In one of the more surprising developments of the NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs are not where most people thought they would be at the midway point.
They’re currently a .500 team, and just climbed back to that threshold after a struggle of a contest against the New York Giants on Monday night.
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Given the exceptional track record they’ve put together over the last few seasons, it’s still too early to panic about Kansas City’s slow start.
With that being said, there are certainly cracks in the armor for a team that seemed to be a shoe-in for the AFC title game, at worst.
The Chiefs did acquire Melvin Ingram before the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it should help a defense that has struggled so far in 2021.
However, there were a couple of other moves out there Kansas City would’ve been well advised to pursue that could have helped them just as much.
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2. Marlon Mack
Patrick Mahomes is one of the most naturally gifted quarterbacks the game has ever seen, but he’s uncharacteristically forced some things that have led to turnovers.
There’s not much concern that he’ll revert back to the MVP-level form that we’re all accustomed to seeing.
However, every quarterback benefits from a solid supporting cast, which includes a viable running game.
Starting running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is still not ready to return after suffering a knee injury in Week 5.
Since that time, Kansas City has patched it together in the backfield with the likes of Darrel Williams and Derrick Gore.
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Even though Edwards-Helaire is the clear leader in that room, he probably hasn’t been as good as the draft capital invested in him (first round in 2020) would suggest.
For injury-related or competition-related reasons, the Chiefs would’ve been wise to bring on Marlon Mack from the Indianapolis Colts.
He appears to be fully healthy after his Achilles injury in 2020, and would’ve served as a viable option for carries over Williams and Gore.
The #Colts and RB Marlon Mack have agreed to mutually seek a trade, per sources. Mack is fully healthy after last year’s Achilles tear. But Jonathan Taylor as the bell cow and Nyheim Hines recently extended, Mack is hoping for opportunities elsewhere.
To be clear, bringing on the likes of an Odell Beckham Jr. would have been a luxury add for Kansas City, and would’ve cost a lot more to bring in than a rotational back like Mack.
But if the Chiefs are interested in getting back to the AFC title game, and perhaps a Super Bowl in a possible rematch with a loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, a move like that would have been justified.
Beckham has been released by the Cleveland Browns, and it’s possible the Chiefs knew this would happen, and didn’t want to part with compensation due to that prediction.
With that said, a day-three draft pick probably would’ve been accepted by Cleveland.
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While fellow supremely talented wide receiver Josh Gordon is playing more each week, the chances of him recapturing anything close to his old form after two years away are slim.
Beckham doesn’t figure to be the same player he once was either, but he has at least been in the league competing consistently.
Kansas City offers Beckham a team with a well-defined structure, and an offense that loves to air it out.
In Week 5’s edition of TNF, Aaron Donald became the Rams all-time franchise Sacks leader as they came out on top in a divisional affair with the Seattle Seahawks. The perennial All-Pro and 3x DPOY reached 88.5 sacks on Thursday, surpassing St. Louis Rams legend Leonard Little in the official sacks era (since 1982). Donald has long been considered a top player in the NFL, and this is just another milestone in what will end up being a surefire first-ballot Hall of Fame career.
Most career SK in #Rams history since officially tracked in 1982: 1. Aaron Donald (88.5)^ 2. Leonard Little (87.5) 3. Kevin Greene (72.5) T4. Kevin Carter, Robert Quinn (62.5) 6. Chris Long (54.5) pic.twitter.com/4oHQ5j6NXr
Because Aaron Donald is shorter than the average DT and almost every O-Lineman, he has the leverage advantage on almost every snap where he can get under the blocker’s pads and execute the popular football phrase “low man wins”. Something he executes better than anybody who’s ever played the game.
2. STRENGTH
Aaron Donald is far from the average 6’0” male and thus, using his near-superhero strength, he is able to bully his way through offensive lineman, taking the most direct route to the quarterback as he continuously bullrushes weaker Offensive Lineman that have no chance to stop the brute strength the 3x DPOY possesses.
3. QUICKNESS
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Even with his incredible strength and power, Donald is also one of the quickest defensive lineman in recent memory. He uses a combination of speed finesse and power moves to easily evade blockers, go from one gap to another in the blink of an eye, and wiggle past opposing blockers with ease.
Most career SK in #Rams history since officially tracked in 1982: 1. Aaron Donald (88.5)^ 2. Leonard Little (87.5) 3. Kevin Greene (72.5) T4. Kevin Carter, Robert Quinn (62.5) 6. Chris Long (54.5) pic.twitter.com/4oHQ5j6NXr