xen

KC carries 3 Tight ends every year so why don't we have a need for both of them?

That had to hurt.

FAFO

It didn't try and make me pay. The Chiefs don’t dominate the NFL. They dissect it. Kansas City’s narrow win over the Baltimore Ravens made plain the challenges NFL contenders face in dethroning the reigning champions. 6 min 131 Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have kept their challengers at bay. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Column by Jerry Brewer September 7, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT In his disappointment, Isaiah Likely resorted to bluster. It was hard to blame him. The Baltimore Ravens tight end had just played the best game of his three NFL seasons, only to realize his feet were too big. Subscribe for unlimited access to The Post You can cancel anytime. Subscribe The Kansas City Chiefs, resourceful champions vying for a historic third straight Lombardi Trophy, won by the tip of a big toe. It was so close a pedicure might have changed the outcome. The centimeters that determined Likely was out of bounds allowed the NFL season to open Thursday night with a dramatic interpretation of its 2024 theme. At the top of this balanced and constantly fluctuating league, it appears tighter than ever, with so many long-standing contenders thinking now is their time yet hearing the footsteps of emerging teams equipped to skip the line. Despite all the congestion, the Chiefs sit comfortably on their throne, unconcerned about the small increments that separate good and great because they’re masters of high-leverage situations. “When they say it’s a game of inches, it might be shorter than that,” Chiefs Coach Andy Reid said after the 27-20 victory over Baltimore, reveling in the latest final-minute theatrics of an era that has produced three Kansas City championships in a span of five seasons. Story continues below advertisement From the other side, Likely couldn’t stand the merriment. So he went bold. 🎾 Follow Sports Follow “This is probably the worst game we’re going to play all year,” he said after finishing with nine receptions, 111 yards and one touchdown that he so wished had been two. “So if this their best that they got, I mean, good luck in the postseason.” And good luck convincing anyone that the Chiefs peaked in Week 1. A year ago, the Chiefs were 9-6 on Christmas Day, and six weeks later, they outlasted the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to become the ninth back-to-back Super Bowl champion in league history. They don’t dominate the NFL as much as they dissect it. Every minute detail carries meaning in the parity-based sport, and the best understand that greatness is deftly accumulated. Their small margins add up to an epochal run. All the while, teams that might challenge them can’t do math at their level. Story continues below advertisement Since Patrick Mahomes took control of the Kansas City offense and quickly became the best player in the sport, the Chiefs have made six straight AFC championship game appearances, appeared in four Super Bowls and hoisted the three Lombardi Trophy three times. And it’s not as if they have exploited weak competition. There is a long list of challengers with championship-caliber credentials who remain ring-less. The Ravens, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles have all put in work worthy of a parade, but they’ve all had memorable, gutting playoff losses to the Chiefs. Then, when Kansas City wasn’t in their way, they still couldn’t break through. In the playoffs, Mahomes has a 15-3 record as the starter. He’s 0-2 against Tom Brady-led teams, including a humbling 31-9 Super Bowl blowout. So he’s an outrageous 15-1 against every opponent outside of Brady, the greatest winner the sport has ever known. The lone defeat to a mortal came to Joe Burrow and the Bengals in the AFC championship game three seasons ago. It was the last time the Chiefs lost a playoff game. So, no, a narrow Week 1 victory over the Ravens isn’t the best the Chiefs have got. Likely knows that, but competitors need a lot of nerve to take down a dynasty. More than that, they must be adaptable. Besides Mahomes and a creative scheme, the Chiefs’ consistent ability to shape-shift is the one trait that separates them from the Bengals, Bills, Eagles, Ravens and 49ers. Other contenders who have experienced a fruitless chase for a while — the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins among them — have a similar problem. They win frequently because they play a distinct style, but when challenged, they lack the versatility to move past being flustered. Story continues below advertisement It’s much easier to trust the Detroit Lions, who lost in the NFC title game last season but remain on the ascent. The same is true for their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, who have youth and Jordan Love’s rapid growth on their side. The Houston Texans are also fresh and unbothered as they deal with extreme expectations for the first time with quarterback C.J. Stroud. There are plenty more quality teams with established track records (but perhaps lower ceilings), including the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. The room is crowded with good, adding more intrigue than a typical NFL season in which average is disguised as good. Even in a 14-team playoff field, there’s not enough space to account for all the franchises that have some level of promise this season. The NFL scheduling gods did an extraordinary job of setting the stage in Week 1. From the Thursday night opener in Kansas City to the return of Aaron Rodgers during Monday night’s 49ers-New York Jets game, you can feel the stakes and urgency in all of these matchups. Story continues below advertisement You see the Jets, with a mercurial 40-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles’ injury, desperate to make their mark. You see the Cowboys, who won 12 games each of the past three seasons but failed to make a deep playoff run, running out of time. You see the Bengals, healthy again but experiencing sticker shock over the cost to retain transcendent talent, needing to commit. And you see the Chiefs, on the highest perch, toes pointed forward. NFL dynasties are the result of one team’s all-time excellence and the rest of the field’s inability to capitalize on opportunities. With its hard salary cap and overall rigidity, the league is structured for transient contention. You rise quickly and fade fast. But some prove to be more than a fleeting wonder. The curiosity of the 2024 season isn’t whether Kansas City can three-peat. It’s already clear what the Chiefs are capable of, even as they’re tasked with doing things differently every year. The burden is on the rest of the contenders to prove what they haven’t during the Mahomes era. For some of the teams that have been chasing the longest, it’s not a request. It’s a command: Adapt or bust. Share 131Comments NFL HAND CURATED Kirk Cousins’s debut was a dud for the revamped Falcons September 9, 2024 What to know from NFL Week 1: Jim Harbaugh arrives, and Deshaun Watson crumbles September 9, 2024 Tom Brady isn’t a Super Bowl-caliber broadcaster — at least not yet September 8, 2024 View 3 more stories NewsletterAs news breaks Sports Alerts Breaking news email alerts on major sports news. Sign up washingtonpost.com © 1996-2024 The Washington Post About The Post Contact the Newsroom Contact Customer Care Request a Correction Send a News Tip Report a Vulnerability Download the Washington Post App Policies & Standards Terms of Service Privacy Policy Cookie Settings Print Products Terms of Sale Digital Products Terms of Sale Submissions & Discussion Policy Sitemap RSS Terms of Service Ad Choices

You're not missing much. Songwriters, they're not.

Put em here. Let the internets be awesome.

Chenal is wrecking it but let's pump the brakes a bit. He's a true Sam. He can't play MLB as he makes Bolton look awesome playing back in coverage by comparison. A game like this vs a heavy rushing team is made for a guy like Chenal to excel. But he's still normally a part time player for now. Let's see what they do with him against a pass heavy team and we'll see how much he's improved.

And now this? What is happening???

It's the NFL. They have a terrific roster top to bottom with great players up and down the roster. They have a run heavy scheme in a league where all the defenses are built to stop the pass. They have the best running QB in NFL history. Of course they're in the games. The have one of the worst passing QB's* in NFL history. Of course they don't win when it matters. * don't believe me? He has 6000 fewer career yards than our backup qb. If he couldn't run he'd have been out of a job 4 years ago.

1st 5 years for mahomes at bottom

Uh pay em lots more I say! The salary cap is still a thing.

Last chance

B.S. they were down by 10 at the time of that fumble and tons of time left. Reminder Lamar threw an int on their next possession. And Pat had the ball last with several minutes left. Instead of chewing clock you don't think he'd have marched down and scored if needed? lol to that. And old long toe was down 7 at the time of that play. And he'd have choked in the superbowl anyway. You have an unhealthy obsession with Lamar.