Tag: Tershawn Wharton

Ravens vs. Chiefs: 7 early storylines to watch in the AFC Championship game

We’re looking at seven early storylines to watch when the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game

The Kansas City Chiefs travel to Baltimore for the AFC Championship Game to take on the Ravens.  Kickoff at M&T Bank Stadium is slated for 3:00 p.m. ET.

Sunday will mark the Chiefs sixth-consecutive AFC title game appearance, it’s first of the stretch that will be played on the road.

Last Sunday, the Chiefs defeated the Bills in Buffalo 27-24 to advance to the AFC’s final game, while Baltimore is riding high after a 34-10 win over Houston and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The last time these two teams met was in 2021 in Week 2.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had two fourth-quarter rushing Touchdowns to defeat the Chiefs 36-35.

Since becoming Kansas City’s head coach in 2013, Andy Reid has been 4-1 through the regular season against the Ravens, while quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been 3-1.

With preparation for the matchup set to begin, here are seven storylines to watch.

WATCH: Chiefs DL Tershawn Wharton sacks Tua Tagovailoa late in fourth quarter

Tershawn Wharton sacked Tua Tagovailoa to keep the #Chiefs in the driver’s seat against the #Dolphins in Week 9.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense held strong late in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday to give Patrick Mahomes a chance to seal a win in Frankfurt, Germany.

Miami was driving downfield facing a seven-point deficit and seemed to be in prime position to score before Chiefs defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton came up with a huge second down sack to knock the Dolphins back.

Initially hit by defensive back Trent McDuffie, Tua Tagovailoa hit the turf when Wharton came in to finish the play and pin Miami far beyond field goal range.

Tagovailoa was pressured again on third down and was forced to throw the ball away to avoid taking yet another sack.

Efforts like these have come to define Kansas City’s defensive identity and with the outcome of the matchup in the balance, two of the Chiefs’ most valuable assets were able to capitalize on an opportunity to change the game.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones praises unselfish play of teammates on defensive line

#Chiefs DT Chris Jones praised the unselfish play of his teammates on the defensive line

The exceptional play of Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones has helped lead the team on its current five-game winning streak. The defensive unit as a whole has played well and has been the primary reason for the recent victories.

The defensive line has undergone its fair share of changes over the years, and the youth added through the draft has begun showing its fantastic promise. Jones spoke with reporters on Wednesday to praise his teammates on the line for their improvement and unselfish play.

“I think as a whole as a D-Line, we’ve asked a lot of people to mature a lot,” Jones explained. “You know, George Karlaftis. Mike Danna getting a starting role for this year. George, coming in second year, first year, he was a starter, you know, asking those guys to mature. We got guys on the bench who can come in and be a starter also Tershawn Wharton, who we brought in, you know, Matt Dickerson, so we got a lot of guys who have been around the system knows the ins and outs of this defense and is comfortable with this defense.”

Jones has been at the forefront with a sack in the five games he’s played this season, showing little rust after missing training camp.

“I think comfortability is a huge thing in being successful, especially amongst the defensive line, because [if] this player is comfortable they can play lights out without thinking,” Jones continued. “Everyone is an unselfish man; everyone is unselfish. I think that’s a huge part of it, being unselfish, playing for one another. Not chasing stats.

“I think this is where success happens, man. When everyone is focused on one goal, it’s more achievable. Then everyone’s focused on different things. And I think we all focus on one goal, and that’s about being better than we were last week, adding our 1% in every day, and by the time we make it to January or December, we’ll continue making strides, and we’ll be where we want to be.”

WATCH: Chiefs DL Tershawn Wharton recovers fumble to keep Kansas City ahead vs. Jets

#Chiefs DL Tershawn Wharton recovered a fumble that helped keep Kansas City in the lead against the #Jets on Sunday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in a close game against the New York Jets in Week 4 of their 2023 Super Bowl defense campaign. Up just three points in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs have failed to pull away from New York, but may have turned their fortunes around after veteran defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton recovered a fumble late in the game.

The Jets had a chance to take the lead on a critical drive in the fourth quarter, and Wharton made his presence felt by falling on the ball after Zach Wilson mishandled a routine snap.

This outstanding effort gave Patrick Mahomes a chance to extend Kansas City’s lead late in the game and got the Chiefs’ defense off the field in an absolutely critical spot.

If Kansas City can continue forcing turnovers on plays like these, the Chiefs should have no problem winning more games in 2023 as they seek to earn a top seed for the playoffs.

Andy Reid reveals plans for Chiefs’ preseason opener vs. Saints

Andy Reid told reporters which #Chiefs won’t be competing in Kansas City’s preseason opener against the #Saints on Sunday.

Tomorrow the Kansas City Chiefs will travel to play in a football game for the first time since winning Super Bowl LVII. The long days of practice in training camp developing new schemes will have its first dress rehearsal against the New Orleans Saints.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has monitored his team’s progress over the past two weeks and he will keep a close eye on the young players who are looking to make an impression. The expectations are high for several players to elevate their roles due to off-season moves and availability. Reid revealed to reporters following Friday’s practice his expectations for Sunday’s preseason opener and identified which players aren’t expected to suit up.

According to reports, Reid has announced that all four Chiefs quarterbacks will see the field on Sunday, and the first team will play at least the first quarter.

Several Chiefs are dealing with injuries and will not play during the exhibition matchup, including running back Isiah Pacheco, defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, tight end Jody Fortson, wide receiver Kadarius Toney, and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.

The Chiefs went undefeated in last year’s preseason before eventually becoming Super Bowl champions. Previous season’s rookies saw plenty of action in preseason exhibition games, and if Reid continues to follow that formula, it should be a valuable time for this year’s class as well.

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Andy Reid broke down all Chiefs injuries in August 7 press conference

Andy Reid told reporters about all of the #Chiefs’ injuries during Kansas City’s post-practice press conference on Monday.

The Kansas City Chiefs need all hands on deck for their championship defense campaign in 2023, and with several contributors injured ahead of their preseason kickoff on Sunday, all eyes will be on their inactive list this week.

Andy Reid offered reporters an update on the Chiefs’ injuries after practice on Monday, noting the progression of four key players who are at different parts of their recovery processes.

Said Reid: “As far as injuries go, Jody Fortson, L’Jarius Sneed – and his [injury] is better it’s getting there the inflammation we’re working with, and then KT [Kadarius Toney]. Everyone else practiced it was good to get some of the guys that were banged up a little bit out there. Turk [Tershawn Wharton] continues to progress with reps. A little nine-on-seven, so on teams, good to get him in there.”

Though his comment was ambiguous in regard to Fortson’s status, Reid seemed optimistic that Sneed was progressing well. Toney is expected to be out until the start of the regular season and is one of the great unknowns of Kansas City’s 2023 offense at this juncture.

His mention of Wharton’s development was a positive sign for the Chiefs’ defense, which is still without Chris Jones in their front four for the foreseeable future.

Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton spoke about his return to the field

Chiefs defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton spoke about returning to the field and his desire to participate in a Super Bowl victory. | from: @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive line looks very different without Chris Jones in training camp. The All-Pro tackle’s holdout continues, and with the first preseason game less than two weeks away, Kansas City’s depth up front will be something to watch moving forward.

A player with more eyes on him in Jones’ absence is defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton who is almost fully recovered from an ACL injury that he sustained in Week 5 last season. The versatile lineman made his return to the field for practice recently with hopes of picking up where he left off in 2022. Wharton opened up to reporters about his recovery and desire to participate in a Super Bowl.

“Just seeing the guys come in and see me on the train and tables, they encouraged me to always like [to] keep my head up. And then I like to attack everything, like a pro,” said Wharton. “So attacking it and just seeing my strides when, you know, as the months come along, and being able to do things that I wasn’t able to do. It always made me continue to keep my head up and smile through the process.”

Wharton’s absence from the Chiefs’ run to Super Bowl LVII run was disappointing for him during the injury recovery, but he made it clear that he is using it as motivation for the coming season.

“I’m ready to go. You know, I’m tired of watching. You know, I kind of feel like a cheerleader right now. But it’s coming. It’s coming,” Wharton explained. “I mean, of course, I’ve made it to the Super Bowl with them my rookie year, and we played, we didn’t get the outcome we wanted. I’m happy for them, of course; I know, the training camp that they went through the season ups and down well, and I mean they worked for it, so watching it,  I want to go get one. I want to go play in it.”

