Arrowheadlines: Usain Bolt and Tyreek Hill playing it cool on any potential race

Chiefs headlines for Monday, February 7

The latest

Usain Bolt ends Tyreek Hill’s race challenge in 4 words | FanSided

Tyreek Hill pokes the bear, challenges Usain Bolt

Hill took an interview with ESPN in Las Vegas for the NHL All-Star Game, in which the Chiefs wideout went full Stone Cold Steve Austin, and also challenged Bolt to a race.

“I feel great, baby,” Hill said after his beer shower. “Go Chiefs.”

Bolt responded to this bold claim on social media, showing a still photo of Hill losing to Micah Parsons in the NFL’s Fastest Man Race earlier this week.

While Chiefs fans question whether Hill gave it his all in that race, the tape suggests he’s not even the quickest man in his own league, let alone all of sports. Hill thinks otherwise.

Chiefs, Royals and Sporting KC want sports betting. Will Kansas, Missouri make it legal? | Kansas City Star

There are 25 casinos across Kansas and Missouri, not to mention two state lotteries. But there’s no place and no means to legally bet on the Super Bowl — or on the Chiefs, Royals, KU, K-State or Mizzou. Legislators in both states have pushed to change that for years. But lawmakers in Kansas think this might be the year. And in Missouri, professional teams are pursuing two tracks to legalize gambling.

They’re backing a renewed effort to pass legislation after four years of inaction. And if that fails, they may try a ballot initiative that would allow voters across the Show Me State to change the law, rather than waiting on officials in Jefferson City.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to get this across the line,” said Republican Sen. Rob Olson of Olathe, chairman of the Kansas Senate’s Federal and State Affairs Committee, which handles bills involving gambling. “This is definitely going to be a focus.”

2022 NFL Mock Draft: Malik Willis rides impressive Senior Bowl week into top 10; Saints, Steelers also add QBs | CBS Sports

Jermaine Johnson II EDGE

FLORIDA STATE • SR • 6’5” / 260 LBS

Kansas City

Join me in welcoming Johnson to the first round. He had one of the best Senior Bowl weeks of anyone, but let’s not forget that he posted 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss this past season at Florida State. The productivity matches the skill set for a prospect who should continue to turn heads during the draft process.

Which is better: Von Miller going back to the Super Bowl or the Chiefs losing? | Mile High Report (Denver Broncos SB Nation site)

Good morning, Broncos Country!

A week ago put a cap on two of the best football weekends we’ve ever seen.

To make matters even better as a fan of the Denver Broncos is the Kansas City Chiefs chocked a 21-3 first-half lead to lose to the Cincinnati Bengals. That was followed by Von Miller making his return trip to the Super Bowl after a win over the San Francisco 49ers.

So a question has been percolating on social media and radio waves: As a member of Broncos, which is better?

Obviously, both outcomes are awesome, but as I said on the MHR Radio Podcast, in my mind, Miller getting a chance to play in his second Super Bowl is the best.

Miller is one of the greatest Broncos in history and what he did in the playoffs that resulted in a Super Bowl 50 win and MVP is one of the defensive showings the NFL has witnessed.

Though seeing Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the Chiefs fall apart in the second half still delivers an amazing aftertaste one week later.

Hopefully, the Broncos are on the verge of being a competitive organization once again.

Around the NFL

Dolphins hire Mike McDaniel as new head coach | NFL.com

McDaniel, 38 and headed for his first stint as a head coach, will take over a team coming off of back-to-back winning seasons but that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016 or won its division since 2008.

McDaniel is the first minority hire of the current head coaching cycle and the 49ers will receive two third-round compensatory picks, Rapoport reported. Miami had two finalists and chose McDaniel over Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Rapoport added.

He arrives in Miami following five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he most recently served as the team’s offensive coordinator (2021) following four years as the Niners’ run game coordinator (2017-2020).

McDaniel, who is multi-racial, fills the vacancy created by the firing of Brian Flores, who is Black. On Tuesday, Flores filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against the NFL and three of its teams — the Broncos, Dolphins and Giants — alleging a pattern of racist hiring practices by the league and racial discrimination. The suit also alleged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told Flores he would pay him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 campaign, Flores’ first with the club, so that Miami would end up with the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which was eventually used by the Cincinnati Bengals to select quarterback Joe Burrow.

