Tag: Kelechi Osemele

Chiefs injury updates following Week 5 vs. Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a brutal injury to their starting LG during their Week 5 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered some big injuries during their Week 5 loss to Las Vegas Raiders.

Early on in the game, they lost starting LG Kelechi Osemele to what appeared to be a non-contact knee injury. The cart had to come out for Osemele and it took multiple trainers to lift him onto it. He was taken off the field and immediately ruled out of the game by the Chiefs.

As it turns out, Osemele didn’t just suffer one injury. After the game Chiefs HC Andy Reid updated reporters on the ordeal. According to Reid, Osemele suffered torn tendons in both of his knees in what seems to be a rare injury situation.

The gameplan completely changed for Kansas City when Osemele left the game as the team seemed to struggle to protect Mahomes. They also didn’t seem to trust the run game quite as much this week. As for Osemele, he seems to be in good spirits after suffering the injury.

Reid also provided an injury update on Sammy Watkins who left the game after pulling up lame with a hamstring injury. He was first ruled questionable to return but ultimately ruled out of the game. He’ll have a long week to recover from the injury, with the next game against the Buffalo Bills rescheduled for Monday.

One player that Reid didn’t have an update on was starting MIKE linebacker, Anthony Hitchens. Hitchens left the game as questionable to return with a hand injury. He’d miss a few series before coming back into the game. He reinjured his hand late in the game, so it’s unclear exactly what his status is.

It’s always a tough pill to swallow when you lose a game in the NFL, but it’s even tougher when you lose and lose players to injury.

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Jets’ handling of Mekhi Becton’s injury has New York looking bad once again

The Jets grossly mismanaged Mekhi Becton by allowing him to play against the Broncos in Week 4.

If any team in the NFL needs a lesson on how not to handle an injured player, it should contact the Jets.

When the Jets drafted Mekhi Becton with the 11th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they pegged him as their left tackle of the future and Sam Darnold’s personal bodyguard — two lofty job titles. One would figure that means Becton would be protected at all costs, but on Thursday night against the Broncos, New York didn’t seem all that concerned about the best interest of one of its franchise centerpieces.

There is absolutely no reason why Becton was allowed to suit up, let alone play a single down against Denver, after suffering a shoulder injury against the Colts only four days prior. Becton’s supposed desire to take over for the injured Chuma Edoga in the first quarter is admirable, but the adults in the room should have spoken up and mitigated the risk of their young star injuring his shoulder further.

It’s on Adam Gase to protect his players. He claims Becton’s shoulder injury cannot get any worse and his ability to play comes down to pain tolerance, but let’s face it — if Becton really was good to go in Week 4, he would have started at left tackle. If he wasn’t able to start, he should have been told to leave his pads in the locker room. Instead, the Jets compromised his health by throwing him into an essentially meaningless game cold. That’s just not wise.

It is, however, par for the course when it comes to this regime’s inability to grasp the concept of risk assessment and injury management. The Jets entered Week 4 winless and going absolutely nowhere. Becton is going to be with the organization long past this lost season. It’s not like defeating the Broncos with Becton on the field would have jumpstarted New York. Why not just sit him down for a couple of weeks and let him get back to 100%?

Because it’s the Jets.

There is something to be said about the way the team views and handles injuries. The topic was put under a microscope last season when Kelechi Osemele, in need of surgery, found himself at odds with Joe Douglas. But there were also issues with Luke Falk and Quincy Enunwa, not to mention Gase’s mishandling of Avery Williamson’s exhibition playing time, which ultimately cost the linebacker his 2019 season.

The Osemele situation was a rollercoaster, but what happened this past week with Becton is pretty clear cut. Douglas fawned over him throughout the draft process and was thrilled when he landed him at No. 11. He should have made it clear to Gase that Becton’s health is New York’s top priority, not inserting him into a game with an injury on a short week of rest.

(Just as an aside, one could make a similar case about how the Jets handled Sam Darnold’s injury on Thursday night now that it’s unclear if he’ll miss time with a shoulder sprain… but let’s just stick with Becton for now.)

Again, it is admirable that Becton wanted to play against the Broncos. However, when a 6-foot-7, 370-pound man can be seen on the sideline in excruciating pain, he probably shouldn’t have been playing in the first place. That is on the Jets and the Jets alone.