Wharton entered the league as an undrafted free agent after signing with the Chiefs in 2020. He has five career sacks, 64 tackles, and three forced fumbles heading into the 2023 season.

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Top quotes from Chiefs’ August 3 post-practice press conference

Check out some of the top quotes from the #Chiefs’ post practice press conference on August 3:

The Kansas City Chiefs were hard at work on Thursday during their fourth training camp practice of the week and showed serious progression on both sides of the ball during their workouts at Missouri Western State University.  Four Chiefs got in front of the podium for the team’s post-practice press conference, and each gave thorough answers to reporters’ questions about their preparation for the coming season.

Matt Nagy, Blaine Gabbert, Noah Gray, and Tershawn Wharton all spoke to reporters and provided valuable insight into their thoughts on training camp, teammates, and more.

Check out their top quotes below:

Chiefs injury, absence updates from Day 1 of training camp

The #Chiefs held their first full team practice at training camp on Sunday and there were only a few injuries/absences to start the year:

The Kansas City Chiefs finally held their first full training camp practice of the year on Sunday, again gracing the practice fields at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.

There were two expected absences to start off practice, one injury-related and one contract-related. Tershawn Wharton is on the active/PUP list due to last season’s ACL injury and is not yet ready to return to practice. Chris Jones did not report to training camp with his veteran teammates as he seeks a long-term contract extension. He’ll incur a mandatory fine of $50K for missing practice on Sunday.

With Jones absent from training camp, former Kansas Jayhawk Daniel Wise wound up as the starting defensive tackle opposite Derrick Nnadi according to multiple reports. Wise spent time on the practice squad in Kansas City last season.

Other injuries include rookie OT Wanya Morris, who left practice early to go to the injury tent in Friday’s pre-training camp finale for rookies. After practice, Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave a quick update on Morris, saying that he suffered a minor hamstring injury.

According to several reporters in attendance, Chiefs second-year RB Isiah Pacheco was still wearing the same yellow non-contact jersey that he wore during the past three days of closed practices. He’s out there working during individual drills, but he’s sitting out team drills until he’s ready for some level of contact.

One player who didn’t seem to get much work on the day was WR Kadarius Toney. He caught kicks ahead of practice in special teams drills, but he was held out of teamwork during practice. Reid updated reporters after practice saying that Toney “tweaked” his knee during warm-ups. We’ll see just how long he’s out of practice, but it feels like caution was key here.

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Rookie Keondre Coburn received help learning Chiefs playbook from DT Tershawn Wharton

#Chiefs rookie Keondre Coburn got help learning Kansas City’s playbook from Tershawn Wharton, using one particularly unique method. | from @EdEastonJr

The last day of private workouts for Kansas City Chiefs rookies ended on Friday afternoon at Missouri Western State University. Veterans headed to training camp yesterday evening ready to prepare for the 2023 season, in which they intend to defend their Super Bowl title.

One of the many first-year Chiefs making his way through training camp is defensive tackle Keondre Coburn. The former Texas Longhorns standout told reporters after practice on Friday that he is picking up Steve Spagnuolo’s playbook and schemes with help from his teammate Tershawn Wharton, who he described as a leader for the defensive line unit.

“Turk [Tershawn Wharton] just helped me yesterday with a Quizlet,” Coburn explained regarding his study of Spagnuolo’s system. “He sent it to me. Thank you, sir, for everything that he did for that, he’s a real great leader right now for us, right now.”

Quizlet, a popular app among students, is an online resource that enables users to create virtual flashcards that can help difficult material sink in for intrepid learners.

Coburn continued his comments by making the high expectations that his coaches have for Kansas City’s defense clear, telling the media about the emphasis they place on building crucial cohesion between each of the defensive unit’s levels.

“[Defensive line coach] Joe [Cullen] wants [us] to know the whole defense; to be honest, Spagnuolo wants [us] to know the whole defense. I got called out yesterday in a meeting, and you know, it was a little shaky. But I have to know [those things] because I’m on defense. They expect me to know that, and I expect the [Defensive Backs] to know some of the things I do.”

Spagnuolo’s system has caught on unusually well for young players in the past, and with the help of Wharton’s online resources, Coburn could be the next Chiefs rookie to acclimate to life in the NFL quicker than some might expect.

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