Tag: George Karlaftis

Chiefs stock watch: Which players impressed during Week 14 vs. Bills?

Here’s a look at the stock trends for some #Chiefs players after the Week 14 loss to the #Bills. | from: @EdEastonJr

The home crowd was ready to support the Kansas City Chiefs in another battle with the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 14. Penalties and mistakes took the air out of their sails as the Chiefs fell short for a second consecutive week.

Mahomes did his best while under pressure from the Bills’ pass rush but wasn’t helped much by more drops from his receivers. He suffered a tip-ball interception on the opening drive. Rashee Rice added another touchdown reception as he separated himself as a primary target in the receivers room. Kelce’s effort was significant, as usual, and a returning Jeruck McKinnon found the endzone in the first half.

Kansas City’s defense held tough as they faced the high-powered offense of the Bills in check throughout the game. George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna, and Trent McDuffie got to Allen for shares of a sack, while Mike Edwards and a returning Nick Bolton led the team in tackles.

The Chiefs lose their second straight game as they maintain their slim lead in the AFC West and are falling out of contention for a potential first-round bye in the postseason.

Here’s a look at how the stock is trending for some players after the Week 14 loss at Arrowhead Stadium:

Chiefs stock watch: Which players impressed during Week 12 vs. Raiders?

Here’s a look at the stock trends for some #Chiefs players after the Week 12 win over the #Raiders. | from: @EdEastonJr

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to their winning ways on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders. The victory in the division is critical as the team continues to keep pace with the top teams in the AFC, as seeding is essential heading into the postseason.

The defense was caught off balance in the first half, with the Raiders marching down the field for two touchdowns. Trent McDuffie provided more pressure blitzing from the cornerback position, while Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, and the defensive line held strong after Josh Jacobs’ touchdown run. The play of the day was the stop on fourth down late in the final quarter to seal Las Vegas’ fate.

Patrick Mahomes and the offense started slow but picked things up in the second quarter with a steady dose of Isiah Pacheco leading the ground game. Travis Kelce made big plays alongside rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice, who appears more confident in the system as a standout target. Justin Watson has proven to be a top red zone option for the second consecutive game.

The Chiefs didn’t let the tough loss at home last Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles change their mindset on offense. Marquez Valdes-Scantling showed value outside of catches, with several key blocks on scoring drives.

Here’s a look at how the stock is trending for some players after the Week 12 victory at Allegiant Stadium:

WATCH: Every Chiefs sack in the first half against Eagles in Week 11

Check out all five of the #Chiefs’ sacks from the first half of Kansas City’s Week 11 matchup against the #Eagles.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense isn’t messing around in Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The unit has accumulated five sacks against quarterback Jalen Hurts through the first half and may add to their impressive total in the third and fourth quarters as they look to earn their eighth win of the 2023 season.

Star defenders Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie both registered two sacks in the game’s first two frames, and second-year defensive lineman George Karlaftis secured the final sack of the half to give Patrick Mahomes a chance to add to Kansas City’s lead before the intermission.

The outstanding effort of the Chiefs’ defense has been a sight to behold in this Super Bowl LVII rematch, and Philadelphia looks totally overwhelmed by their incredible effectiveness in the pass rush.

Check out all five of Kansas City’s first half sacks here to see just how terrifying the Chiefs defense can be when it is firing on all cylinders:

WATCH: Chiefs Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis sack Eagles QB Jalen Hurts

#Chiefs defenders Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis both brought #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts down to give Kansas City a chance to extend its lead

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has stymied the Philadelphia Eagles offense with a raucous pass rush that has kept quarterback Jalen Hurts on his toes through the first half of the highly anticipated Super Bowl LVII rematch in Week 11.

Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis both managed to get to Hurts late in the second quarter to give Kansas City another chance to add to its lead heading into halftime.

Check out their outstanding sacks here, and take note of their effort as they both emptied their tanks to give Patrick Mahomes a chance to do something special:

 

These plays are demonstrative of Kansas City’s defensive resurgence in 2023 and helped keep momentum in the Chiefs’ favor in this consequential midseason matchup.

Expect McDuffie and Karlaftis to continue wreaking havoc on the Eagles offensive line as this game wears on to keep Kansas City in the driver’s seat until the final whistle blows.

Why the Kansas City Chiefs are now leading with Steve Spagnuolo’s defense

The Chiefs come into their Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles trending on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Here’s how things have changed.

The Kansas City Chiefs come into their Monday Night Football matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in a very different place than they were when these two teams last played in Super Bowl LVII. That game was a frantic fight to the finish, and a 38-35 game in Kansas City’s favor.

The successful game flow very much fit what the 2022 Chiefs were. That was a team that finished first in Offensive DVOA, and 14th in Defensive DVOA. The plan with this team was always, have the defense be good enough, and the offense will take care of the rest.

Now, things have changed. Decidedly. The 2023 Chiefs rank sixth in Offensive DVOA, and fourth in Defensive DVOA, and when you watch Kansas City’s offense… well, it ain’t all that.

The Chiefs’ deep passing game has fallen apart. How can they fix it?

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, now in his fifth season with the team, now has the defense he’s always wanted — and any other defensive coordinator would envy. We saw flashes of it late in the 2022 season, when everything started to come together with a lot of young talent, and it’s been amplified through the 2023 season’s first 10 weeks. This unit has allowed the NFL’s fourth-fewest yards and the second-fewest points, and that’s what you want.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup) and Doug (of Touchdown Wire) get into why this Chiefs defense isn’t just the force multiplier for the defending NFL champs — but the kind of defense that can throw some serious stuff at any offense it faces.

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You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar” right here:

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You can also subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Now, let’s detail why this defense is so dynamic right now.

Week 11 picks: Who the experts are taking in Eagles vs. Chiefs

Philadelphia and Kansas City are just days away from a Monday night showdown and we’re looking at who the NFL experts are picking in Eagles vs. Chiefs

After a bye week that should allow both teams a renewed freshness, the Eagles and Chiefs are set for a semi-Super Bowl rematch at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

The two teams last met on Feb. 12 in Super Bowl LVII.

Kansas City defeated Philadelphia 38-35 in that matchup to earn their third Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. The Chiefs enter Monday’s matchup on top of the AFC with a 7-2 record after defeating the Miami Dolphins 21-14 in Germany on Nov. 5.

Kansas City is looking to lock up an eighth-straight AFC West title.

Philadelphia is 8-1 and on top of the NFC East after a 33-28 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.

With kickoff fast approaching, we’re looking at who the NFL experts are picking.

Chiefs DL George Karlaftis brings impressive streak into matchup vs. Eagles

#Chiefs DL George Karlaftis enters Kansas City’s Week 11 matchup against the #Eagles with an impressive streak.

The Kansas City Chiefs pass rush wouldn’t be nearly as effective as it has been through nine games without the efforts of second-year defensive lineman George Karlaftis up front.

According to Pro Football Focus, Karlaftis has tallied at least four pressures in every game that Kansas City has played this season. His 47 total pressures are tied for 10th place among all players in the NFL, and his position on the list could improve with a standout showing against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 11.

Few players have dominated opposing offensive lines like Karlaftis, and in just his sophomore season with the Chiefs, the promising young pass rusher seems destined for greatness.

Expect Karlaftis to pair with Chris Jones, Charles Omenihu, and Mike Danna to wreak havoc on the Eagles’ offensive line on Monday as Kansas City looks to win its Super Bowl LVII rematch against Philadelphia in primetime.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing Week 11’s biggest NFL matchups

Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar get into Week 11’s biggest NFL matchups in this week’s “Xs and Os.”

It’s time for Week 11 of the NFL season, and as always, Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, get you ready with tons of tape study and advanced metrics.

This week, Greg and Doug get deep into these games:

Bengals at Ravens — Why the Ravens could be ready to give Cincinnati’s run defense a very bad time.

Cardinals at Texans — We’ve all talked about C.J. Stroud, and rightly so, but this Texans team is very good in all areas.

Vikings at Broncos — Why Vikings DC Brian Flores is making life tough for opposing quarterbacks with creative pressures, the amazing stuff Josh Dobbs is doing, and the reasons behind Denver’s drastic defensive improvement over the last five weeks.

49ers at Buccaneers — The addition of Chase Young to the 49ers defense has DC Steve Wilks and his staff doing new and interesting things!

Eagles at Chiefs — Steve Spagnuolo’s defense might be the NFL’s ideal right now, and here’s why.

Greg and Doug also take a deep dive on the best way for the Buffalo Bills to design the right kind of offense for Josh Allen.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar” right here:

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You can also subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

WATCH: Every Chiefs sack of the 2023 season, through Week 9

Check out this supercut of every #Chiefs sack of the 2023 season through Week 9.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ resurgent pass rush has been a sight to behold to this point in the 2023 season, and with eight games left to play, it seems the team will be able to lean on its defensive line to keep opponents behind the sticks.

Veteran linemen Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, and Mike Danna have led the way for Kansas City in their pursuit of opposing quarterbacks, accumulating 17 combined sacks in just nine contests.

The Chiefs released a supercut video of every sack tallied by their defenders this season, which is sure to bring joy to every fan who watches:

The return of defensive-minded football in Kansas City is a welcome sight. Even while Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense have struggled, the team’s defense has played spectacularly fun football with consistency and helped lift Kansas City to a 7-2 start to the season.

Expect the pass rush to play a huge factor in the Chiefs’ Week 11 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

This Chiefs lineman ranks seventh in QB pressures among all NFL defenders, according to PFF

Check out which Chiefs lineman has the seventh most QB pressures in the NFL through Week 9:

The Kansas City Chiefs pass rush has been one of the team’s best assets through nine weeks of the 2023 season, and one of its most effective players has been second-year defensive lineman George Karlaftis.

A Purdue product, Karlaftis’ penchant for harassing quarterbacks warranted his selection in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but nobody could have predicted his meteoric rise to become one of the best pass rushers in the NFL this year.

According to Pro Football Focus, Karlaftis ranks seventh among all defenders in the league with 47 pressures on the season.

This remarkable number contextualizes just how impressive the former Boilermaker has been through nine games, and is a good indication that Kansas City has a star on its hands up front.

With help from fellow linemen Chris Jones and Charles Omenihu, Karlaftis should be able to continue his mean streak to become a cornerstone of the Chiefs’ future.

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