As Becton’s mentor alluded to on Twitter, New York made a clown decision on Thursday night. Becton never should have set foot on the MetLife Stadium turf in Week 4. Now, the Jets might be without him for the foreseeable future.

That’s not how a winning organization takes care of its people.

Chargers defensive strategy for Week 2 plays right into Chiefs’ hands

Chargers DB Rayshawn Jenkins revealed how his team plans to slow the Chiefs’ offense.

The Los Angeles Chargers have had some success slowing down the Kansas City Chiefs offense recently. In fact, they’re the only AFC West team to have defeated the Chiefs while Patrick Mahomes has been the starting quarterback.

During the past two games between these teams, Kansas City has won handily, and we all know that almost doesn’t count in the NFL. So what will the Chargers do differently this time around? The strategy that Los Angeles hopes to employ might actually play right into the hands of the 2020 version of the Chiefs.

“Every time they have to check it down or get a 5-yard, 6-yard gain, that’s not who they want to be,” Chargers DB Rayshawn Jenkins said, via The Athletic. “As long as we can get them to be that team, to check it down, then I feel like we, as a defense, can have success as an entire unit.”

The Chargers want to limit the big-play offense that Kansas City has become known for according to Jenkins. The only problem with that is, the Chiefs already wanted to find a better balance between efficiency and making big plays this season.

You might have noticed that in Week 1, Mahomes played an uncharacteristic game. His longest pass of the evening went for 19 yards, but he still finished the day with a 75% completion percentage, 211 yards and three touchdowns. Absent of explosive plays, the offense looked like a well-oiled machine.

“Yeah, it was funny, Chad (Henne) and Matt (Moore) both said it was one of my best games I’ve played,” Mahomes said of Week 1. “They said I actually took the check-downs and didn’t just try to force it down the field when it wasn’t there. It’s something that I’ve learned from those veteran guys. I’ve learned from Coach Reid.”

Just because the Chiefs didn’t have any receptions greater than 19 yards in Week 1, doesn’t mean their offense was any less effective. They proved that they don’t need the big plays to score quickly and that should horrify the rest of the NFL. Mahomes has already, through one game, impressed some of his new teammates with how quickly he can get the team in position to score.

“I think we had a drive where, I don’t know, I want to say there were less than 40 seconds left or something like that to score,” Chiefs LG Kelechi Osemele told reporters on Friday. “We wanted to get some points before the half and Fish (Eric Fisher) looks at me in the huddle and is like, ‘Watch this.’ We were pretty far back down there too and we just drove it down the field. And the way he (Patrick Mahomes) managed the game, I don’t want to say effortless because we all know how hard he works off the field and studies, but it was pretty smooth. The operation was pretty smooth, he got up to the line smooth, his cadence was smooth, it just clicked and gelled and it was fast. Before you know it we scored right before the half. . . . It’s only been one game, but I’m pretty excited having seen that, how fast he’s capable of scoring. That was pretty cool to see.”

The Chiefs don’t intend to put a muzzle on Mahomes’ natural ability and his penchant toward big plays. However, the natural evolution for Mahomes as an NFL quarterback is to better learn to exploit what the defense is giving him. That’s a goal for this season and they believe they have an arsenal of weapons to make it happen.

“All of us want to go for the big shot, all of us want to go for the touchdown pass every single time,” Mahomes said. “But if defenses are going to play us back and play us in coverage, I’m going to take the stuff underneath and let the guys make plays, find ways to score and find ways to win football games.”

Instead of allowing themselves to get gashed by the big plays, the Chargers intend to go by the way of 1,000 paper cuts. After what has been said following Week 1, Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense will happily oblige.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid praises LG Kelechi Osemele for aggressive playstyle

Andy Reid likes the aggressive, play-through-the-whistle style that Kelechi Osemele brings to the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Kansas City Chiefs starting LG Kelechi Osemele stood out in a big way during his debut with his new team. Clyde Edwards-Helaire may have landed all the headlines, but Osemele had an equally impressive game, paving the way for the rookie sensation.

Following the game, Andy Reid gave credit to the offensive line for keeping Patrick Mahomes clean and blocking up a big game for Edwards-Helaire. During his Monday press conference, Reid was asked about Osemle’s performance. Reporters wanted to know if Reid thought that Osemele brought a different type of physicality compared to previous guards they’ve employed.

“Yeah, Larry (Laurent Duvernay-Tardif) was a little bit that way too and (Andrew) Wylie’s got some of that in him too but it’s good to add it,” Reid told reporters. “It’s good to be able to put another guy in there with his experience I think and his attitude about playing. I mean he plays, and he plays aggressive and you have to love that. I’m not saying we haven’t had it before, but what an addition to be able to put it in there, and I think his thing that’s followed him throughout his career has been, you play against him, you better strap it on because he’s going to bring it to you every down and it’s going to be aggressive and he’s going to do it to the whistle and that whole thing. So, I appreciate that. I think you’ve got to have that upfront and it’s a good tempo setter.”

Reid knows a good offensive lineman when he sees one, having played and coached the position himself in the past. Osemele set the tone for the offensive line in Week 1. It’s something they’ve lacked to an extent in the past, especially in the running game. The numbers and the tape tend to agree with Reid’s assessment too. On the first play of the game, Osemele had a pancake block, taking a Texans linebacker to the turf.

Following the game, Pro Football Focus said that Osemele had the third-most positively graded run blocks that he’s ever had in a single game in his entire nine-year NFL career. His 72.6 overall grade was the fifth-highest grade on the entire team.

Edwards-Helaire also had a ton of his success running behind Osemele. According to PFF, five attempts by Edwards-Helaire went in the direction of Osemele’s blocking, totaling in 60 yards and a touchdown. Three of those five runs went for 10 or more yards.

As Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar said, “Osemele was a battering ram” in Week 1. He’ll continue to pave the way for Edwards-Helaire for the rest of the season in Kansas City, bringing with him the aggressive play-through-the-whistle mentality that the team so desperately needed.

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How Kelechi Osemele expands and perfects the Chiefs’ impossible offense

With all the work the Chiefs have done to maintain and improve their roster, the one-year deal with Kelechi Osemele is a sleeper win.

Last season, the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years, and had the NFL’s third-best offense per Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted metrics. Not surprisingly, Kansas City ranked second in passing behind only the Cowboys, but they trailed a bit in rushing efficiency, ranking 16th.

Head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach conspired to improve that ranking this offseason with a couple of moves: They took LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the last pick in the first round. That worked out pretty well in the season opener, a 34-20 win over the Texans, as Edwards-Helaire took advantage of Houston’s decision to play two-high safeties to keep Patrick Mahomes in check. The rookie gained 138 yards and scored a 27-yard touchdown on 25 carries, making himself the star of the game and giving opposing defensive coordinators one more thing to worry about when facing Reid’s already formidable offense.

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The other move that could prove to pay great dividends is the July signing of guard Kelechi Osemele, a move made necessary when Laurent Duvernay-Tardif opted out for the 2020 season. Osemele was released by the Jets last October following a dispute with the team regarding a shoulder injury, but he was healthy in the 2020 free agency frame, and the Chiefs were able to pick him up on a one-year, $2 million contract.

For all the things Veach has done to keep his roster core together this offseason, the Osemele signing might be the thing that puts him over the top for Executive of the Year when the season is done. Against the Texans, per Pro Football Focus, the veteran had the third-most positively graded run blocks he’s ever had in a single game in his NFL career.

Whether you agree with PFF’s grades or not, the tape shows the truth. Osemele was a battering ram, giving the Chiefs the ability to throw haymakers at the Texans when the Texans were expecting an aerial attack, and providing a new level of physicality. Defensive tackle Carlos Watkins would most assuredly agree.

What made the Osemele signing interesting, though, is that the Chiefs were a predominantly zone running team last season — per Sports Info Solutions, they incorporated zone blocking schemes on 66% of their run plays in 2019, as opposed to 27% gap runs. With Osemele on the field in 2019, the Jets increased their percentage of gap runs from 33% to 37%, and reduced their zone run rate from 62% to 55%. This makes sense in that, while Osemele can certainly make himself useful in zone stuff (you don’t really have just gap or zone blockers in the NFL), he’s a dominant, physical blocker in a defined space.

