time.”
Buechele finished the preseason and quite possibly his Chiefs career with 349 passing yards, three touchdowns, and as many interceptions.
Andy Reid made it clear that the turnovers surrendered by the #Chiefs’ backup quarterbacks against the #Browns were unacceptable.
The Kansas City Chiefs won their final preseason matchup by the skin of their teeth, coming back from a 19-point deficit against the Cleveland Browns to secure victory on a blocked kick late in the fourth quarter.
The team was put in a difficult position early in the game when backup quarterbacks Shane Buechele and Blaine Gabbert both threw interceptions that turned into points for the Browns’ defense.
Head coach Andy Reid was asked about the performances of his second and third-string quarterbacks after the game, and didn’t seem too concerned by their turnovers.
“I saw some good things,” Reid said of their outings. “[There are] a couple things we need to work on. We had obviously too many turnovers and they cost us points so you can’t have that – for sure. But there were some good
things in there, too.”
While neither quarterback is at serious risk of being cut by the team this week, Reid is sure to emphasize the importance of ball security as the Chiefs approach their regular season kickoff against the Detroit Lions in September.
Check out our top takeaways and reactions from the #Chiefs’ preseason win over the #Cardinals on Saturday. | from: @LazarczykLogan
The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back with a strong performance against the Arizona Cardinals in a 38-10 win in their second week of preseason action.
With the starters given extended snaps, there was an expectation of improvement from the first team that struggled last week against the New Orleans Saints.
From a team perspective, it was an all-around dominant performance, but a few offensive narratives stood out when watching the game.
Check out our top takeaways and reactions from the Chiefs’ first preseason win:
#Chiefs QB Blaine Gabbert hit Cornell Powell for his second touchdown pass of Kansas City’s preseason Week 2 matchup against the #Cardinals.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Blaine Gabbert found wide receiver Cornell Powell for a touchdown late in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals to put his team up 31-10 heading into the game’s final 15 minutes.
The play came after an interesting sequence where tight end Kendall Blanton seemed to fumble into the end zone but was later ruled down by contact to set up Kansas City’s offense at the Cardinals’ goal line. Gabbert hit Powell after rolling out of the pocket, finding the former fifth-round pick for his second touchdown pass of the night.
Gabbert hits Cornell Powell in the back of the endzone for 6! 🔥
(🎥 @NFL)
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) August 20, 2023
This score will likely put the game out of reach for Arizona and should secure Kansas City its first win of the 2023 preseason. Though the result of the matchup won’t affect either team’s fortunes in the final standings at the end of the year, their effort in the exhibition tilt is a good sign for their trajectory ahead of September’s regular season kickoff.
