Tag: mitchell schwartz

Mitchell Schwartz named Chiefs’ most underrated player by PFF

Pro Football Focus believes Mitchell Schwartz is the most underrated player on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz is annually considered one of the most underrated players in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus recently sought to point out the most underrated player for all 32 teams ahead of the 2020 NFL season. It’s no surprise that PFF’s Ben Linsey chose Schwartz for the Chiefs. This is a player who has been playing at an All-Pro level since he first arrived in Kansas City in 2016. He’s entirely underappreciated outside of Chiefs Kingdom and the analytics community, failing to be voted to a Pro Bowl thus far in his career.

Here is a look at what Linsey had to say about Schwartz:

“Schwartz is another name in the category of, ‘This guy should definitely have a Pro Bowl appearance.’ He has graded at 72.0 or higher overall in each of his eight NFL seasons, and he’s coming off a career year in 2019 where his 89.3 overall grade ranked second at the tackle position to only Ryan Ramczyk. The fact that Schwartz allowed just one pressure (a hurry, at that) in 134 pass-blocking snaps during the Chiefs’ postseason run is hard to overstate. That’s impressive, impressive stuff. Maybe 2020 will finally be the year Schwartz receives that ever-elusive Pro Bowl recognition.“

Beyond his pass-blocking and run-blocking marks, and his exquisite performance in the postseason, Schwartz is literally always on the field. He’s played in 128-of-128 possible games. He even previously held the most impressive snap streak in the NFL with 7,894 consecutive snaps.

Players just don’t do the types of things that Schwartz does with consistency. He should be celebrated universally as one of the best in the NFL. Instead, he’s one of the players fighting to be recognized among the best.

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Joe Thomas named PFF’s top tackle of the decade

Joe Thomas named PFF’s top tackle of the decade and was the top-rated Browns player from the 2010s

Pro Football Focus released its top 101 players from the last ten years, the PFF All-Decade team. And as he should be, former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas figures prominently in the rankings.

Thomas was the top-rated offensive tackle of the last 10 seasons. His overall ranking was 11th, just outside the top 10. That’s a little disappointing, though to be fair Thomas didn’t play in the final two full seasons and half of another.

His greatness extended back to his rookie season of 2007, though Thomas’ early years don’t count here. He made the 7.5 seasons in the 2010s stand up, however,

Joe Thomas is unquestionably one of the best players in NFL history; he was the gold standard for pass protection from the moment he entered the NFL. For the decade, only Andrew Whitworth surrendered pressure at a lower rate than Thomas (3.9%), and Whitworth was often far more protected within his offense in Cincinnati than Thomas was in Cleveland, where he blocked for a succession of quarterbacks who made his life tougher by holding onto the ball longer than they should. Thomas had three straight seasons in the decade with a PFF grade above 90.0 and will be Canton-bound before long.

That is lofty praise for Thomas, one of four players who spent time in Cleveland to make the list. Former Browns center Alex Mack was No. 44, current wide receiver Odell Beckham checked in at No. 91 and former right tackle Mitchell Schwartz was No. 100.

Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz makes PFF All-Decade Top-101

A highly-underrated player for the Kansas City Chiefs barely made the cut for the PFF All-Decade Top-101 list.

A current member of the Kansas City Chiefs just barely made the cut for the Pro Football Focus All-Decade Top-101 list. Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who receives annual praise from PFF but is generally underappreciated, came in at No. 100 on PFF’s All-Decade Top-101.

Schwartz was originally selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent the first four seasons of his career playing with the Browns before leaving as a free agent. In 2016, Schwartz signed a five-year deal with the Chiefs worth $33 million.

PFF’s Sam Monson pointed to the reliability of Schwartz, and his postseason performance in 2019 on the way to Super Bowl LIV, as just a few of the many reasons that he’s deserving to make this list.

“Mitchell Schwartz has been one of the best offensive linemen of the past decade. His run to the Super Bowl last season was one of the greatest postseason performances in NFL history by any player at any position, but it went largely unnoticed because he’s a tackle. Schwartz was a good player in Cleveland to begin his career, but his final season there hinted at how good he could become. In Kansas City, he has kicked on to another level and is able to shut down some of the game’s best pass-rushers in the AFC West. Schwartz has racked up almost 9,000 total snaps over the decade, and it took until last season for him to miss any.“

During the 2019 postseason, Schwartz had 140 pass-blocking snaps against some of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. According to PFF, Schwartz allowed just one hurry in those pass-blocking snaps, marking one of the most dominant performances by an offensive lineman in the PFF era. Of course, as Monson also mentioned, Schwartz had an impressive consecutive snap streak. He actually held the NFL’s active record for consecutive snaps and it finally concluded with 7,894 snaps dating back to his first snaps in Cleveland.