So, when the Chiefs gave Osemele a deal, my first thought was, “Well, how the heck is THAT going to work? Is this a case where a team signs a good player without a functional way in which to maximize his abilities?”

I should have known. And the rest of the NFL is about to discover that the Chiefs now have even more ways in which to turn your defense out.

Chiefs LG Kelechi Osemele dealing with stiff neck per Andy Reid

A single addition to the injury report and some clarity on Daniel Kilgore for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs were back at practice on Tuesday. Today the team is simulating what their Thursday practice would normally be like in the regular season according to Andy Reid.

Here are the players who are expected to be absent from practice on Tuesday:

  • OT Martinas Rankin (PUP)
  • LG Kelechi Osemele (Neck)

“Kelechi’s got a little bit of a stiff neck,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid told reporters. “We’ll probably pull off of him.”

This doesn’t sound like it will be a big issue moving forward with nine days to go until the season opener. They’re likely just planning to give Osemele a bit of rest to get rid of the neck stiffness. Expect Mike Remmers to fill in at left guard as his replacement in practice if necessary. He might be able to partake in individual work. Osemele missed a few practices earlier during training camp with what was described as a shoulder injury.

Reid later said that he’s not sure if Chiefs’ new center Daniel Kilgore would be at practice. He seemed to indicate that his absence, which was described yesterday as excused, is related to COVID-19 testing and protocols. Players must go through the initial three-day screening window before practicing with a new team.

Rankin remains sidelined due to his 2019 season-ending knee injury. He’s still on the PUP list and with 53-man roster cuts coming soon, expect him to start the season on the PUP list. That’ll mean that the earliest he can return to practice and return to play is during Week 7 of the 2020 season.

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Chiefs injury update: Two starters return, LG Kelechi Osemele misses practice

The injuries are once again mounting for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs were back at training camp for practice on Monday.

Here is the full list of players that didn’t practice today:

  • DE Alex Okafor (Calf)
  • DE Mike Danna (Calf)
  • DT Derrick Nnadi (Rest)
  • DT Braxton Hoyett (Shoulder)
  • DB Armani Watts (Illness)
  • LG Kelechi Osemele (Shoulder)
  • WR Maurice Ffrench (Knee)
  • TE Deon Yelder (Groin)
  • OT Martinas Rankin (PUP)

Starting with the good news, the Kansas City Chiefs welcomed starting WR Tyreek Hill and starting LB Damien Wilson back to practice on Monday. Wilson had been dealing with an ankle injury and Hill a hamstring injury. Both players didn’t participate in team drills. That’d suggest they’re both being eased back into practice as to not reaggravate their respective injuries.

After Andy Reid had no new injuries to report on Sunday, a number of new names popped up on the injury report on Monday. That group includes starting defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and the player who’d been starting at left guard, Kelechi Osemele. Nnadi is simply receiving a rest day in return from offseason ankle surgery.

Osemele was also back off from practice, dealing with a shoulder injury. Keep in mind, Osemele had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder last season with the New York Jets. It’s not clear if he’s aggravated that specific injury, but it’s something to monitor.

There were three new injuries during the course of practice. WR Gehrig Dieter suffered a groin injury during practice. LB Emmanuel Smith suffered a hamstring injury.  Undrafted free agent OT Yasir Durant suffered a head injury but walked off under his own power according to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. He’s being evaluated, likely for a concussion.

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Clips from Chiefs training camp reveal three potential starters at guard

We might know the starters at left and right guard in Kansas City.

The players working with the starters at left and right guard position for the Kansas City Chiefs seem to have been revealed.

Mitch Holthus and Matt McMullen hosted their second iteration of “Training Camp Live” from Chiefs training camp on Tuesday. During the course of the show, they showed several clips of the starters going through walkthroughs, some padless and some with helmets.

In multiple clips, the Chiefs’ starting offensive line from left to right: LT Eric Fisher, LG Mike Remmers, C Austin Reiter, RG Andrew Wylie, RT Mitchell Schwartz.

Another clip had the starters as follows: LT Eric Fisher, LG Kelechi Osemele, C Austin Reiter, RG Mike Remmers, RT Mitchell Schwartz.

Osemele also appeared to be working with the second and third-team offensive line with Chad Henne, Matt Moore and Jordan Ta’amu at the left guard position. Keep in mind, Remmers participated in the entire virtual offseason thus far. Osemele is a new arrival, putting him behind on familiarity with the scheme. It’s possible that Osemele overtakes the starting spot at left guard as we go.

It seems right now that there is a three-way competition going on between Remmers, Wylie, and Osemele. Remmers and Osemele are competing at left guard, while Wylie and Remmers are competing at right guard. At the end of the day, offensive line coach Andy Heck is going to shake things up and have a variety of players mixed in at different spots to determine the best five guys out there moving forward.

The second string offensive line included the following players: LT Greg Senat, LG Kelechi Osemele, C Nick Allegretti, RG Ryan Hunter, RT Jackson Barton.

Keep those players in mind when you’re considering backup offensive line spots, including the swing tackle, in Kansas City.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes talks new offensive linemen Kelechi Osemele, Mike Remmers

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes spoke highly of his new teammates Kelechi Osemele and Mike Remmers, on Sunday’s training camp press conference.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning season last year had its fair share of obstacles. One of the issues early in the season was protection for franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered an early-season ankle injury and missed time on the field due to a knee injury.

The offensive line also suffered injuries to Eric Fisher and Andrew Wylie, but quickly regrouped as Mahomes returned to the field. This offseason the team decided to add more veteran muscle to the line with the signings of Kelechi Osemele and Mike Remmers. Mahomes spoke highly of his new teammates on Sunday during his training camp press conference.

“I mean first of with Osemele and Mike Remmers, both those guys, both those guys they are big and they are strong and they are smart,” said Mahomes. “I think those three things you need to have to come in to play on this offense and so Kelechi, I mean when he shook my hand the first time, I had to like tell him ‘easy a little bit man.’ I mean just how big and strong that guy is, so I’m excited to have them. They’re learning, obviously, this offense quickly and processing quickly that’s good about having veteran guys like that but I’m excited for that competition in that room to bring the best out of everybody. I think it’s just the uncertainty.”

Remmers has served as a starter for all but one game in his eight-year career playing for seven different franchises before joining the Chiefs. Osemele is a former two-time Pro Bowler and 2016 All-Pro guard for the division rival Oakland Raiders.

The Chiefs are invested in providing depth along the offensive line to keep the franchise’s most valuable asset healthy. General manager Brett Veach is determined to keep Mahomes productive with quality players on the roster at every position, but most importantly quality protection along the line.

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Chiefs RB DeAndre Washington praises Kelechi Osemele: ‘One of my favorite O-Linemen’

The two new members of the Kansas City Chiefs were teammates in Oakland from 2016-2018.

A pair of free-agent acquisitions by the Chiefs find themselves reunited in Kansas City.

DeAndre Washington and Kelechi Osemele both played for the Oakland Raiders together over the course of four seasons. They started playing together in 2016 when Washington was first drafted and Osemele was signed as a free agent. Washington would play with Osemele during two of his best seasons, the first coming in 2016 when he was selected for the Pro Bowl and named first-team All-Pro. That season was also among Washington’s best, averaging 5.4 yards per carry, catching 74% of his passes and scoring two touchdowns.

Reunited in Kansas City, Washington described what Osemele is bringing to the Chiefs’ offense.

“He’s a dog, man. He’s one of a kind, man,” Washington said. “As a running back, he’s one of those guys that you enjoy running behind. He’s going to make sure that he imposes his will on whoever’s lined up in front of him. He’s going to finish guys. Kelechi’s one of my favorite O-Linemen I’ve ever played with, hands down.”

Football is one of the rare scenarios that when someone calls you a “dog” and it’s a good thing. This is delightful news because the Chiefs have been missing that tone-setting offensive lineman. Now it’d seem they’ve found that type of player in Osemele. He’ll go all out to protect his teammates and they’re going to love him for it.

A good offensive lineman is a running back’s best friend. With these two players reunited in Kansas City, perhaps they can do some more damage together in the running game.

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