Mid-season Team Awards

Lisa Foxx

We have reached the half point mark of the 2023 NFL season, and the Kansas City Chiefs are sitting alone in first place in the AFC Conference with a 7-2 record. This point of the 17-game the season corresponds with the Chiefs bye week, which couldn’t have gone better for Kansas City. Over the weekend we saw the Baltimore Ravens (7-3), the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3) and the Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) all lose their games. Then on Monday night, the Buffalo Bills fell to 5-5 on the season after losing to the 4-5 Denver Broncos.

With half of the season already gone, it’s a time of reflection for teams; to look back over the first part of the season to see what has worked, what hasn’t worked, and what the team needs to do to get better all around. For fans and football analysts, this is the time to hand out mid-season awards. Here are my mid-season awards for the Kansas City Chiefs.

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My MVP through the first part of the season is Kicker Harrison Butker. Butt-kicker, as he is affectionately known, has not missed one field goal or extra point this season. Butker has always been clutch; he has sealed several game-winning field goals and extra points throughout his career. Over the past few seasons, however, Butker has missed key FGs and XPs in crucial games, which has put undue pressure on the offense and has even led to a change in NFL post-season rules.

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In the 2021-22 AFC divisional game against the Buffalo Bills, Butker missed a FG and an XP, which would have put the Chiefs up by four points at the end of regulation. Those points Butker left on the board could have changed the tenor of a game most say was one of the best in NFL history. Instead of winning outright, the Chiefs won 42-36 in overtime on a first-possession touchdown, denying the Bills offense a chance to touch the ball. That win subsequently led to a change in post-season rules that now allows both teams’ offense an opportunity to possess the ball in OT.

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Butker was injured in the first game of the 2022 NFL after slipping on a bad field in Arizona during a kickoff. He missed several games but did come back and play through the injury for the remainder of the season. Due to the injury, last season was the worst statistically for Butker in his career.

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As the offense struggles to find its rhythm this season it has been Harrison Butker who has come through for the team, keeping Kansas City in games and, in some instances, putting up the only points on offense. Butker seems to want to prove that last season was an outlier. He has not missed one field goal or extra point so far this season and has a total of 76 points through nine games.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are known for their high-powered offense that can score at anytime from anywhere on the field. However, that’s not quite how the team has looked so far coming off their Super Bowl win from last season. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is working with the most inexperienced group at wide receiver that he’s had as leader of the Chiefs offense. The lack of experience in the receiving corps has proven to be a challenge for the reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP.

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In the first game of the season, it seemed like the Chiefs offense was running smoothly, but more than a half-dozen drops in that game led to a 20-21 loss to the Detroit Lions. Those drops also led to questions surrounding the team’s wide receivers and their ability (inability) to catch the ball. Those questions soon morphed from can the WRs catch to can they create separation so Mahomes can get them the ball?

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Those questions remain at the half point mark of the season, as the Chiefs prepare to come off their Bye Week and face their next opponent. Despite the challenges that have faced the Kansas City offense, the team is still 7-2 and on top of the AFC Conference standings. Mahomes has been able to move the offense up and down the field despite the deficiencies in the WR room. His ability to maneuver the pocket, scramble for yardage, and take chances to find the open receiver has helped keep Kansas City in games that the team may not have won, otherwise.

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The Chiefs may currently be struggling on offense, but as long as the team has number 15 at the helm, they feel they always have a chance to win. That is why Patrick Mahomes is my mid-season Offensive Player of the Year.

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The 2^nd year cornerback has proven he was worth trading up for in the 2022 NFL draft. The Chiefs jumped 11 spots to pick McDuffie 21^st overall.  get the 2^nd year starter out of Washington. Some teams were cautious of the 2^nd year defensive back, citing his below-average size and questioning the ability to transfer his skills to the NFL. McDuffie has proven all the doubters wrong and General Manager Brett Veach right. Veach’s selected McDuffie in the first round of was inspired and the 2021 draft, and during he has been a star since he arrived.

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McDuffie was injured in his very first NFL game, which sidelined him for six weeks as he recovered from a hamstring injury. Once back on the field, McDuffie never looked back. He was an integral part of the Chiefs 2022 Super Bowl victory as a rookie, as were all five of the rookie defensive backs for the Chiefs.

This season, McDuffie is separating himself from the others with outstanding defensive play. The 2^nd year DB already has 37 solo tackles and leads the league with four (4) forced fumbles, including one against former Chief Tyreek Hill that led to a scoop, lateral and score against the Miami Dolphins in Germany (0:16).

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McDuffie was named to PFF’s 2023 Midseason All-Pro Team. He is a bona fide star and the Kansas City defense is leading the way as the offense works on finding its footing. That means, we should expect to see more game wrecking plays from number 22 as the season goes on and the defense gets hotter and hotter.

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This one is a no-brainer. It’s no secret that the Chiefs’ wide receiving corps is struggling right now. Patrick Mahomes has been forced to scramble for yardage earlier and more often than usual for it being so early in the season. That’s mainly due to the issues with KC’s wide receivers. The WR room is young, apart from veterans Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Justin Watson. Also, the WR room needs a veteran presence that can bring the young receivers along. However, that doesn’t appear to be happening, even after the Chiefs traded to bring 5^th-year receiver Mecole Hardman back into the fold.

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The one bright spot in the room is rookie Rashee Rice. Rice seems to have a skill set that is missing from the Chiefs WR corps. Rice is strong, physical, and is fantastic when it comes to yards after the catch scenarios. He has been a go-to for Mahomes when other receivers have failed to get separation or are double teamed. Rice has also earned Mahomes’ trust because he has been able to catch the tough balls when thrown to him, — even though he’s had some drops — unlike some of the other young receivers. This is why Rice is a no-brainer for Rookie of the Year –> through nine games this year.

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We have only seen flashes of what this young man can do for this team. Rice gives all of Chiefs Kingdom hope that KC’s receiving corps will find a way to make plays and get back to the offense fans are used to seeing as they enter the second half of the season.

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Tight End Blake Bell gets the Comeback Player of the Year Award by default. I racked my brain trying to find another player who would fit the bill, but no one else came to mind. I could not think of another player who was injured or off the team last season and came back to contribute this season, so I’m giving the award to Bell. He had one target and one catch for 7 yards against the LA Chargers, but he also lost the ball on that play due to a fumble. Bell was also targeted once in a losing effort against the Denver Broncos this season.

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Although his offensive stats aren’t anything to write home about, Bell has been a difference maker in the blocking game. He is a veteran presence on the field and knows Kansas City’s offense well. It’s good to have him back, after a season-ending injury kept him off the field last season, but it would also be good to see him contribute more in the passing game, especially in the red zone.

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Kansas City’s next opponent is a familiar foe. It’s going to be a Super Bowl rematch as the Chiefs welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to Kansas City for Monday Night Football. Both teams lead their respective conferences with Philly having the best record in the NFL at 8-1.

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Both teams are also coming off their bye week so both teams should be rested, healthy and ready to go. The Chiefs may just have the edge in this game because head coach Andy Reid has an 87%-win rate coming out of the Bye Week during the regular season. With a record of 23-3 after the bye, Chiefs fans everywhere are hoping Reid can increase that record to 24-3 after Monday night.

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Lisa Foxx — ArrowheadOne

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