Tag: Week 18

Chiefs place veteran DL on injured reserve ahead of playoffs

The Kansas City #Chiefs will be without one of their experienced defensive linemen during the playoffs.

On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs placed veteran defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu on their injured reserve list, just over a week before the defending Super Bowl champions’ first postseason game. 

Tuipulotu saw action in Kansas City’s loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday but had been on the team’s practice squad for all of the 2024 season until Week 18.

Against Denver, Tuipulotu registered four combined tackles and played a total of 48 snaps in the Chiefs’ losing effort.

Without Tuipulotu sidelined for the foreseeable future, Kansas City’s front office is likely to sign another defensive lineman to ensure that Steve Spagnuolo has plenty of depth heading into the Chiefs’ first playoff game.

Tuipulotu played collegiately at the University of Southern California, and entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2021 NFL draft.

Stay tuned to see if Brett Veach will make a move to sign another defensive lineman in the coming days.

Chiefs were unable to repay favor to AFC rival in the regular-season finale

Kansas City #Chiefs were unable to repay favor to AFC rival in the regular-season finale | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-0 blowout defeat to the Denver Broncos held no consequences, as they had already clinched the top spot in the AFC and a first-round bye in the postseason. The result, however, held the fate of two AFC rivals, one of which had unintentionally provided a boost for Kansas City in 2019.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins needed to win their Week 18 games and hope the Chiefs would win in Denver to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Miami would’ve qualified immediately with a victory over the New York Jets, while Cincinnati needed both the Broncos and Dolphins to lose. The Bengals’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn’t enough, as they were eliminated along with Miami.

Many Chiefs fans don’t think of the Bengals fondly due to the rivalry, but Miami didn’t hold back from showing support for Kansas City ahead of Week 18. Former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill even sent well wishes to Kansas City on New Year’s Eve.

During his press conference last Friday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about the thought of helping Miami with a victory over the Broncos.

“Yeah, I didn’t think of that – different head coach (2019 Dolphins). I like both guys, but that’s a – I’m not trying to help anybody out; I’m just trying to go up and do well in the game, but I haven’t thought of that,” said Reid. “I appreciate what they did. I sent them some great Kansas City steaks for doing that, yeah.”

The quarterback for the 2019 Dolphins team that upset the New England Patriots was current NFL Prime Video analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick, who reflected on that game with Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. before the start of this season.

“Every time I see a Chiefs fan, they come up to me and say something,” Fitzpatrick explained. “I’ve been in Kansas City a few times for Thursday night football or my cousin’s wedding, but Chiefs fans in general, in the airport, I get that quite a bit still. It was a great memory for me, and obviously one that Chiefs fans really appreciate and will always remember.”

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zRkqyJoMsm4

The Chiefs are now focusing on the postseason and await the winner of this weekend’s Wild Card Round.

What to know from Packers’ first injury report of Wild Card Round vs. Eagles

Things to know from the Packers’ first injury report before playing the Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The Green Bay Packers released the team’s first injury report of Wild Card Weekend on Wednesday. The team will release two more injury reports, including a final injury report on Friday with official playing status designations before facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday.

Here’s everything to know from the Packers’ first injury report:

— Both quarterbacks — Jordan Love and Malik Willis — were limited on Wednesday. Love has a right elbow injury, while Willis has a right thumb injury. Both are right-handed quarterbacks. Love said Wednesday that he was feeling better but still recovering. For the Eagles, Jalen Hurts was limited in his return to practice from a concussion.

— Linebacker Quay Walker (ankle) and safety Evan Williams (quad) both returned to practice in a limited capacity. They both missed the last three games.

— Defensive lineman TJ Slaton did not practice due to a new ankle injury. Coach Matt LaFleur said it’s possible Slaton could still play Sunday without any practice. The big run stuffer would be a loss against Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley.

— Defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. (foot), receiver Romeo Doubs (illness) and offensive tackle Andre Dillard (concussion) returned to practice. Doubs was a full participant.

— One thing to monitor this week: Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was limited with a knee injury and an illness.

