Arrowheadlines: Justin Reid doubles down on Bengals smack talk despite loss

Dec 7, 2022 - 11:30 AM

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Chiefs’ Justin Reid takes another shot at Bengals after Week 13 loss | Bengals Wire

The Cincinnati Bengals had to deal with some pre-game trash talk from Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Justin Reid this past week before going out and getting a win.

Reid then apologized in the post-game presser for not giving Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst his respect.

But on Tuesday…Reid got to talking again, this time on Twitter. In a bit of a strange tweet, Reid said that while the Chiefs lost, he was still right and told onlookers to “cry about it.”

A strange comment, considering Reid’s defense was the biggest reason for the loss, making the Chiefs 0-3 against the Bengals in the 2022 calendar year:

The First Read, Week 14: Five things we know (and five we don’t) as season heats up; updated MVP ranks | NFL.com

1) The Bengals are better than the Chiefs

Three wins in three games in one calendar year confirm that Cincinnati is the superior team in this matchup. The Bengals have beaten Kansas City twice in the regular season and once in last year’s AFC Championship Game, and they’ll certainly keep winning if the narrative in these meetings continues to play out the same way. Cincinnati’s 27-24 victory on Sunday looked a lot like every other game these teams have played. The Chiefs couldn’t find a way to pressure Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals’ receivers made big plays in the passing game, while defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo continually implemented schemes to frustrate Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Oh, yeah, the Bengals topped Kansas City by three points for the third straight time. This game also came down to another noteworthy trend: Cincinnati made the key defensive plays when it mattered most, including when linebacker Germaine Pratt stripped the ball from Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce in the fourth quarter and set up the game-winning touchdown. There’s going to be a lot of talk about how this is the AFC’s biggest rivalry now. It won’t officially be that until the Chiefs win a game in this series.

Chiefs in good shape if 2023 salary cap exceeds $220 million | Chiefs Wire

“One source familiar with the process predicted the normal calculation of projected revenues would pin the 2023 cap number at ‘well above 220 (million).’ But the NFL has not yet made its cap projection, sources say, and both the league and union have decisions to make that will impact the final math.”

There are still some hurdles for the NFL owners and the NFLPA to clear specifically related to the new TV deals which are coming in 2023. They’ll hash those out during the upcoming special league meeting in Irving, TX from December 13-14. No matter what comes from that meeting, so long as the 2023 salary cap clears the $220 million mark, the Kansas City Chiefs should be in good shape.

The Chiefs will be in the top half of the league in total cap space next season, with some dead money coming off of the books. According to Over The Cap, they currently have the twelfth-most salary cap space at $28.3 million based on a $225 million salary cap. Keep in mind, that projection is before any roster cuts, trades, simple conversions and other cost-saving moves are made.

Broncos’ defense has big task vs. KC, but maligned offense must help “keep the ball out of Patrick’s hands” | The Denver Post

In the moments after his defense surrendered a 91-yard game-winning touchdown drive and his team lost a game it led for more than 48 minutes, Broncos safety Justin Simmons already had an answer ready when asked about turning his attention to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

“The first thing is, you watch the film (Monday) and we always preach the 24-hour rule,” he said after a 10-9 loss to Baltimore. “You go in there and watch the film. It’s going to suck, it’s going to hurt, but you’ve got to be able to watch it and learn from our mistakes there at the end…You can’t let this roll over into next week.”

Next up, of course, is division-leading Kansas City, 9-3 this season, winners of 13 consecutive games against the Broncos and an early two-score favorite to get the job done again at Empower Field on Sunday.

“Obviously, we know we’re going up against a very good offense in the Chiefs and so for us defensively, it’s once again generating takeaways and creating a short field for our offense,” Simmons said. “Give them opportunities to score the football. They’re similar to (the Ravens), different in some ways, but you have to be able to plaster in the back end, recognize who their explosive players are and try to limit the big play ability that Mahomes has. So, for us defensively, watch the film, regroup and then focus on finding ways to just go close out and win football games.”

