Tag: Willie Gay Jr.

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:

WATCH: Chiefs safety Justin Reid comes down with INT vs. Broncos

#Chiefs defenders Willie Gay Jr. and Justin Reid combined for this impressive interception against the #Broncos on Thursday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense is pitching a shutout in their Week 6 matchup against the Denver Broncos, and veteran safety Justin Reid was the latest player to make his presence felt against the team’s bitter divisional rival.

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson dropped back to throw on an innocuous first down late in the third quarter and saw his pass tipped by linebacker Willie Gay Jr. before it landed in the arms of Reid.

Plays like this have become a regular occurrence for the Chiefs’ burgeoning defense, which is proving to be a force to be reckoned with early in Kansas City’s championship defense campaign. Gay’s active hands at the line of scrimmage helped make this interception possible, and Reid’s awareness to make the tip-drill catch was a welcome sign in a game that has been closer than it should be on the scoreboard.

Expect Gay and Reid to combine for more plays like this in the future as the Chiefs’ young defense comes into its own during the 2023 season.

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WATCH: Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. mic’d up at practice

Willie Gay Jr.’s “hype scream” took center stage in this mic’d up segment from #Chiefs training camp.

Few players are more energetic than Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr., and his vivacity was on full display in a mic’d up segment that made the rounds on Twitter yesterday.

Gay’s signature “hype scream” took center stage in this feature, wherein the fourth-year linebacker interacted with teammates during a training camp practice in St. Joseph at Missouri Western State University.

The Chiefs will need Gay to be a productive piece of their defense in 2023 as Kansas City looks to defend its Super Bowl LVII title over the course of a grueling 17-game schedule.

The continued absence of star defensive lineman Chris Jones means there will be plenty of slack for players like Gay to pick up at the second level. A breakout year from the Mississippi State product would help make the Chiefs’ defense a top unit in the NFL while Kansas City has a target on its back.

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WATCH: Chiefs players enjoying Luke Combs concert at Arrowhead Stadium

From Patrick Mahomes shotgunning a beer on stage to Willie Gay Jr. singing along to “Better Together” — Luke Combs’ trip to Arrowhead Stadium was a hit with the #Chiefs.

When the NFL season isn’t in session, Arrowhead Stadium is home to some of the biggest concerts and events in Kansas City.

Country artist Luke Combs was the latest to play a big show at Arrowhead over this past weekend and several members of the Kansas City Chiefs organization came out to enjoy his show. That group includes Patrick Mahomes, Creed Humphrey, Willie Gay Jr. and others.

Mahomes had a particularly exciting experience, meeting up with one of the opening acts who were from Lubbock, Texas, where he attended Texas Tech.

As the night when on, things got even better for Mahomes. He was invited on stage by Combs to shotgun a beer in front of the packed crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.

As for Willie Gay Jr., he had impeccable vibes per usual. He was spotted in a box at Arrowhead, jamming out and singing along to one of Combs’ hit songs, “Better Together.”

Needless to say, Combs was a hit in Kansas City and with the Chiefs players. He’s a surefire bet to be back the next time he goes on tour.

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3 reasons why Chiefs’ defense could be a top-10 unit in 2023

Here are the three reasons why the #Chiefs defense will be a top-10 unit in 2023:

During Patrick Mahomes’ time as the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, the defense has always been a question mark heading into the season. However, entering the 2023 season, Kansas City could have a defensive unit that is flying a bit under the radar.

In 2022, Kansas City’s defense featured six rookies that played significant snaps in the regular season and playoffs. Those players include Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, and Leo Chenal. That’s what is so exciting about the potential of this defense in 2023. Yes, the players are still very young, but the experience these players went through on a Super Bowl run will have them more prepared this time around. In addition, there are veteran players on the defense that should continue to elevate the young players around them. 

There are a few reasons why this defense can take substantial steps in the upcoming season.

Super Bowl LVII’s Secret Superstars

Who are the players capable of playing their best in the biggest games of their lives? Here are the Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVII.

There are players in just about every Super Bowl who, quite unexpectedly, save their greatest performances for the biggest games of their lives. Packers receiver Max McGee tearing up the Chiefs’ esteemed secondary for seven catches, 138 yards, and two touchdowns in Super Bowl I. Jets running back Matt Snell doing what nobody else could do in Super Bowl III, and tearing through the Colts’ defensive line for 30 carries, 138 yards, and a touchdown. Raiders linebacker Rob Martin picking off three Ron Jaworski passes in Super Bowl XV. Doug Williams resuscitating his career and becoming the first Black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, win a Super Bowl, and become Super Bowl MVP in one fell swoop in Super Bowl XXII against the Broncos. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles helping his team win its first Super Bowl in LII.

Who could be the Secret Superstar of Super Bowl LVII? There are several candidates who, based on their in-season exploits, might be perfectly primed to take that all-important leap.

Here are the Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVII.

Latest on Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr.’s shoulder injury

#Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr. is “optimistic” he’ll be able to play in Super Bowl LVII after injuring his shoulder in the AFC title game, per report.