NFL Pro Bowl 2022 takeaways, score: Justin Herbert, Maxx Crosby MVPs in wild, AFC victory in Vegas | CBS Sports

Herbert, Crosby win MVP honors

A month following their epic Week 18 showdown, Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert were named the Pro Bowl’s Defensive and Offensive MVPs. Crosby tallied two sacks, three pass breakups and five tackles. Herbert, playing in his first Pro Bowl, engineered the AFC’s first two scoring drives.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: Results of efforts to promote diversity within head coaches ‘unacceptable’ | NFL.com

“I want to address a subject that many of us have discussed together, not only this week, but consistently for many years,” Goodell said in the memo obtained by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “Racism and any form of discrimination is contrary to the NFL’s values. We have made significant efforts to promote diversity and adopted numerous policies and programs which have produced positive change in many areas, however we must acknowledge that particularly with respect to head coaches the results have been unacceptable. We will reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, including as they relate to gender. We are retaining outside experts to assist in this review and will also solicit input from current and former players and coaches, advocates and other authorities in this area. Our goal is simple: make our efforts and those of the clubs more effective so that real and tangible results will be achieved.

“We understand the concerns expressed by Coach Flores and others this week. While the legal process moves forward, we will not wait to reassess and modify our strategies to ensure that they are consistent with our values and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. In particular, we recognize the need to understand the lived experiences of diverse members of the NFL family to ensure that everyone has access to opportunity and is treated with respect and dignity.”

New Orleans Saints’ Alvin Kamara arrested on battery charge during Pro Bowl weekend in Las Vegas | ESPN

Police said they were dispatched around 5:50 p.m. local time Saturday to a hospital where a person had reported a battery at a nightclub. The police said detectives determined the victim was battered by Kamara.

After playing and making four catches for 23 yards for the NFC in Sunday’s Pro Bowl, Kamara was taken into custody without incident, according to police, and booked at the Clark County Detention Center on a charge of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm.

Kamara remained in jail Sunday night. His bail is set at $5,000, and a court hearing is scheduled for Monday afternoon, a jail official said.

Ranking NFL non-quarterback MVP candidates in 2021: Top 10 includes Cooper Kupp, Micah Parsons, Ja’Marr Chase | ESPN

1. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

A season ago, Aaron Donald took the top spot on my ballot for dominating the rest of his position group in production. This season, his teammate earns the honor — at the position that research suggests is the second-most valuable in the sport. The Rams generated 115 expected points added on Kupp targets this season (interception plays removed), which was way more than the rest of the receiving field. Only Ja’Marr Chase cracked 80 EPA for his team on targets, and he was just at 85.

There’s an argument for looking at completions only when evaluating wide receivers, but Kupp dominates that way too with 143 EPA to Justin Jefferson’s 116, the next highest. Kupp ranked second — only behind Chase — in receiving yards over expectation based on air yards, expected completion probability and expected YAC from NFL Next Gen Stats. But Kupp’s 32% target per route rate was also much higher than Chase’s, making his expected receiving yards alone more than Chase’s total season yardage.

Steelers hiring Teryl Austin as defensive coordinator | NFL.com

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hiring Teryl Austin to be their next defensive coordinator, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday, per sources. Austin, previously Pittsburgh’s senior defensive assistant and secondary coach, replaces Keith Butler, who retired this offseason after 19 years with the club.

Among the candidates to replace Butler were Austin, Patrick Graham and Kris Richard. Graham, previously defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, was hired this week by the Las Vegas Raiders in the same capacity. New York was interested in interviewing Austin to fill Graham’s spot as Giants DC before Pittsburgh sealed the deal.

Austin just wrapped up his third season as a member of Pittsburgh’s defensive staff. He was previously the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions under Jim Caldwell from 2014-2017 and the Cincinnati Bengals under Marvin Lewis in 2018.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs quiet as AFC defeats NFC 41-35 in Pro Bowl

Six Kansas City Chiefs — offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr., defensive end Frank Clark, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and safety Tyrann Mathieu — partook in the NFL’s Pro Bowl on Sunday afternoon. The AFC defeated the NFC 41-35.

A changed rule for the 2022 Pro Bowl was that there would be no kickoffs. After touchdowns, teams instead had the option to give the opposing conference the ball on its own 25-yard line, or it could attempt a fourth-and-15 from its own 25-yard line to keep the ball. Mahomes’ first appearance came after the AFC scored to make it 14-7. On the fourth-and-15 try, Mahomes missed a deep pass to his own tight end, Kelce.

Mahomes took over for the AFC on the next drive and threw an interception into the hands of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Antoine Winfield. Winfield faked a lateral before returning the interception for a touchdown, cutting the AFC’s lead to 14-13 following a missed two-point conversion.

After speaking with ESPN, Mahomes re-entered the game for the final drive of the first half, but he could not get anything going, and Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons strip-sacked him on the final play of the second quarter. Mahomes finished 5 of 10 for 53 yards and the interception.

Hill had the best stat line for the Chiefs, as he finished with four catches for 27 yards. Kelce had a catch for 10 yards. Tennessee Titans and AFC head coach Mike Vrabel played Orlando Brown Jr. as a right tackle. Mathieu registered two tackles, but Clark did not find the stat sheet.

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