Tag: improvement

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: Rashee Rice is getting ‘a lot better’

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes told reporters about Rashee Rice’s improvement during comments to the media this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been waiting for a wide receiver to step up and establish himself as a go-to option for MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the passing game. Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice may have finally separated himself from the pack after his performance against the Raiders on Sunday.

Rice commanded 10 targets, catching eight passes for 107 yards and one long touchdown reception. While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Mahomes was asked how the 23-year-old receiver is becoming “Patrick-friendly” and told reporters what the term entails.

“[It is about] how you work, I think that’s the biggest thing,” Mahomes explained. “If guys continue to work and continue to practice, and I get a feel for how they run routes and a feel for how they’re seeing stuff on the football field, it just makes my job easier.

“Guys have done that throughout my career, and [Rice] has done a great job of that in year one, which doesn’t happen a lot of times with receivers. The goal for him now is to keep working, keep getting better, don’t be satisfied with where he’s at, and hopefully get him more bigger games as his career goes on.”

Mahomes also feels that Rice is starting to adjust to zone coverage more smoothly, and that has greatly improved Rice’s production and role on the offense.

“He is, he’s getting a lot better. He doesn’t make the same mistakes. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Mahomes said. “There are little things here and there where we might not be on the same page, but once we talk about it on the sideline, he doesn’t make that mistake again.

“That’s why you see he’s getting better and better throughout the season. It’s one thing to be able to beat man coverage when you come into the NFL because that’s played everywhere, but the zones are so much more complex than college. Sometimes they have to recognize it on the fly, so it’s just about getting better and better throughout the season.”

Rice may be Kansas City’s top receiver in the not-so-distant future, and if he can be reliable in the meantime, the team’s investment in him will pay dividends in the playoffs.

Chris Jones expects more improvement from Chiefs defense this season

#Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones expects more improvement from Kansas City’s defense this season.

The upcoming matchup this Monday against the Philadelphia Eagles is an essential test for the Kansas City Chiefs to start the regular season’s second half. The two top teams in their respective conferences entering Week 11 following their Super Bowl LVII game last season will have all eyes on Arrowhead Stadium.

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has been one of the leaders on a much-improved defense as the team managed to produce a 7-2 record. The All-Pro gave his assessment of the unit and the chatter about it being the best the franchise has seen in recent years during Thursday’s press conference.

“Oh, overall, I still think we can get so much better. So far, so good. As the best overall defense? I mean, it’s still halfway through the season for me to say that now only end up at that last…doesn’t even matter.” said Jones, “So then we take it one game at a time and continue to get better. And then you asked me this question at the end of the year. I have an answer for you.”

The praise hasn’t gotten to Jones’ head as he continues to push for better from his unit. The second half of the season will feature notoriously potent offenses, and they will be tested immediately this Monday against the Eagles.

‘We’re just a work in progress’: Ted Roof sees changes in the defense but feels there’s still a long way to go

Ted Roof has noticed a difference in this year’s defense but feels there’s still a long way to go.

Through two games, the improvement from the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense is noticeable. The team is flying around and is more physical than we’ve seen in years past.

The Sooners rank No. 35 in total defense this season which is a massive improvement from the No. 122nd ranked defense a year ago. The biggest improvements have been in scoring defense, run defense, and third down defense.

The Sooners are the No. 6 ranked scoring defense, No. 28 run defense, and No. 8 third-down defense. A year ago, they ranked No. 98, No. 105 and No. 87, respectively.

It’s still early to tell how good of a defense this team will be in 2023. Those numbers are sure to change as the season goes on and the competition gets tougher, but Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof said he feels the difference has been the competitive depth.

“You look at depth, competitive depth,” Roof said. “We’re just starting out, and by no means are we a finished product, and we have arrived. We’re just a work in progress that’s going to grind every day. That’s the attitude of our staff and players, and it’s all about incremental improvement. We’ve got to get better because we left some plays out on the field the other night. Some situations where we had opportunities to get off the field, and we didn’t.”

That’s the mindset the coaches and players should have. Two games don’t fix nearly a decade of poor defensive performances. The Sooners have shown signs of improvement, but that must continue for the whole season.

Their next opportunity to show that is this Saturday in their first away game versus the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN 2.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Andy Reid praises improvement of young Chiefs in training camp

Andy Reid praised the improvement of the Chiefs’ first and second-year players at training camp ahead of Sunday’s first preseason game. | from: @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs return to game action this Sunday with their first preseason matchup of 2023. The defense of their Super Bowl LVII crown will get its first dress rehearsal against the New Orleans Saints as the coaching staff uses this third week of training camp to finalize the team’s lineups.