— Safety Zayne Anderson is still out while in concussion protocol.

— The Eagles listed 10 players on their injury report, but five were full participants and only one didn’t practice (guard Trevor Keegan, illness). A.J. Brown was limited with a knee injury, but he was also listed with a rest designation. The Eagles are a healthy football team.

Next Gen Stats shows how outside the box Aaron Glenn attacked the Vikings

Glenn blitzed heavier and played more man coverage than any other defensive game all season

Aaron Glenn turned in a masterclass of defensive tactics in the Lions Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit’s defensive coordinator used a barrage of seldom-used schemes and pressure/coverage packages to dominate Minnesota QB Sam Darnold in Sunday night’s resounding 31-9 victory in Ford Field.

The Next Gen Stats spotlight from the game nicely illustrates how diversely Glenn and the Lions defense broke the mold and hit Darnold with looks he hadn’t seen before from Detroit. From playing man coverage at a freakishly high rate to bringing the house more than any other defense did in any game all season, Glenn’s game plan worked expertly.

From the Next Gen Stats weekly update,

Sam Darnold was under heavy pressure for much of the Vikings’ SNF game against the Lions. Detroit’s defense played man coverage on 66.7% of dropbacks, the 2nd highest rate by a defense in a game this season. Darnold finished 10/28 for 125 yards against man (-20.1% CPOE), while completing only 1/9 attempts on dropbacks over 4 seconds. The Lions specifically played more Cover 0 than any other defense in a game this season (14 times), allowing just 5 completions across those dropbacks. The Lions blitzed Darnold on over half of his dropbacks in both meetings this season (55.6% in Week 18).

Getting Alex Anzalone back at linebacker helped facilitate some of the creativity, no doubt. Outside CBs Amik Robertson and Terrion Arnold both played spectacularly well in coverage, too.

Karl Mecklenburg weighs in on Broncos beating Chiefs’ backups

“Now that you’re in, do some damage.” Karl Mecklenburg reacts to Broncos’ playoff-clinching win:

There is a difference between NFL stars and NFL starters. There is a difference between NFL starters and NFL backups. In football , like any team activity, it’s very helpful to have some history working together in full speed situations. KC’s mixture of starters and backups hadn’t played together, were not coordinated and made multiple physical and mental errors. The Denver Broncos decisive victory over the Kansas City Chiefs [Sunday] proved those points.

Denver needed to win to make the playoffs so they played all their starters and were focused on the task at hand. The Chiefs had locked up first place and home field advantage, so their goal was to make sure they got through the game without injury. Both teams accomplished their goals [Sunday].

The Broncos dominated the line of scrimmage, didn’t turn the ball over, stayed away from penalties, didn’t drop passes, and shut out their opponents. It looked like it should look when a playoff team plays against backups. These last three games have been a good warmup for the playoffs. Congratulations to everyone involved! Now that you’re in, do some damage. Go Broncos!

Karl Mecklenburg originally shared this post on his social media pages and it was re-shared here with permission. Mecklenburg played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1994, earning six Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections during his decorated career in the NFL. Mecklenburg is now a motivational keynote speaker. You can book Mecklenburg on his website. 

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Chiefs release standout LB, re-sign speedy WR

According to a report, the Kansas City #Chiefs made two roster moves on Tuesday.

According to a report from NFL insider Aaron Wilson on Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs released linebacker Blake Lynch and re-signed wide receiver Montrell Washington to their practice squad.

On December 30, Lynch signed a practice squad contract with the Chiefs, and he was elevated to Kansas City’s active roster before the defending Super Bowl champions’ Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos.

On the same day that Lynch initially joined the team, Washington was released from the Chiefs’ practice squad after a nearly season-long tenure in Kansas City.

Now, after the Chiefs’ blowout loss to Denver on Sunday, both players are back where they started.

Lynch was Kansas City’s highest-graded player during the Chiefs’ Week 18 matchup against the Broncos and should be a hot commodity as he enters free agency.

It is unknown if Washington will be elevated to Kansas City’s active roster at any point during the playoffs, but his familiarity with Andy Reid’s offense could be a boon for the Chiefs if injuries affect their depth at the wide receiver position.