During the 2010s decade, all during seasons with the Chiefs, Schwartz has become a three-time second-team All-Pro selection and a one-time first-team All-Pro. He has routinely been graded by PFF as one of the top offensive tackles in the NFL in pass protection and he’s also regarded as one of the Chiefs’ most consistent run blockers.

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Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz debuts cooking show ‘Mitch in the Kitch’

Chiefs offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz debuted his new cooking show affectionately titled ’Mitch In The Kitch.’

The NFL offseason is annually filled with plenty of fun surprises off the field. The latest surprise for Kansas City is ultimately a treat for fans as offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz has debuted his new cooking show via the Chiefs’ social media accounts. The show is affectionately titled “Mitch In The Kitch” and new episodes will be coming out every Tuesday throughout the offseason.

The new show displays Schwartz’s culinary skills to create delicious meals. The premiere episode features Schwartz demonstrating the process of creating a tasty egg salad. Schwartz’s sandwich is as impressive as his hosting skills, narrating each step with relative ease.

Schwartz joined the Chiefs in 2016 and is a crucial member in the offensive line protecting star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 6-5 and 320-pound tackle was second-team All-Pro last season while starting every game for Kansas City.

Schwartz also happens to be a tremendous chef with a variety of recipes ranging from pizza to some good old fashioned Kansas City barbecue. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions for all of Schwartz’s recipes are available on his website mitchinthekitch.blog.

If you try out one of Schwartz’s recipes be sure to let us know how it turns out on Facebook and Twitter.

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Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz sends Eric Stonestreet his gloves from Super Bowl LIV

The Modern Family actor and Kansas City Chiefs superfan got a cool gift from RT Mitchell Schwartz.

Kansas City Chiefs superfan and actor on ABC’s “Modern Family,” Eric Stonestreet, recently received a special delivery from one of his friends over at 1 Arrowhead Drive.

Stonestreet has been a part of the Chiefs Kingdom for life. But he also played a special role in the season-long journey to a Super Bowl championship. He appeared at the 2019 training camp in St. Joseph as “Randy Reid” the fictional brother to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

When things kicked off in Miami for Super Bowl LIV, Stonestreet was present and accounted for. He wouldn’t miss an opportunity to see his beloved Chiefs play in the first Super Bowl in 50 years. When the clock went to double zeroes, Stonestreet was right in the thick of the chaos congratulating and celebrating the win with players on the sidelines.

A few weeks later, Stonestreet received a gift from one of those players. Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz sent him a pair of game-worn gloves from the Super Bowl. They still even have the tape from the game on them.

Schwartz followed up his gift with a little bit of information about his glove size and his thought process on how he tapes his fingers. It was some really useful information for fans and even some young players just starting out and learning the ropes of playing offensive tackle.

Most know about Schwartz having 18-inch feet, but they probably didn’t realize his hands were so big that he wears a 4XL sized glove. He might need a new nickname that’s suitable for having both monstrous hands and feet.

In any event, this was a kind gesture by Schwartz to celebrate one of the biggest fans in the Chiefs Kingdom. And specifically, one that has provided some entertainment for the players and fellow fans since the start of this wondrous season.

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5 Chiefs among PFF Top 101 players of 2019

A total of five Chiefs made the annual list from PFF celebrating the top 101 players in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus has released its annual list of the top 101 players in the NFL. The list is comprised solely based on player performances during the 2019 season and postseason. They also don’t take into account positional value in their rankings.

In 2018, the Chiefs had seven players rank among the 101 with six in top 40. This time around only five players made it onto the list and three players in the top 40. Let’s go through what PFF had to say about each of the players, and I’ll provide my own take on their rankings.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4 Patrick Mahomes:

“Patrick Mahomes was the reigning league MVP this season, but we really didn’t see that player until the postseason due to a list of injuries he suffered. A dislocated kneecap looked like it could torpedo his year, but he missed just two games and then started to find his best play late in the campaign. Heading into the Super Bowl, his postseason grade was the best we had ever seen from a quarterback, and while he struggled more in the big game, he still made several critical huge plays and was rightfully named the game’s MVP. Mahomes had 32 big-time throws over the season and finished with a PFF grade north of 90.0 for the second straight season.”

