Tag: Week 9

The top offensive players in Tampa Bay’s loss to Houston, per PFF

Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Bucs put up the most points they have all year on offense in Week 9 against the Texans.

The offense wasn’t the problem in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 39-37 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

The Bucs offense put up the most points it had all year behind a four-touchdown performance, with two passing TDs and two rushing TDs. Naturally, this meant that there were quite a few notable contributors on offense for the Bucs, and Pro Football Focus noted them when grading every Bucs player for their performance against the Texans. It was unfortunately not enough to overcome the shortcomings of the defense, which gave up a staggering 496 total yards.

These are the 10 highest-graded players by PFF on offense for the Bucs in Week 9:

Chiefs defense is NFL’s best on third down since 2000

The #Chiefs defense is having an incredible season, and this stat proves that the unit comes up big in crucial situations.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive resurgence in 2023 has been a sight to behold for fans who yearned for more tough play from coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit in recent seasons.

Now one of the top defenses in the league, one stat in particular shows just how dominant Kansas City has been in crucial situations, especially on third downs.

According to Tony Holzman-Escareno, an NFL Senior Researcher, the Chiefs are only allowing 3.0 yards per play on third downs, which is the best mark of any defense since at least 2000.

Tidbits like this are a great way to contextualize the outright dominance of Kansas City’s defense in 2023, and the team should have no problem continuing their winning ways as long as the unit continues to come up big in crucial situations.

Expect Spagnuolo to keep his foot on the gas as the Chiefs look to defend their Super Bowl title against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.

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NFL pundit Nick Wright: ‘I think this is the best Chiefs team ever’

Nick Wright made a bold claim about the 2023 #Chiefs after Kansas City’s win over the #Dolphins in Week 9.

The Kansas City Chiefs are among the NFL’s best teams heading into their Week 10 bye. One television personality, Kansas City native Nick Wright, seems convinced that the Chiefs’ success is no accident and went so far as to say that the current roster is the best that the team has ever fielded.

He made his bold claim on Fox Sports 1’s “First Things First”, explaining that the Chiefs’ offensive output combined with the youth of Kansas City’s burgeoning defense gives this year’s team the most potential it has ever had.

While Wright is certainly entitled to his opinion, the veracity of his take will have to be measured at the end of the season when the Chiefs inevitably have to sink or swim in the raucous and highly competitive AFC playoffs.

If Kansas City manages to repeat as Super Bowl champions in February of 2024, Wright’s bold midseason postulation may well be vindicated.

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This Chiefs lineman ranks seventh in QB pressures among all NFL defenders, according to PFF

Check out which Chiefs lineman has the seventh most QB pressures in the NFL through Week 9:

The Kansas City Chiefs pass rush has been one of the team’s best assets through nine weeks of the 2023 season, and one of its most effective players has been second-year defensive lineman George Karlaftis.

A Purdue product, Karlaftis’ penchant for harassing quarterbacks warranted his selection in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but nobody could have predicted his meteoric rise to become one of the best pass rushers in the NFL this year.

According to Pro Football Focus, Karlaftis ranks seventh among all defenders in the league with 47 pressures on the season.

This remarkable number contextualizes just how impressive the former Boilermaker has been through nine games, and is a good indication that Kansas City has a star on its hands up front.

With help from fellow linemen Chris Jones and Charles Omenihu, Karlaftis should be able to continue his mean streak to become a cornerstone of the Chiefs’ future.

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Which Chiefs received the worst PFF grades in Week 9?

These seven #Chiefs graded out as the worst players on the field for Kansas City in Week 9, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 by seven points, though the highly anticipated game between two of the AFC’s top teams seemed closer than the final score might imply.

A one-touchdown margin of victory was too close for comfort for many of Kansas City’s fans, who were on the edge of their seats until Tua Tagovailoa’s fourth quarter fumble with just seconds in regulation sealed the victory for the Chiefs.

Though this win was crucial for Kansas City’s hopes of earning the AFC’s top playoff seed in January, the Chiefs left meat on the bone in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday.

Willie Gay Jr., Mecole Hardman, and Trent McDuffie led the way for the team in PFF’s Week 9 grades, but several of their teammates received lower marks that could raise alarm bells for Kansas City’s coaching staff.