Position battles make training camp practices exciting for teams hoping to get the best out of their players. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has always provided an opportunity for long shots to earn a spot on the team during the preseason. Reid spoke with reporters after Monday’s practice about the improvements he’s seen from the young players on Kansas City’s roster in camp.

“The weather helps [the] learning as you go,” Reid explained. “The guys can focus a little bit more on that. I think they’ve done a good job with retention after a day off, so they have been good. You know, they’re in their books, looking at things. We’re not just calling one install, we’re using all the installs, and they seem to be able to hang with that. So on both sides of the ball, so it’s been good that way.”

Reid is entering his 25th season as a head coach in the NFL, so he has mastered his routine to prepare players for a grueling season.

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Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie: Skyy Moore ‘has improved a ton’ heading into 2023

Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie told reporters that receiver Skyy Moore “has improved a ton” since his rookie season in 2022. | from: @LazarczykLogan

Trent McDuffie and Skyy Moore are working to improve on their rookie campaigns with the Kansas City Chiefs, and both have been lining up against each other in the team’s practice sessions.

McDuffie spoke to reporters after Monday’s workouts in St. Joseph and addressed Moore’s growth since last season. The second-year wideout, he said, seemed to have an extra gear that was helping McDuffie hone his own game during training camp.

“That’s definitely someone, compared to last season, who has improved a ton,” McDuffie explained of Moore. “His quickness, his speed off the line, his routes, and just his hands – overall just how he became a better receiver in this league is something that I have looked at that has helped me out a ton.

“We talk about a few guys that I go up against every day and he is one of them. He’s one who is going to show me the best looks, give me the best routes, and I love competing against him every day. It’s been a lot of fun coming out here and going against Skyy [Moore].”

Moore’s improvement will not only help the Chiefs’ offense but also assist in preparing cornerbacks like McDuffie with healthy competition. Moore’s improvement in route-running, catching, and creating leverage will give McDuffie different looks that he will see every week during Kansas City’s 2023 campaign.

After only coming down with 22 catches for 250 yards during the 2022 regular season, Moore looks like he can develop into a reliable, go-to option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

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DC Steve Spagnuolo credits Nick Bolton, Bryan Cook for Chiefs’ improved zone coverage

Steve Spagnuolo credited two #Chiefs for his defense’s improvement in zone coverage after Monday’s practice.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has taken a back seat to the team’s prolific offense in recent seasons, but coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is out to prove that his unit can turn the tide in 2023.

He spoke to reporters on Monday about the Chiefs’ improvement in zone coverage during training camp and credited two young leaders on Kansas City’s defense for their efforts in practice that have helped his unit turn a corner.

“There’s tighter coverage,” Spagnuolo explained. “We’re a zone match team, I think our guys are doing a better job of that. That’s a credit to the guys in the middle that are leading it like Nick [Bolton] and Bryan Cook, they are kind of in the middle of the whole thing and then our corners are playing pretty tight. I think rep after rep after rep we get a lot of passes thrown at us here, so we better get good at it because we certainly get plenty of work.”

Spagnuolo will do his best to ensure that the Chiefs’ defense doesn’t take a step back over the next month before the regular season.

Kansas City will face its first live-action competition on August 13th when they square off against the New Orleans Saints, who will look to undo the progress that the Chiefs’ defense has been making in workouts.

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Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco discussed his biggest improvement in 2022

#Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco told ESPN about a key area that he improved in the most in 2022. | from @TheJohnDillon

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win in February was an extraordinary accomplishment for a team that hosted several rookies starting at key positions on both sides of the ball.

Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs’ rising star running back, was particularly impressive during Kansas City’s championship run in the playoffs and told ESPN’s Adam Teicher about the areas of his game that he saw the most improvement in last season. By Pacheco’s estimation, it wasn’t anything that changed for him on the field, but rather how he responded to things happening in his life away from the gridiron.

“One of the [biggest] things I improved on, [is] eliminating the distractions,” Pacheco explained. “I could have a thousand things going on, a lot of people hitting my phone up. I just kind of sit it on silent, sit it to the side. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work.”

He elaborated further, telling Teicher that his ability to keep his mind clear and focus on the task at hand helped him to make such a crucial impact for the Chiefs in his rookie season.

