AFCWEST

If KC is #1 they get a bye.

Yes and must provide the unlimited kleenex that is a part of his current contract.

Instead of Carr on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will face Jarrett Stidham under center as the Raiders evaluate the young talent they have on hand before making bigger decisions in the postseason. Stidham will also likely suit up to face K.C. in Week 18. On Wednesday, the Raiders announced that two valuable defensive veterans would head to injured reserve to officially end their season. Pass rusher Chandler Jones was the big-ticket edge signed to make defenses respect someone other than Maxx Crosby. In addition, Denzel Perryman has been a steady tackler in the heart of the defense and led the team last year with 154 tackles in a Pro Bowl season. Jones left Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third quarter with an elbow injury. For Perryman, it’s a shoulder injury that’s lingered.

TUA TAGOVAILOAQB, MIAMI DOLPHINS NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports the NFL Players Association is investigating the Dolphins' handling of Tua Tagovailoa's Week 16 concussion. It will be a joint investigation with the NFL. Tagovailoa played the entire fourth quarter after slamming his head on the turf, then showed signs of a concussion on Monday. McDaniel said his review of game film from Miami's loss to the Packers made him question whether Tua had suffered another brain injury -- at least his second of the season, possibly his third. The team's handling of Tua's concussions this season have raised serious questions about whether the Dolphins have prioritized their quarterback's health. This is the second time the NFLPA has looked into how the Dolphins handle brain injuries. It's possible we won't see Tua under center again until 2023.

DEREK CARRQB, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS Raiders coach Josh McDaniels announced Derek Carr has been benched for the final two games of the season. Coming off the heels of a back-breaking loss to the Steelers, McDaniels and company appear desperate for a spark as their season spirals the drain. The Raiders aren't technically out of the playoff hunt yet, but Carr's second-half meltdown in Week 16 put them at death's door. Even with a pair of wins, which will now have to come with Jarrett Stidham under center, the Raiders are extremely unlikely to make the playoffs. With Las Vegas looking to the 2023 season, the move has financial underpinnings. If Carr suffers an injury that carries into the start of the next league year, his $33 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed. Potentially looking to cut or trade him after this year, GM Dave Ziegler isn't taking any chances with Carr's health and contract by extension. It looks like Carr has played his last game in a silver and black uniform.

Doesnt but KC plays Raiders in two weeks.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Mecole Hardman (abdomen) will play in Week 17 against the Broncos. Hardman was slated to suit up last week against the Seahawks but Reid decided on Friday the wideout needed another week of recovery. Sidelined for the past month and a half, Hardman could return to a gadget-like role in the Kansas City offense against Denver. He's a fringe fantasy option, at best.

NFL Ranking by Yards is not a true indicator of anything. Check out the Chiefs vs Denver D rankings. You go from 5th to 15th allowing 18 more yards per game. Crazy. That also does not take into account the schedule, weather, turnovers etc. Meaningless stats in my book. Defensive Rankings Denver: Fifth in overall defense (314.3 yards per game), 16th in rushing defense (117.4), sixth in passing defense (196.9), tied for seventh in scoring defense (20.3 points per game). KC: Fifteenth in overall defense (332.9 yards per game), eighth in rushing defense (107.1), 20th in passing defense (225.7), tied for 15th in scoring defense (22.1 points per game).

10. In the pre-Mahomes era dating back to 1960, the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs had five 12-plus win seasons. TOTAL. Mahomes has won 12 or more games in all five seasons as a starter. It took him half a decade to match 60 years of success. I got down on my knees and prayed for a homegrown franchise quarterback for damn near 40 years. Sure most fellow Chiefs fans felt the same way. The universe responded by sending us the Michael effing Jordan of football. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself and ask, is this real, or am I living in a simulation? Because it’s almost too good to be true. Almost. https://arrowheadaddict.com/2022/12/28/arrowhead-autopsy-top-10-takeaways-seahawks-chiefs/

0-14 he is lucky to have his current job.

Broncos general manager George Paton said the team would consult Condoleezza Rice in its search for a new head coach. In a cringe-worthy Tuesday press conference, Paton said everyone in the Broncos organization would be evaluated in the season's final two weeks. Rice, part of the team's ownership, would help guide the team's search for a new head coach after Denver dismissed Nathaniel Hackett on Monday,

Broncos general manager George Paton said the team would consult Condoleezza Rice in its search for a new head coach. In a cringe-worthy Tuesday press conference, Paton said everyone in the Broncos organization would be evaluated in the season's final two weeks. Rice, part of the team's ownership, would help guide the team's search for a new head coach after Denver dismissed Nathaniel Hackett on Monday, following the team's blowout loss to the Rams, of all teams. Paton said the team would interview defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for the head coaching position after Evero turned down the interim job this week. Broncos officials reportedly believe Russell Wilson is "fixable" and view him as a long-term solution at quarterback -- a good thing considering his contract makes Wilson untradeable. It's yet to be seen if the Broncos will recruit other former high-ranking government officials to find someone who can fix Wilson.

https://arrowheadaddict.com/2022/12/26/eric-bieniemy-mentioned-among-initial-broncos-head-coaching-candidates/ Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator is once again front and center when it comes to NFL head coaching rumors for another year. Just in case you thought Eric Bieniemy’s time had run its course as a prime head coaching candidate (somehow without ever having gotten a job), you can rest assured his name will be bandied about once again. That’s at least what we’re seeing in the early rumor cycles of names associated with the Denver Broncos.

Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator is once again front and center when it comes to NFL head coaching rumors for another year. Just in case you thought Eric Bieniemy’s time had run its course as a prime head coaching candidate (somehow without ever having gotten a job), you can rest assured his name will be bandied about once again. That’s at least what we’re seeing in the early rumor cycles of names associated with the Denver Broncos. https://arrowheadaddict.com/2022/12/26/eric-bieniemy-mentioned-among-initial-broncos-head-coaching-candidates/

Wilson is set to take an $107 million dead cap hit if the Broncos cut him, and an $82 million dead money charge if he's traded pre-June 1. Whether that would be by trade or he would be cut, the consequences for the Broncos could be astronomical in the coming years (all values pre-June 1, courtesy of OverTheCap): Year Dead money (Cut) Dead money (Trade) 2023 $107 million $82 million 2024 $85 million $68 million 2025 $49.6 million $49.6 million 2026 $31.2 million $31.2 million 2027 $12.8 million $12.8 million 2028 $4.4 million $4.4 million Cap savings say that the most realistic option for the the Broncos to move on from him is after the 2025 season, when they'll incur that $49.6 million dead cap charge but save $5.8 million against their cap. If Wilson is on the roster of the fifth day of the 2024 league year, then his salary becomes fully guaranteed — thus complicating matters even further. All that to say: Russell Wilson probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and whoever the next head coach is will have a big reclamation project on his hands.

Lockett was out so its hard to say. Looked a bit better in bitter cold. Not sure how well Gino plays in cold? Seattle had lost 4 in a row prior. I still think pass defense will be the issue until next season.

RANDY GREGORYEDGE, DENVER BRONCOS NFL suspended EDGE Randy Gregory for one game for violations of the unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rule.

Playoff Teams at this point with point differential Bills +157Chiefs +126Cinn +85Balt +49Jags +22Miami -5Chargers -28

Maybe KC can send EB back with Denver as their head coach?

NATHANIEL HACKETTHC, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett's tenure with the Broncos last longer than most expected after the team went into December with a 3-8 record and an offense that was one of the worst in the league. If being one of the first teams in the league to be officially eliminated from playoff contention wasn't embarrassing enough, Hackett's Broncos were dismantled 51-14 on Christmas day by a Rams team that featured several reserves on both sides of the ball and forced three interceptions of $245 million quarterback Russell Wilson. After leading two top-10 scoring seasons in Green Bay, the former Packers offensive coordinator leaves a Broncos team that's currently ranked 32nd in points per game (15.5) and 26th in offensive yards per game (316.6).

https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/12/26/23526533/horse-tracks-broncos-loss-to-rams-not-a-surprise In a 51-14 blowout loss to another 4-win team, there are no silver linings. You can point fingers at the coach, Russell Wilson, the offensive line, the color orange and everything in between, but in the end it really doesn’t matter. The 2022 season has been over for weeks and, despite the hype, never really began in the first place. The Broncos are a joke. The Russell Wilson circus needs to end. The Nathaniel Hackett experiment has blown up in all of our faces. General Manager George Paton’s clown shoes and makeup are no longer hidden by that slick suit. This season is a monster of all their making and they all need to pack their crap and move along. Seriously. What we saw on Sunday was far more than the ‘embarrassment’ than headlines and quotes claim. This was an atomic implosion of incompetence the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Josh McDaniels era.

I think his protection is good. He likes to extend plays. He likes throwing on the run and he is great at that. Can it be better? Sure. All in all he has more time than most to make plays. If KC would run it more often he would have even more time. Mahomes is not that stay in the pocket QB. Maybe later in his career but not now.

Source: ESPN Dec 20thhttps://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.c ... atform=ampTeam pass block win rate1. Kansas City Chiefs, 74%2. Chicago Bears, 69%3. Green Bay Packers, 67%4. Cleveland Browns, 66%5. Baltimore Ravens, 65%6. Buffalo Bills, 65%7. Philadelphia Eagles, 64%8. Pittsburgh Steelers, 64%9. Seattle Seahawks, 64%10. Las Vegas Raiders, 63%Team run block win rate1. Baltimore Ravens, 76%2. Philadelphia Eagles, 75%3. Kansas City Chiefs, 74%4. Dallas Cowboys, 74%5. Chicago Bears, 74%6. Denver Broncos, 73%7. Las Vegas Raiders, 73%

With only two games left in the season, the Broncos have all but certainly given a top-five draft pick to the Seattle Seahawks from the Russell Wilson trade, and the new ownership group is going to have to be prepared to make some tough decisions. Nathaniel Hackett’s seat is so hot that it’s surprising he’s still able to keep his pants intact after sitting down. George Paton, the man who gave Russell Wilson the $245 million contract and $165 million guaranteed without ever seeing him take a snap as a Bronco may not feel so comfortable. And Wilson himself, who appears to be a shell of his former self, just how much can the franchise afford to gamble that a new staff will fix all his issues?

Denver owners are not football experienced people. Clark Hunt is. NFL is not Walmart. Learning curve is huge.