Tag: historical

Chiefs have impressive win-streak vs. Chargers heading into Week 14

The Kansas City #Chiefs have an impressive winning streak in matchups against the Los Angeles #Chargers heading into Week 14.

The Kansas City Chiefs are among the NFL’s most dominant teams, and with a Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers set to kick off tomorrow on Sunday Night Football, the defending Super Bowl champions will have a chance to extend a six-game winning streak against their AFC West rivals that dates back to 2021.

Though Kansas City has faced significant adversity due to injuries, the Chiefs have already defeated the Chargers this season, and hold a conference-leading 11-1 record.

Los Angeles has had moments of brilliance in its 2024 campaign, and a win over Kansas City would put the Chargers within two games of the top spot in the AFC West.

Every primetime game that the Chiefs play in seems to turn into an instant classic, and if the last meeting between these teams—which ended in a 17-10 victory for Kansas City—is any indication, Sunday’s game could be one of the most exciting games of the season.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes must overcome this historical trend to win Super Bowl LVII

Patrick Mahomes will alter the course of modern football history if he can lift the #Chiefs to a win over the #Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. | from @TheJohnDillon

In a year where Patrick Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award by a landslide, some might consider the Kansas City Chiefs to have an edge over the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Excellent play paired with the offensive weapons at his disposal will make Kansas City a tough out for the Eagles, but if history has anything to say about it, the quarterback’s most recent accolade may be a disadvantage.

An MVP winner has not emerged from a Super Bowl victorious since 1999 when Kurt Warner managed to accomplish the feat as a member of the St. Louis Rams in the legendary offense nicknamed the “Greatest Show On Turf.”

If he is able to lift the Chiefs over Philadelphia in the highly anticipated matchup, Mahomes will have achieved something that some of the all-time greats — Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers — were never able to over the course of their careers.

Kansas City will be a slight underdog at kickoff on Sunday night, and Mahomes will have to take it upon himself to lead the Chiefs to a win on the biggest stage against an exceptionally capable Eagles squad. If he can, he would literally alter the course of football history.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Nick Sirianni describes Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s influence on his career

Sirianni said that Reid’s conduct in letting him go back in 2013 had an effect on him as a coach. | from @TheJohnDillon

When Andy Reid became the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2013, he couldn’t have known that he would face a member of the team’s incumbent coaching staff in a Super Bowl a decade later.

Reid technically fired Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni, who was with the Chiefs for four years between 2009 and 2012 in various roles on the offensive coaching staff. Instead of retaining Sirianni, who was under contract, Reid opted for his assistant head coach David Culley to coach his wide receivers. A role that would ultimately play a part in Culley’s short-lived stint as the head coach of the Houston Texans years later.

Reid’s coaching tree has already reached legendary status, and Sirianni told reporters at a media availability session on Tuesday about the role that the long-tenured Kansas City coach has played in his career.

“He was very good to me in the sense that he brought me in to talk to me,” Sirianni explained. “He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to bring me in to talk to me to let me go, right? But he did because it seems like that’s the type of person he is, that’s the kind of coach he is, and I was grateful for that.”

In describing the way that he was lifted up by Reid during a less-than-ideal time in his career, he didn’t hold back in letting the media know how much Reid’s encouragement meant to him.

“I was down in that moment,” Sirianni said, “and he gave me strength when I was down, he tried to pick me up when I was down, and I think that says a lot about his character and who he is, so I was appreciative of that.”

While there doesn’t seem to be any bad blood heading into this matchup, Chiefs fans can rest assured that Sirianni will be angling to secure his first Super Bowl win against Reid on Sunday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Win over Bengals would give Chiefs HC Andy Reid second-most postseason wins in NFL history

Andy Reid is set to pass Tom Landry for second place on the NFL’s all-time playoff wins list if he can lift the #Chiefs over the #Bengals on Sunday. | from @TheJohnDillon

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid is set to make history if he can lift his team over the Cincinnati Bengals this evening. He’s already one of the winningest coaches in NFL history and the postseason is no different.

After defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC divisional round, Reid tied legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry for second place on the NFL’s all-time leaderboard for playoff wins. With one more win, Reid would take sole ownership of second place in NFL postseason victories behind only New England Patriots HC Bill Belichick (31).

Reid is unlikely to be invested in this accomplishment at this juncture, as he is more likely focused on making a run at the Super Bowl. That said, the fact that he is in a position to surpass Landry in any category highlights the excellent track record that he has put together as a head coach in the NFL. He collected his 10th playoff win with the Chiefs in Kansas City last week and became the first head coach to get to double-digit playoff wins with two separate franchises.

Matched up against a bitter adversary that knocked him out of the postseason last year, Reid is sure to bring his best game plan of the season into the AFC Championship Game. A win would notch another impressive achievement to add to his already-lengthy resume of success.