PFF: Rising LB receives Chiefs’ highest grade in Week 18 loss to Broncos

An up-and-coming linebacker was the #Chiefs’ highest-graded player in Kansas City’s Week 18 loss to the Denver #Broncos.

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a blowout loss to the Denver Broncos in their final game of the regular season on Sunday.

Head coach Andy Reid rested Kansas City’s starters ahead of the playoffs and gave his backups a chance to prove themselves in an inconsequential setting.

Though the final score of the matchup did not indicate an impressive performance from the defending Super Bowl champions, a few of the Chiefs’ second and third-string players made the most of their opportunity against Denver’s starters.

Linebacker Blake Lynch, who recently signed a practice squad contract with Kansas City, was elevated to see action against the Broncos and put together a standout performance despite the Chiefs’ loss.

According to the experts at Pro Football Focus, Lynch earned a grade of 87.3 during Kansas City’s matchup against Denver, which was the highest mark among all Chiefs players.

Though Lynch is not expected to see the field during Kansas City’s impending playoff run, the former Baylor Bear may have his number called if one of the Chiefs’ starting linebackers is injured.

Broncos ranked last among playoff teams in NFL power rankings

USA TODAY has the Broncos ranked 14th (last) among playoff teams in NFL power rankings this week.

Following their 38-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18, the Denver Broncos are now ranked 14th in Nate Davis’ NFL playoffs power rankings for USA TODAY Sports. With 14 teams making the postseason, Davis has Denver ranked as the worst team in the playoffs.

Here is Davis’ commentary on the Broncos going into the first round of the NFL playoffs:

Firstly, dap ‘em up. Almost no one – me included – gave them even a remote shot to get this far with a rookie quarterback (Bo Nix), a lack of topflight offensive weaponry, an unproven defense or a salary cap crippled by the early release of Nix’s predecessor, Russell Wilson, last March. Props, Sean Payton.

Now, let’s be real – given, after all, cold reality is about to set in. The Chiefs effectively waved the Broncos, who failed to clinch a wild card in Weeks 16 and 17, into the postseason Sunday – because Kansas City and everyone else in the field would rather be potentially game-planning for the Broncos than Joe Burrow and the scalding Cincinnati Bengals, who would have qualified had Denver lost in Week 18. Regardless of who obtained the AFC’s No. 7 seed, a Super Bowl trip was always going to be a tough assignment given the path, at minimum, would require wins at Buffalo and Arrowhead to even reach the conference title game.

Good work, Broncos, but your job – for this season anyway – is just about done.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs are ranked No. 1 and the Los Angeles Chargers are ranked No. 10. The Las Vegas Raiders did not make the playoffs.

The Buffalo Bills, who will host the Broncos in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs, are ranked No. 5.

To view the complete playoff power rankings, visit USATODAY.com.

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All 32 NFL quarterbacks (including Bo Nix) ranked by Total QBR

Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix posted a Total QBR rating of 57.2 in 2024, which ranked 19th among primary starters.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix posted a Total QBR rating of 97.3 in the team’s 38-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18, bringing his season-long Total QBR average to 57.2.

With the regular season wrapped up, Nix’s 2024 Total QBR rating (57.2) has improved since last week (54.1), but his overall rank among primary starters (No. 19) in 2024 is down from his rank among last week’s starters (No. 16).

Nix’s traditional passer rating this season was 93.3, which ranked 18th during the 2024 season.

Unlike a traditional passer rating, the Total QBR “incorporates all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties,” according to ESPN.

The metric takes into account scenarios that a traditional passer rating overlooks and considers “a team’s level of success or failure on every play to provide the proper context and then allocates credit to the quarterback and his teammate to produce a clearer measure of quarterback efficiency.”

With that context in mind, here’s a look at how Nix stacked up against the NFL’s other starting quarterbacks this season. Note that we have included each team’s primary 2024 quarterback, so some QBs are listed despite not finishing the year as a starter (or with a different team).

