Laddie Morse
The Kansas City Chiefs, including GM Brett Veach, have been busy this week.
With JuJu Smith-Schuster out under the concussion protocol against the Chargers, as well as Mecole Hardman and Kadarius Toney, it gave rookie WR Skyy Moore more opportunities to make an impression, and he did not disappoint.
Toney was the Chiefs leading WR in the game with 5 catches out of 6 targets. He also had 63 yards receiving and the only other WR with more receiving yards was Justin Watson who had 67. Here’s Daniel Harms with a video breakdown called, “Chiefs Passing RIPS Chargers With Skyy Moore:”
.
When this season began, I was lobbying for Skyy Moore to get more touches and said he’d be the Chiefs number one WR by year’s end. If GM Brett Veach doesn’t re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster in the coming months, although I’m now hoping JuJu makes a return to K.C. and helps to shore up the Chiefs receiving core for the next three seasons, Moore could be the main man as early as 2023.
.
With the ascendance of JuJu Smith-Schuster, MVS, Skyy Moore, and Justin Watson, do you really think it would be money well spent to sign a player like Odell Beckham Junior? I’m not a fan of the move and don’t believe he’d be good for the locker room. His approach to deciding which team he’s going to play for reminds me of CB Bashaud Breeland prior to the 2019 season. Breeland visited the Chiefs in Training Camp and even hung out a few days there, before deciding to play for the Minnesota Vikings that season. He came back to the Chiefs in 2020 but from a fans standpoint, he seemed too wishy-washy for my liking.
The other aspect of OBJ that I’m not so sure I like is… where does he really WANT to play? He’s mentioned the Chiefs… but he’s also mentioned the Cowboys as well as other teams. That leaves me wondering: where does he really want to play?
.
Lucas Niang tore his patella tendon last year in week 17, a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-to-31.
Niang isn’t the only NFL lineman who has had this injury. On November 28, the Browns OT Jack Conklin tore his patellar tendon and was placed on season ending injured reserve, but came back and played in Week 3 this season. Just this week, Niang was activated to the Chiefs 53-man roster. We don’t know if Niang can make it all the way back yet, but based on Jack Conklin’s snaps for the Browns, who played in 95% of his team’s offensive plays this year, it looks like Niang has a very good chance of a return before this season is finished.
RG Trey Smith, who has played next to Niang, said of him this week:
.
“Lucas has handled his injury extremely well. Just coming to work everyday, watching him in the training room, remaining positive throughout the situation, he’s put in a lot of work, recovering and doing the things he needs to do to get back on the field. It’s been really encouraging just seeing his progress and how positive he’s remained.”
.
The Los Angeles Rams are the reigning Super Bowl Champions. From 2021. They sure aren’t playing that way in 2022. Not with a record of 3-and-7. QB Matt Stafford will be out this Sunday when the Chiefs welcome the Rams into Arrowhead and he’ll be replaced by UDFA (in 2020) Bryce Perkins. The Chiefs are currently 15.5 point favorites. If the season progresses the way it’s been going, the one-time best DT in the league, Aaron Donald, will be supplanted by the Chiefs DT Chris Jones as the best defensive Lineman in the NFL. The Rams offensive line has been changed dramatically by retirement and injuries.
While we already know Stafford is OUT, those offensive players for the Rams who are on IR include:
.
WR Cooper Kupp
WR J.J. Koski
LT Joe Noteboom
LG David Edwards
RG Tremayne Anchum Jr.
RT Chandler Brewer
.
Plus, the Rams had Tackle Andrew Whitworth retire at season end in 2021 and he will likely end up in the NFL Hall of Fame.
While the Rams defense is still solid, a good defense alone will NOT win championships. Not usually.
.
.
If Joe Thuney can’t go, Nick Allegretti will step in and there should be next to no drop off in performance levels, especially for one game.
If Kadarius Toney can’t go, then my concern is re-newed because a hamstring injury is what had kept him out of some Giants games. Which is also why they lost faith in him. If Toney can’t get back into the action soon, that trade may still end up as a bum deal.
CEH being injured again, enough to go to the IR, which means he’ll be out a minimum of four weeks, could be the sign that he is finished in red and gold. Having started 29 out of a possible 43 games (plus you need to add 4 games on IR to the 43) so far in his career, may mean the Chiefs are done with him. Especially since rookie 7th rounder Isiah Pacheco is running the daylights out of it and with veteran RB Ronald Jones sitting there and awaiting his turn… it just may be that Clyde is getting ready to go bye-bye.
TE Kendall Blanton is 6-foot-6 and goes 260 lbs.. He has been on the Chiefs roster earlier thiis season but was cut and he had 2 catches for the Rams.
TE Jordan Franks is 6-foot-4 and weighs 240 lbs.. He’s been in the leageu since 2018 and has played for the Bengals, the Eagles, the Browns and now K.C..
.
While many who follow this site know that my all time favorite announcer is Vin Sculley of L.A. Dodgers fame. Next on that list is likely… John Madden. Even though he was a Head Coach of the shady Raiders, John Madden understood the game like few others and called the game with a flair I’ve never witnessed in anyone, expect maybe Vin Sculley (who mostly called baseball games). Madden passed away last December and is memorable for many different reasons including:
.
• Madden – the video game
• The Telestrator
• Turducken
• Traveling by Bus
• The word “BOOM”
.
.
Someone in Madden’s family should still try to patent the word, “Boom.” They could make some dough… like right away, I mean, like BOOM!
.
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
.