[listicle id=145770]

Packers rookie receivers have put together an impressive resume during 2022 season

Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are among the most effective rookie receiving duos in NFL history

The Green Bay Packers did a great job drafting in 2022 when they selected receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in the second and fourth rounds respectively. The duo became the fourth rookie receiving tandem in NFL history to reach the 35-reception threshold while also managing to catch three touchdowns apiece.

Among the other rookie duos to achieve this impressive feat were Bill Groman and Charley Hennigan in 1960, Fred Barnett and Calvin Williams in 1990, and Darrin Chiaverini and Kevin Johnson in 1999.

Watson also became the only player in the league this season to have seven receiving touchdowns and multiple rushing touchdowns and moved to third place among Packers rookies for receiving touchdowns in a rookie season. He will need two more receiving touchdowns to tie for second place in franchise history in that category, which would match the mark set by receiver Max McGee in 1954 when he came down with nine passes for six-point scores.

Both of Green Bay’s rookie receivers are among the top five in their draft class for touchdown receptions this season, and also rank among the top 10 in receptions and receiving yards.

Both of these outstanding pass-catchers have bright futures, and the Packers appear to be stacked at the receiver position moving forward. Watson’s length and incredible long speed should make him a viable deep threat for years to come, and Doubs’ savvy route running will make him a favorite target of any quarterback he plays with over the course of his career.

As a second-round selection, expectations for Watson were high entering the 2022 season, and after an adjustment to the pace of play in the NFL, he has burst onto the scene since Week 10. Doubs has been a steady contributor all season but is still waiting for a breakout performance of more than 100 yards receiving in a single game.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxb1xg7g19wqdc player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

A look at Aaron Rodgers’ track record vs. Miami over the course of his career

With the exception of a loss to Miami in 2010, Rodgers has had a great track record against the #Dolphins in his career

As the NFL’s reigning MVP for two straight seasons, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is among the most accomplished players at his position in league history. His expert play and uncanny ability to find receivers downfield is unmatched, and the Packers will need him to channel everything he’s got against the Miami Dolphins on Christmas day.

Over the course of his career, Rodgers has played the Dolphins three times, securing victory for Green Bay in two of those matchups. He won the only game that he played on the road against Miami, and has posted exceptionally great numbers against the Dolphins after a mediocre start against them in 2010.

In his last two matchups against Miami, he put up a passer rating of 99.7 and 112.1 and combined for five passing touchdowns while avoiding interceptions. Rodgers needs to build on that stellar track record on Sunday, as the Packers will be at a distinct disadvantage against the burgeoning Dolphins on the road.

His worst start against Miami, Green Bay’s matchup against the Dolphins in 2010, resulted in a three-point loss at Lambeau Field. He threw for over 300 yards and managed to find Packers legend Greg Jennings for a touchdown, but turned the ball over on one interception.

Members of the Green Bay faithful would be forgiven for having forgotten about this disastrous Week 6 loss that took place more than a decade ago, and though the Packers will likely be underdogs on Sunday, they can’t afford to replicate their 2010 performance in primetime for the Christmas matchup.

Rodgers is a consummate professional and has shown an ability to win against all odds in years past, so despite Green Bay’s underdog status, fans shouldn’t rule the Packers out in this game. If he can make some of his signature throws that have come to define his career in Green Bay, the team just might be able to get past the Dolphins to secure their seventh win of the season.

A look back at the last regular season meeting between the Bears and Bills

The #Bears won a lopsided Week 9 matchup against the #Bills in the teams’ last meeting

So much has happened since 2018 that any Chicago Bears fan could be forgiven for not remembering the last time their team played the Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Justin Fields was a backup behind Jake Fromm, a former Bill, at the University of Georgia, and it was the last season that Chicago ended the year with a record above .500, going 12-4 in the campaign.

Their tilt against Buffalo was one for the ages that season, and ended in a lopsided 41-9 victory for the Bears, pushing their record at the time to 5-3. They forced four turnovers in the rout, and despite only gaining 316 yards of total offense, dominated the Bills in all four quarters.

Buffalo’s quarterback Josh Allen was just a rosy-cheeked rookie in the matchup and ended the game with just 166 yards passing in what would be the Bills’ fourth straight loss in the middle of their 2018 schedule. They would end the season with a 6-10 record.

This year, the situation is expected to be drastically different. Chicago will be a heavy underdog heading into the matchup, and Allen has evolved into a perennial MVP candidate while Fields is still, himself, looking like a rookie at times in the passing game.

The Bears have one distinct advantage in 2022 that they didn’t have in 2018, though, in their burgeoning ground game. Fields is a dynamic runner with enough speed to burn any defense that fails to account for his crafty improvisational instincts when passing plays break down.

It is highly unlikely that Chicago’s defense will force the same volume of turnovers that they managed in 2018, but against a Bills team with plenty to prove, anything is technically possible. Buffalo has played down to their opponents several times this season and has had trouble putting teams away early, so if the Bears can get a foot in the door with an early lead, don’t be surprised if they’re able to take the Bills by surprise and knock them out of the AFC’s top seed.