NFL QBs ranked by Total QBR in 2024

  1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens: 77.5
  2. Josh Allen, Bills: 77.2
  3. Joe Burrow, Bengals: 75.0
  4. Jayden Daniels, Commanders: 70.6
  5. Jordan Love, Packers: 69.2
  6. Jared Goff, Lions: 68.5
  7. Brock Purdy, 49ers: 68.0
  8. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: 67.9
  9. Kyler Murray, Cardinals: 66.5
  10. Jalen Hurts, Eagles: 65.6
  11. Justin Herbert, Chargers: 65.3
  12. Matthew Stafford, Rams: 64.9
  13. Derek Carr, Saints: 63.1
  14. Baker Mayfield, Bucs: 61.8
  15. Sam Darnold, Vikings: 60.6
  16. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: 60.3
  17. Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: 59.2
  18. Drake Maye, Patriots: 58.4
  19. Bo Nix, Broncos: 57.2
  20. Jameis Winston, Browns: 56.4
  21. Bryce Young, Panthers: 54.5
  22. Geno Smith, Seahawks: 53.8
  23. Russell Wilson, Steelers: 51.3
  24. Kirk Cousins, Falcons: 51.0
  25. C.J. Stroud, Texans: 50.2
  26. Aaron Rodgers, Jets: 48.2
  27. Daniel Jones, Giants: 47.7
  28. Anthony Richardson, Colts: 46.5
  29. Caleb Williams, Bears: 46.7
  30. Dak Prescott, Cowboys: 45.8
  31. Gardner Minshew, Raiders: 38.3
  32. Will Levis, Titans: 27.6

Nix is now set to face the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.

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Broncos PFF grades: Best, worst players from 38-0 win over Chiefs

Broncos QB Bo Nix (90.3) had a huge game against the Chiefs. View more of the team’s PFF grades here.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 38-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Pro Football Focus has released grades for each player’s Week 18 performance.

PFF grades players on a 0 (worst) to 100 (best) scale. Check out the best and worst of Week 18 below.

Best Offensive Players 

  • QB Bo Nix: 90.3
  • G Quinn Meinerz: 87.3
  • WR Courtland Sutton: 83.7
  • WR Marvin Mims: 77.2
  • WR Devaughn Vele: 73.3

A brilliant record-setting performance from Nix and a strong showing from a trio of the team’s receivers. Denver’s offense is hot going into the playoffs.

Best Defensive Players 

  • OLB Dondrea Tillman: 88.4
  • OLB Nik Bonitto: 87.3
  • DL John Franklin-Myers: 81.4
  • LB Zach Cunningham: 78.1
  • OLB Jonah Elliss: 72.1

Tillman and Elliss were excellent backup rotational pass rushers this season with the two players combining to total 10 sacks behind starters Bonitto (13.5 sacks) and Jonathon Cooper (10.5 sacks). The Broncos’ outside linebacker room is in great shape going into 2025.

Worst Offensive Players 

  • OL Alex Palczewski: 47.7
  • TE Lucas Krull: 50.0
  • RB Jaleel McLaughlin: 54.5
  • OL Alex Forsyth: 55.6
  • FB Michael Burton: 59.2

Palczewski and Forysth both had a small sample size of nine snaps and PFF apparently did not like their performances. TE, meanwhile, remains a position of need.

Worst Defensive Players 

  • DL D.J. Jones: 29.9
  • DL Jordan Jackson: 54.5
  • DL Malcolm Roach: 55.8
  • DB Brandon Jones: 58.2
  • LB Drew Sanders: 58.2

The Chiefs only managed 98 net yards of offense, including just 27 rushing yards, so it’s curious to see the defensive line graded so harshly. KC was 1-of-9 on third down and only had the ball for 18:11 compared to Denver’s 41:49.

Special Teams 

  • ST Michael Burton: 80.6
  • LS Mitchell Fraboni: 64.3
  • R Marvin Mims: 61.6
  • K Wil Lutz: 65.9 (FG) 56.9 (KO)
  • P Riley Dixon: 59.2

You can view grades for every player on the paid version of PFF’s website.

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