“It happened so fast and for me, not expecting it but dreaming of it, putting [in] the work to get here,” Pacheco said. “I’m not surprised that the hard work got me here. I’m just surprised it happened so fast. It means the absolute world to me. Especially when you write down in your notes what your goals are and then you come back to them. For me, I’m going to come back to them, grab that pen and check them off.”

Clearly, the second-year Super Bowl champion is committed to putting forth the necessary effort to maintain his status as one of the most important cogs in Kansas City’s offense. With the help of Pacheco’s powerful running style and the benefit of the experience he gained in 2022, the Chiefs should be positioned to defend their title as world champions next season.

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Maliek Collins says Texans are ‘always having conversations’ about improving team’s situation

Collins told reporters that the #Texans’ defense is constantly trying to improve

The Houston Texans’ skid to a 1-8-1 record has not been pretty. They are, without a doubt, the worst team in the NFL, and the product they give fans on the field is legitimately hard to watch. Houston is clearly tanking for draft position, and it’d be hard to blame them for that, but for anyone subjected to watching Texans football, the outlook for the rest of the 2022 season is bleak.

Their current standings don’t seem to be affecting the players themselves much, though. Despite drama after the trade deadline with star receiver Brandin Cooks, the team has mostly maintained a cheery disposition when talking to reporters about their situation. Defensive lineman Maliek Collins was among the Texans who were asked about how the team might be able to better themselves before the season draws to a merciful close and told the media that he and his teammates are hard at work finding solutions to win at least one more game.

“We’re always having conversations with each other about what more each of us can do,” Collins explained. “[We] hold each other accountable. But one thing for sure is taking the ball away. We’ve got to do that. You can’t not take the ball away and win. That’s not the game in the NFL. We’ve got to give the offense more opportunities to score. We’ve got to limit other teams’ drives. That’s just the game.”

Collins’ response to a tough question is indicative of his professionalism amid circumstances that are certainly less than ideal. It isn’t easy for a player to face the media and give thoughtful answers while their team is in utter disarray, but Collins managed to do just that.

Behind his leadership, the Texans’ defense just might be able to pick up the pieces and salvage whatever they can of Houston’s failed 2022 campaign.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reflects on areas where he can improve

After the worst loss of his young career, #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reflected on a few areas where he’s constantly seeking improvement. | from @TheJohnDillon

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As seven weeks have come and gone the Kansas City Chiefs have found themselves in dire straits with a 3-4 record.

If the season ended today, it would see them missing the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. While the results of their schedule thus far have been far from ideal, the former MVP implied in his press conference on Thursday that he knows which facets of his game need improvement,  reiterating his commitment to getting his team back to a more stable position.

“It’s kind of the same stuff,” Mahomes told reporters of Andy Reid’s message to him following the tough start. “Just stuff that I’ve always had to work on, and I kind of lose sometimes during the season and have to get better with. That’s like hanging in the pocket, working on my footwork, staying on time, all that stuff like that. That’s stuff that I work on every year. You see it get me in certain games every single year and it’s stuff I have to go back to and learn from and be better at.”

He continued, saying that his deficiencies defenses have exploited this season have made themselves known on film. He knows that the onus is on him to clean up the mistakes that have put the Chiefs in tough situations.

“There [were] times I maybe could’ve stepped, found a soft spot in the pocket where I got out of there and tried to make something happen,” Mahomes explained. “But like I said, it’s stuff I’ve worked on every single year. Whenever we don’t get going as an offense it’s because I’m doing little things like that. We have the guys on the team to make plays happen every single drive, but I have to make sure I’m executing at a high level so they can have those opportunities.”

Execution will certainly be crucial to Kansas City’s playoff hopes as they enter the most challenging part of their schedule. Judging from the words from their signal-caller, the whole roster is up for the challenge. Their defense will need to turn a corner for the Chiefs to be a truly viable team in the playoffs. Yet, in the modern quarterback-centric NFL, Mahomes’ commitment to playing fundamentally-sound football could be the deciding factor to whether Kansas City can climb out of the hole they’ve dug themselves early in 2021.

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6 areas where Packers have improved most on offense in 2020

Highlighting the areas where the top-ranked Packers offense has improved the most in 2020.

The Green Bay Packers fielded a respectable but often inconsistent offense during the 2019 season, the first under new coach Matt LaFleur. It was a middle-of-the-pack group overall, ranking 15th in points scored and 18th in total yards.

This season, everything has come together, turning the Packers into the top-scoring team in football through 12 weeks.

What has changed? Where has been the biggest improvement?

Highlighting a few areas of the biggest improvement: