Tag: George Karlaftis

Twitter reacts to George Kittle’s attempted troll of George Karalftis

George Kittle’s attempted troll of George Karlaftis cost the #49ers the ball in the #Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII win.

The Kansas City Chiefs emerged as the victors in Super Bowl LVIII, and while the San Francisco 49ers were a worthy opponent, the NFC powerhouses couldn’t seem to get out of their own way.

San Francisco’s woes were encapsulated perfectly in this clip that was posted to social media this week, which shows 49ers tight end George Kittle attempting to troll Chiefs lineman George Karlaftis during a play that ended in a turnover.

Instead of giving into Kittle’s provocation, Karlaftis pounced on the ball after it was fumbled, giving Kansas City possession in the early stages of Super Bowl LVIII.

While Kittle isn’t entirely to blame for San Francisco’s loss, this clip didn’t look great, especially given his mediocre performance in the big game.

The Chiefs held Kittle to just two receptions for four yards in the Super Bowl, locking down the decorated tight end in all four quarters.

Check out what Twitter had to say about Kittle’s interaction with Karlaftis below:

WATCH: Chiefs DL George Karlaftis recovers fumble vs. 49ers on opening drive of Super Bowl LVIII

Watch #Chiefs DL George Karlaftis recover a fumble on the opening drive of Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVIII matchup against the #49ers.

The Kansas City Chiefs got off to a fast start on defense against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, forcing a fumble on their opponent’s opening drive to take possession early in the first quarter.

After San Francisco gave the ball to star running back Christian McCaffrey one too many times on their first possession, Mike Pennel and Leo Chenal forced the ball free, and defensive lineman George Karlaftis recovered it.

Check out the play here, and notice how quickly Karlaftis responded when the ball was punched out:

This play could have made a huge difference in the game, as it gave Patrick Mahomes a chance to score the contest’s first points, but the Chiefs stalled on their first offensive drive and were forced to punt the ball back to the 49ers.

Expect more drama to ensue in this game as both teams feel each other out in the first half.

Chiefs’ DL Chris Jones is ready for Super Bowl LVIII

On Sep. 24, Kansas City Chiefs DL Chris Jones signed a 1-year deal worth up to $25 million. Could Jones be the x-factor in Super Bowl LVIII?

On Sep. 24, Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones signed a one-year deal worth up to $25 million. Jones could very well be the x-factor on defense in Super Bowl LVIII.

 Jones had zero tackles in the AFC championship but his presence opened lanes for his teammates to rattle Lamar Jackson.  The San Francisco 49ers however are unlikely to abandon the running game the way the Baltimore Ravens did in the Super Bowl so Jones will need to be on his A-game.

Jones did record 10.5 sacks and seven stuffs through 16 games played this season and his leadership has given way for defensive end George Kalaftis to get lose. Identically, Kalaftis also recorded 10.5 sacks this season and was terrific in the AFC Championship.

With all this,  I seriously doubt that Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will omit running back Christian McCaffrey from the game-plan. The 49ers led the NFL with 4.8 rush yards per carry so Spagnuolo and the Chiefs better have an answer in SBLVIII. Jones needs to be the enforcer on gameday.

Trent McDuffie named Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus

DB Trent McDuffie was named the #Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus this week ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ success in 2023 was defined by the progression of their young defense, led by young talent acquired through the NFL draft in recent years.

Among the unit’s most productive members were 2022 first-round picks George Karlaftis and Trent McDuffie, who bolstered Kansas City’s pass rush and secondary respectively.

While Karlaftis’ efforts were enough to secure him a top spot on the Chiefs’ regular season sack leaderboard, McDuffie’s performance in 2023 turned the heads of the experts at Pro Football Focus who named the second-year defensive back Kansas City’s most improved player.

McDuffie has been worth every bit of the 21st overall selection the Chiefs spent on him. Without his stellar play against opposing receivers, Kansas City’s defense wouldn’t have been able to put together such a dominant campaign in 2023.

Expect the 23-year-old to continue growing in Steve Spagnuolo’s system as he endeavors to help the Chiefs earn their second-straight Lombardi Trophy against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

Chiefs DE George Karlaftis calls Steve Spagnuolo a father figure for the defense

Chiefs DE George Karlaftis calls Steve Spagnuolo a father figure for the defense

The defense has been the story of the Kansas City Chiefs’ success during the 2023 season. The unit wasn’t receiving the respect they felt they deserved before last year’s Super Bowl, carrying that chip on their shoulder into this year’s squad ahead of Sunday.

Chiefs second-year defensive end George Karlaftis spoke with reporters on Tuesday during his Super Bowl media scrum, discussing his admiration for the work defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his staff have done this year.

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“I think with Spags (Steve Spagnuolo), it all starts with how much he cares about the guys, but you could see that he truly cares about us. He loves us. He’s like a father figure, if you will.” said Karlaftis, “He’s a man that instills faith in our defense, just trusting in one another, and everything goes from there. But you know, we love Spags, we love playing for Spags, because the game plan, and then the stuff he’s able to dial out speaks for itself, but he’s just a great human being, I’d have to say that before anything else.”

Spagnuolo continues to receive much-deserved praise for his job with the Chiefs’ defense, elevating them to becoming one of the best units in the league. He conducts business as a teacher during the week leading into game days, according to Karlaftis.

“Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) always keeps you on your toes because he likes presenting a topic or something like that. And he might just call on a random person to explain something, so he challenges Everybody.” said Karlaftis, “Everybody knows he’s a great teacher because he explains everything really well. Everybody takes notes, and there’s a specific way we conduct our business in the defensive unit room, so he’s great.”

Karlaftis secured ten sacks in his second NFL season, garnering a reputation as a feared pass rusher. He appreciates Spagnuolo’s teachings as he enters his second consecutive Super Bowl.

Steve Spagnuolo on replacing Charles Omenihu: ‘Everybody has to up their game’

#Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo told reporters that there will be a group effort to compensate for DL Charles Omenihu’s absence against the #49ers.

Kansas City Chiefs pass rusher Charles Omenihu suffered a torn ACL against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game and will miss Super Bowl LVIII against the San Fransico 49ers.

While addressing the media on Friday, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo explained his strategy to compensate for the loss of Omenihu, and let reporters know which players will have to step up in his absence.

“I’ll tell you; you don’t replace that height and that length that he [Charles Omenihu has, but we’ll have guys to step in there,” Spagnuolo said. “Felix [Anudike-Uzomah] will probably have to step in, everybody has to up their game in a Super Bowl anyway.

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“Hopefully, like last week, I think it was decent in the first half where we didn’t have to play as many plays. If the play count gets up, that’s where it gets tough for George [Karlaftis] being out there a lot and Mike [Danna] and that’s when we have to have guys to step in.”

The loss of Omenihu may prove to be a major blow to the Chiefs’ defense, as the 26-year-old pass rusher accumulated seven sacks in 11 games played during the regular season.

Omenihu, who previously played for the 49ers before signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the Chiefs this past offseason, had a strip sack against the Ravens that resulted in a key turnover for Kansas City’s defense.

Ravens reflect on AFC Championship loss to Chiefs during Locker room cleanout day

After having exit meetings on Monday, the Baltimore Ravens met the media and offered their reactions to the AFC title game loss to the Chiefs

The Ravens are again staring disappointment in the face after a 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game at M&T Bank Stadium.

Jackson and the Ravens offense imploded with three turnovers, and the team is 0-8 in team history when committing three or more turnovers in the postseason.

Jackson finished 20 of 37 for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as Baltimore tied a season-low with 10 points.

The consensus favorite for NFL MVP, Jackson will have to wait another year to escape the notion that he’s unable to win games in the most crucial moments.

With a critical offseason and major decisions ahead, the Ravens cleaned out their lockers and had exit interviews with the coaching staff.  Afterward, they met with the media, and here are the instant reactions.

Takeaways and observations from Ravens 17-10 loss to Chiefs in AFC Championship game

We’re looking at the takeaways from the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game

The Ravens are again staring disappointment in the face after a 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game at M&T Bank Stadium.

The consensus favorite for NFL MVP, Jackson will have to wait another year to escape the notion that he’s unable to win games in the most crucial moments.

Jackson and the Ravens offense imploded with three turnovers, and the team is 0-8 in team history when committing three or more turnovers in the postseason.

Jackson finished 20 of 37 for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as Baltimore tied a season-low with 10 points.

With a critical offseason and major decisions ahead, we’re looking at takeaways and observations from the shocking loss.

Chiefs stock watch: Which players impressed during AFC Championship Game vs. Ravens?

Here’s a look at the stock trends for some #Chiefs players after the AFC Championship Game victory over the #Ravens. | from: @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are returning to the Super Bowl to defend their title following their 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. Head coach Andy Reid and his team are crowned AFC Champions again and look ahead to a business trip to Las Vegas in two weeks.

The Chiefs’ defense was more than up for slowing down potential league MVP Lamar Jackson—defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit utilized pressure throughout the game. The game consisted of crucial red zone takeaways and excellent coverage in the secondary.

The defensive line overpowered the highly respected Ravens’ protection schemes to stall one of the league’s best offenses to a crawl; George Karlaftis, Tershawn Wharton, Charles Omenihu, and Justin Reid collected a sack.

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On offense, the combination of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce reminded the world that they are the best in the business. There were crushing runs from Isiah Pacheco and solid play from rookie Rashes Rice. The game-sealing catch from Marquez Valdez-Scantling was poetic justice after a highly criticized regular season.

The Chiefs are ready for a trip to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII to defend their title and etch their name in history as one of the best dynasties.

Here’s a look at how the stock is trending for some players after the AFC Championship victory at M&T Bank Stadium:

Ravens vs. Chiefs: 10 takeaways from first half of AFC Championship game

We’re looking at ten takeaways from the first half as the Kansas City Chiefs hold a 17-7 lead over the Baltimore Ravens

The Chiefs heard all the noise and responded upon entering M&T Bank Stadium, jumping out to an early lead on the Baltimore Ravens and taking a 17-7 lead into halftime.

Sunday is the 5th time the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens have trailed by double digits at halftime (0-4 in the first four games).

Three other times, it has been vs. the Chiefs (2019 and 2020).

Kansas City answered the questions about Baltimore’s physicality, attacking the Ravens in the trenches on both sides of the football.

With the second half underway, we’re looking at takeaways from the first half.