Check out some of the Chiefs’ lowest grades from Week 9 below:

Where the Bucs rank statistically after Week 9

The Bucs have had the statistical worst passing defense in the NFL since coming off the bye week.

So, uh, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ statistics in comparison to the rest of the league may have taken a big hit after Week 9’s game against the Houston Texans.

The Bucs’ offense got bumped up a tad in most areas due to a very strong performance behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, but defensive rankings absolutely plummeted after giving up 496 total yards to the Texans offense behind quarterback C.J. Stroud. In fact, since the team returned from its bye week in Week 6, its been the worst passing offense in the National Football League. Head coach Todd Bowles has to do something, but as it stands, it doesn’t look like vast improvement is on the table going forward.

Here is how the Bucs compare statistically to the rest of the league:

Chiefs earned incredible television ratings in Kansas City during matchup vs. Dolphins in Germany

Nearly everyone in Kansas City who has a television was tuned into the #Chiefs Week 9 game against the #Dolphins on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs are officially an international sensation after beating the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany during Week 9 action. The team, led by its defense, showed signs of new life after taking its second loss of the 2023 season against the Denver Broncos a week earlier, and Kansas City seems to be trending up heading into its bye week.

Fans tuned in for the matchup against Miami in incredible numbers, according to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal.

No less than 94 percent of all TVs in the Kansas City area were tuned in to watch the Chiefs take down Tyreek Hill, meaning that nearly every fan with a television in Western Missouri was watching the international matchup unfold in real-time.

Few things can unite people like good football, and when Kansas City plays in a special time slot, the sheer scale of the crowd watching from home is truly mind-boggling.

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Which Chiefs received the best PFF grades in Week 9?

These eight #Chiefs stood out in Kansas City’s Week 9 win against the #Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany:

The Kansas City Chiefs won a nailbiter against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, and if it weren’t for the standout performances of several key players, the team could have left Frankfurt, Germany with their third loss of the 2023 season.

Their defense showed up when it mattered most at the end of the game, and while the offense struggled to get its footing in the second half, the unit showed signs of life that were encouraging early in the matchup.

Pro Football Focus released grades for the Chiefs’ tilt against Miami on Monday, and there were several surprises in their assessment of Kansas City’s performance.

A total of eight players received marks of 70.0 or higher from PFF. Four players were represented on each side of the ball, and a few names made the list that fans may not have expected.

Check out which Chiefs were considered the cream of the crop in Kansas City’s seventh win:

Willie Gay Jr. earned highest PFF grade during Chiefs’ Week 9 win vs. Dolphins

Willie Gay Jr. earned the highest PFF grade of any #Chiefs player during Kansas City’s Week 9 win over the #Dolphins.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense stood its ground against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 and was led by linebacker Willie Gay Jr. who received the highest marks on the team for his performance in the resounding victory.

Gay received a stellar 92.0 grade for his efforts against Miami, which led all linebackers in the NFL during Week 9.

With a Monday night game left to play before the week is technically over, it isn’t out of the question that a Los Angeles Chargers or New York Jets defender may eclipse him, though it would take a truly herculean effort.

Gay’s exceptional play was a welcome sign for the Chiefs’ linebacking corps, which is without standout Nick Bolton for the foreseeable future as he recovers from an injury sustained earlier in the season.

If games like the one he put together against Miami become routine for Gay, Pro Bowl honors should be expected for him by the end of Kansas City’s 2023 campaign.

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Chiefs DB Bryan Cook reached impressive top speed during fumble return vs. Dolphins

#Chiefs DB Bryan Cook was clocked running faster than 20 miles per hour during his fumble return touchdown against the #Dolphins in Week 9.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Bryan Cook showed off some serious wheels during his touchdown scamper against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, and reached an impressive top speed, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

During the insane play that featured a Tyreek Hill fumble, Mike Edwards recovery and lateral to Cook, the second-year safety managed to run 21.31 miles per hour to paydirt to give Kansas City a 21-point lead.

The play occurred with just seconds remaining in the first half and ended up being a decisive factor in the Chiefs’ 21-14 win. If Cook hadn’t run like the wind on the return, Kansas City may have been unable to seize victory from the clutches of the Dolphins, who made a serious comeback in the second and third quarters.

Cook is becoming an unsung hero for the Chiefs’ defense, and figures to play a key role for the unit as Kansas City makes its push for the top seed in the AFC playoff picture.