I know that PFF only takes the current season into account when creating these rankings, but it feels like Mahomes’ Super Bowl-winning season should be ranked higher than his MVP-winning season. When you consider the adversity he faced with injury and the comebacks that Mahomes had to mount during the postseason, Mahomes should easily be moving up in this list and not down. Of course, I’m not sure those things are accounted for when it comes to PFF’s grading system.

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The worst Pro Bowl picks — and the players who should replace them

The worst Pro Bowl picks — and the players who should replace them

 

The worst Pro Bowl picks — and the players who should replace them

Every year, a group of undeserving players are named to the Pro Bowl. Here’s this year’s list, and the players who should replace them.

If you think the Pro Bowl is a meaningless exercise, don’t tell the fans, players, and teams when somebody on their side is snubbed in the process. Every year, there are deserving players who aren’t voted to the Pro Bowl roster, and every year, there are players who get on more through previous reputation than current performance.

Here are the most egregious omissions in the 2019 voting, with thought on which players these unfortunate snubs should replace. Because if you’re going to complain about a player who’s wrongly off the Pro Bowl roster, you should be able to find a guy who’s taking up space. That’s where things get a bit more difficult!

Quarterback (NFC)

In: Dak Prescott or Kirk Cousins
Out: Aaron Rodgers

(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Either Prescott or Cousins would be a better fit on the NFC roster than Aaron Rodgers, who had just three games with more than 300 passing yards this season, three games with less than 200 yards passing, and eight games with one or zero touchdowns. Cousins has been on fire after a rough start to the season, and Prescott ranks first in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted efficiency metrics. Not that Rodgers has had a bad season, but this seems much more like a reputation pick than anything else.

Receiver (AFC)

In: Julian Edelman
Out: Jarvis Landry

(Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

Landry has been one of Cleveland’s few bright spots on offense this season, but it’s kind of ridiculous to have him in over Edelman, who was part of a total snub of New England offensive players that hasn’t happened since 2003. Yes, Landry has 74 catches on 1,018 yards and five touchdowns, but Edelman has 92 catches for 1,019 yards and six touchdowns in an offense so broken, opposing defenses can bracket him on just about every play. Edelman has faced more double teams than at any other point in his career, and he’s having arguably his most productive season.

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These 4 Chiefs players deserve their first Pro Bowl appearance in 2020

The Kansas City Chiefs could have several first time Pro Bowl selections in 2020.

Fan voting for the 2020 Pro Bowl is already underway and concludes on Thursday, Dec. 12. You can vote for the best-of-the-best in the NFL as many times as you please over at NFL.com/ProBowlVote. Rosters will be revealed on Tuesday, Dec. 17 live on a special NFL Network show. The 2020 Pro Bowl will take place on Sunday, January 26 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida a week ahead of Super Bowl LIV.

There are plenty of Chiefs players deserving of being selected for the first Pro Bowl of their career. Some of these players have been vying for a Pro Bowl selection for several years now, while others look to be rising stars in the NFL game. Below you’ll find four Chiefs players that should be selected for the first time in 2020:

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

RT Mitchell Schwartz

There’s perhaps no member of the Chiefs more deserving of a trip to the Pro Bowl than veteran right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. He was deserving last season but only received the nod as an alternate. The injuries along the offensive line for Kansas City this season have only magnified how great Schwartz is.

Schwartz has yet to allow a sack on the season and has only had two penalties called on him. His dominance in pass protection isn’t his only asset, though, Schwartz is also a force in the ground game. Some of the best runs of the season in Kansas City have been sprung by Schwartz. Just look to the blocking he did on the 91-yard touchdown run from RB Damien Williams in Week 9.

Before suffering an injury in Week 10, Schwartz had a snap streak of 7,894, spanning the course of seven-and-a-half NFL seasons. He’d never missed a snap in his entire career. Schwartz returned to the game three plays later, proving once again that he’s indestructible and one of the most impressive offensive linemen in football today.

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