Hurts so good: Eagle soars to Week 13 title, fight for No. 1 narrows in Miami Herald NFL QB rankings | The Miami Herald

PHILLY’S HURTS WINS WEEK 13, KANSAS CITY’S MAHOMES SEES SEASON LEAD NARROW, MIAMI’S TUA REMAINS IN TOP 10 IN NEW MIAMI HERALD NFL QUARTERBACK RANKINGS: Eagles’ Jalen Hurts wins the Week 13 crown with a 52.00-point game for his first weekly title, while the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes sees his overall season lead over Joe Burrow of the Bengals narrow appreciably in the Miami Herald’s updated NFL quarterback rankings. The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, despite an off game vs. the 49ers, holds steady in the No. 9 position. Our ratings system is cumulative not percentile-based, rewarding players who are consistently productive and avoid injury or benching. QBs on a bye therefore take a temporary hit that evens out over the course of a season. This is the 25th year for the Herald’s Passer Success System (PASS) rankings, which began in 1998, the year before Dan Marino retired — with Steve Young the first ever season champion. Our rankings factor accuracy, passing yardage, touchdown/interception ratio and team result. They are passer ratings per se and do not include a QB’s running statistics. Our updated Top 25 (plus other Dolphins) for 2022 entering Week 14:

Miami Herald 2022 NFL QB Rankings

Rk LW Player, Team Week 13 Season

1. 1. Patrick Mahomes, KC 19.15 448.40

Around the NFL

Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury won’t require surgery; 49ers QB could return for playoffs | NFL.com

Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury won’t require surgery, clearing the way for a potential return sometime in the playoffs should his rehab go smoothly, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday, per a source.

Pelissero added that Garoppolo’s recovery timeline would depend on how rehab goes. With the Super Wild Card Round scheduled to begin on Jan. 14, that puts a five-week timeline on a potential return for the start of the playoffs. The Divisional Round (Jan. 21-22) and Championship Round (Jan. 29) follow in the subsequent weeks, with Super Bowl LVII scheduled for Feb. 12.

NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo noted the reason for the optimism concerning Garoppolo is there was no ligament damage, per sources. That was the reason behind the timeline shifting.

Odell Beckham should be upset that Cowboys leaked information about his knee | Pro Football Talk

Consider this from ESPN’s Ed Werder, who has covered the Cowboys for years: “The Cowboys have concerns after Odell Beckham Jr.’s physical that his recovery from torn left ACL in Super Bowl has not progressed enough to ensure he would play before mid-January and possibility exists signing him would have no benefit until 2023 season.”

So who did this come from? Beckham’s camp? No way. It only came from the Cowboys. And it’s obvious that the Cowboys wanted it out there.

At one point, it appeared that the Cowboys possibly were going through the motions with Beckham in order to get the Giants to pay more. Now, it looks as if the Cowboys are trying to get Beckham to take less — or, more specifically, to not insist on a contract that extends beyond 2022. They also may be trying, as one league source has opined, to placate players and fans who had been clamoring for the Cowboys to sign Beckham.

The source called the team’s decision to leak negative information about Beckham’s knee “astounding.” There was even a suggestion that Beckham, who recently sued Nike for breach of contract, should sue the Cowboys for violating his medical privacy rights.

Baker Mayfield claimed off waivers by QB-needy Rams | ESPN

The Los Angeles Rams have claimed quarterback Baker Mayfield off waivers, the team announced Tuesday.

The Carolina Panthers waived Mayfield on Monday, something interim coach Steve Wilks said was a mutual agreement between the two sides. Wilks said Mayfield asked to be released after finding out he wouldn’t be the starting quarterback or backup in Carolina going forward.

The Rams will inherit the remaining $1.35 million on Mayfield’s contract.

Mayfield is expected to fly to Los Angeles by Tuesday night and could play as soon as Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders as the Rams are in the process of sending the playbook to him to make sure he can study the offense on his flight, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Asked if Mayfield has a chance to play against the Raiders, one source told Schefter, “there’s a shot.”

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

A wasted opportunity: Patrick Mahomes still has work to do in MVP race

“The Michael Jordan of the sport just jumped over two guys!” exclaimed CBS commentator Tony Romo as Kansas City Chiefs‘ quarterback Patrick Mahomes leaped into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.

Was this Mahomes’ signature MVP moment? Finally defeating the Bengals in their own stadium as the Chiefs became the first AFC team to reach 10 wins?

Everything seemed to be in place for Mahomes and his teammates to cruise into January with the AFC’s top seed — and for the quarterback to have the MVP award locked up before Christmas.

Then adversity struck.

The Kansas City defense was unable to completely contain the Bengals — and Travis Kelce fumbled away the game. What should have been the lasting image of the game quickly became an afterthought in a 27-24 loss that seemed all too familiar to Chiefs fans.

The MVP award has always tended to be about counting stats among the league’s quarterbacks — but there often seems to be room for some defining moments from these players. And on Sunday, the Chiefs wasted a good one.

A tweet to make you think

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