We have some encouraging news for the Kansas City Chiefs on the injury front after seeing much attrition during the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid updated media members following the AFC title game win on several injuries, but he left out a key player. Willie Gay Jr. was deemed questionable to return with a shoulder injury suffered during the second half of the game. He never ended up returning during the game, but he was spotted during postgame celebrations. As things get underway ahead of the Super Bowl, there’s a new report that suggests the injury won’t keep him out of the big game.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Gay is optimistic about being able to play in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles. Fowler says that the early tests on Gay’s shoulder injury were encouraging.

Gay started 13 regular-season games with Kansas City this season, recording 88 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, eight passes defended, an interception and a fumble recovery. He recorded a half-sack against the Bengals in the AFC title game before leaving the game with his shoulder injury.

Gay is often on the field alongside Nick Bolton and has proven to be one of the team’s biggest assets at the linebacker position. His athleticism and quickness to close are unrivaled on the current 53-man roster. Having him healthy for an Eagles team that boasts a dual-threat quarterback and a number of talented running backs will be vital for the Chiefs’ chances in the Super Bowl.

We’ll surely learn more about Gay’s health and status as practice gets underway in Arizona next week.

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Chiefs suffer several injuries in second half vs. Bengals

The #Chiefs are dealing with several injuries in the second half of the AFC Championship Game against the #Bengals.

The Kansas City Chiefs are dealing with some major attrition during their AFC Championship Game matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the first half, CB L’Jarius Sneed was ruled out of the game with a head injury. Then WR Kadarius Toney left the game with an ankle injury.

In the second half, they suffered several injuries in a short time. On the sixth defensive play of the second half, LB Willie Gay Jr. was down on the field with an injury. He eventually walked off the field and was escorted to the locker room by the training staff.

Later in the third quarter, Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and WR Mecole Hardman both left the game. Smith-Schuster hobbled off the field with some sort of lower-body injury. Hardman took a big hit and immediately started grasping for his abdomen, which is the injury that had him on injured reserve and out since Week 9 of the season.

Gay Jr. is questionable with a shoulder, Hardman questionable with a abdomen/pelvis and Smith-Schuster questionable with a knee injury.

Remember, the Chiefs were shorthanded at receiver heading into this game with Justin Watson inactive. They’ve now lost three receivers in this game and have just Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Marcus Kemp available if Smith-Schuster and Hardman don’t return. They might need Noah Gray and Jody Fortson to work as receivers if they suffer any more injuries.

On top of all of that, Patrick Mahomes is finally starting to feel his ankle injury in this one. He’s been hobbling around since about the seven-minute mark in the third quarter.

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Chiefs LB Willie Gay says ‘nothing’ about Bengals offense impresses him

Some bulletin-board material before the Bengals and Chiefs clash in the AFC title game.

When the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs played earlier this year, it was Justin Reid who threw out some bulletin-board material from the Chiefs’ side.

This time it’s linebacker Willie Gay.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday about the upcoming AFC title game showdown, Gay said “nothing” when asked what impresses him about the Joe Burrow-led offense.

Gay also addressed what he needs to do in order to stop the Bengals: “Stop the run for sure. You know they’re gonna try to do that to act like they can big boy us, front six, seven definitely do our job.”

PJ Green of FOX4 News in Kansas City provided the clip:

At this point, onlookers can expect nothing less from either team in what has started to emulate a division rivalry given how often these teams see each other.

Burrow’s Bengals are 3-0 against the Chiefs over the last year or so in close affair and there’s a trip to the Super Bowl at stake, so one can understand why both teams are testy heading into this one.

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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes praises Frank Clark’s ability to make plays in big moments

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes praised DE Frank Clark’s penchant for making plays in big moments after Week 15 overtime win. | from @EdEastonJr

The NFL season is winding down and the Kansas City Chiefs are focusing on securing the top seed in the AFC conference. A critical part of the season requires veteran leadership to take another step forward in preparation for the postseason.

Chiefs DE Frank Clark has faced criticism constantly throughout his career. The production hasn’t always matched his price tag in Kansas City. This season has been no different for the veteran defender, who has battled injuries and illness at times. He started to show signs of improvement, beginning with his multi-sack performance against the 49ers back in Week 7. That was derailed when he was suspended for two games for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

In Week 15, Clark put his best foot forward. His veteran savvy was on display when he caused the overtime fumble that Willie Gay Jr. recovered. Patrick Mahomes shared his reaction to the big play with reporters after the game.

“That was a big play,” said Mahomes. “That’s why we have guys like Frank (Clark) on the team. He’s a guy who makes big plays in big moments. That’s what he’s done in his entire career, especially when he’s here with the Chiefs. We punted and gave them a chance, and they make that big play, and Jet (RB Jerick McKinnon) kind of iced the game. You get those playmakers on your team, those leaders to make plays in big moments, and he did.”

Clark was a key contributor in past postseasons for the Chiefs, so his experience will be vital down the stretch. He has tallied 11 sacks in 14 career playoff games split between Kansas City and the Seattle Seahawks — a number good for fifth all-time behind Willie McGinest, Bruce Smith, Terrell Suggs and Reggie White.

The Chiefs could be getting the best version of Clark this season and he’s clearly picking up steam right now.

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