#CHIEFSKINGDOM | Madden 22

[ZSmit88]

Only one QB taken in the first round... don't see that much anymore. Nice updates. That Tampa game is going to be a great way to kick off the season.

[bailey4mvp]

This is very nice in here man, great draft recap (hope you dont mind if i use something similar) and great 1st season.

[artoodeetoo]

Quote: Originally Posted by ZSmit88

Only one QB taken in the first round... don't see that much anymore. Nice updates. That Tampa game is going to be a great way to kick off the season.

It certainly appears that the scheduling in Madden follows the real-life NFL pretty closely -- as a division winner and SBC, I would expect a pretty tough slate.

Quote: Originally Posted by bailey4mvp

This is very nice in here man, great draft recap (hope you dont mind if i use something similar) and great 1st season.

Absolutely. Going to work on preseason stuff now

[artoodeetoo]

Watson Trade To Dolphins Finalized

By ESPN Staff | ESPN.com | July 8th, 2022

Less than twenty-four hours after Deshaun Watson's legal issues cleared up by settling out of court with his roughly two dozen accusers, the Texans have dealt him to the Dolphins, along with guard Max Scharping, for three draft picks -- Miami's normal first-rounder in 2023, their 2024 first-rounder, and a 2023 third-round pick along with three players in linebacker Jerome Baker, defensive lineman Zach Sieler, and offensive guard Solomon Kindley. Miami drafted a pair of linebackers in the 2022 draft (Nakobe Dean in the second, Ventrell Miller in the fourth), possibly foreshadowing moving Baker.


The move comes on the brink of NFL training camps opening, as Watson is expected to report immediately to the Dolphins' camp in Miami over the next twenty-four hours to join his new club. It's the second big QB trade of the new league year, as Aaron Rodgers was dealt from Green Bay to Denver prior to the draft.


Sieler had fifty-five tackles and two sacks in 2021, while Kindley played in sixteen of Miami's seventeen games, mainly on special teams, making two starts at left guard. Scharping started all seventeen games at right guard for the Texans a season ago, but is in the final year of his rookie deal, and is likely going to cost a pretty decent amount of money to keep around. Kindley still has two years remaining on his rookie contract after going in the 2020 Draft in the fourth round.


The biggest hurdle to completing the trade was not just the compensation in players and draft picks, but how Watson's guaranteed money would be divided up. The Texans were on the hook for $50 million over the next two seasons, but the Dolphins will pay roughly $12 million of that to help faciliate the trade. It was also confirmed that the Watson camp only waived their no-trade clause to Miami, as no other teams were considered from their side. Carolina, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, Seattle, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh also had offers on the table in the event that he waived his no-trade to accomodate one of those other franchises.


Now armed with multiple first-rounders the next two seasons; and Kenny Pickett on board from the top of the second round this past April, Houston can now put pieces around him as they look to climb back to relevance in the AFC without Watson, who joins a pretty loaded Dolphins roster already with receivers Devante Parker, Jaylen Waddle, and Brandin Cooks, along with new tight end Dalton Schultz. Scharping should also be in line to compete for one of the guard roles along the offensive line.


Defensively for the Texans, Baker also fills a pretty big hole at linebacker, and he'll team up with Zach Cunningham as a solid one-two punch at the second level going forward. Sieler will likely just be depth, but he'll fit nicely in the Texans' scheme as a five-tech along with first-round rookie DeMarvin Leal. Head coach David Culley has noted that Teddy Bridgewater will likely start the season at quarterback, but Pickett is going to get a 'boatload of work' in the preseason, and they'll evaluate him on a week-to-week basis throughout the year.

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Chiefs Begin Training Camp In St. Joseph

By Tyler Barrister | Kansas City Star | July 10th, 2022

On August 15th of 2020, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy called quarterback Patrick Mahomes a 'competitive prick' in the weeks leading up to the first preseason game that year. Kansas City was just coming off a Super Bowl victory against the 49ers the previous year while winning the MVP of that game, and the season MVP the year before. Two years later, he now owns a pair of Super Bowl rings, and has taken the Chiefs to three straight Super Bowls. Only two other franchises have turned that feat, with Miami from 1971 through 1973, and the Patriots from 2016-18.


You're the quarterback of the team that's hosted the last four AFC title games, won the last three AFC titles, and winner of two of the last three Super Bowls, including beating the GOAT for ring number two. What do you do for an encore?


"You go back to the drawing board, and you figure out what you need to do to keep winning those big games," he said. "Winning games doesn't get old or boring, and we're going to do what we can to keep bringing titles back to Kansas City."


They addressed the pass rush with first-round pick Nik Bonitto, who will likely move from his usual outside linebacker spot into a hand-on-the-ground edge rush role, although defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has noted that the Chiefs could use some more three-man front looks with Bonitto as a stand-up pass rusher, much like they used the now-departed Frank Clark; and also much like the Cowboys' use of Micah Parsons, who won the 2021 NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year.


Bonitto's Oklahoma teammate, Brian Asamoah II, was the team's second-round selection, but he's a more traditional linebacker in the mold of current Chiefs Willie Gay and Nick Bolton. He was also considered one of the best coverage linebackers to come out of college in recent years, which was another weak spot of the defense from a year ago.


Offensively, Mahomes is going to have to do it largely with a different receiving corps, as gone are Byron Pringle, Demarcus Robinson, and Josh Gordon. The team signed former Cowboy receiver Cedrick Wilson on a two-year deal, and drafted wide receivers Ty Fryfogle (sixth) and Romeo Doubs (fourth) in the most recent draft, but the bulk of the production will again fall to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Mecole Hardman is also back, and is on the final year of his rookie deal. Hill is also on the final year of his second deal, and the Chiefs are likely going to have some hard choices to make in the coming months.


Up front, this is an offensive line that is also bringing back all five starters, as the projected starting five started 90% of all games in 2021, with right tackle being the only sore spot. Lucas Niang is expected to reclaim the starting role at some point there after tearing his patellar tendon late last season, but has been slowed in the very early going as he continues to recover from that injury. Andrew Wylie will likely get the nod at right tackle, likely rotating with seventh-rounder Dare Rosenthal through the early parts of camp while Niang slowly works his way back in.


There are seventy-five players in camp to begin the year, with some guys once considered shoo-ins that are now on the brink of not making the squad. Guys like Marcus Kemp, Jody Fortson, Derrick Gore, and Dorian O'Daniel are just a few of the names that have been mainstays from the past few years, but with increased depth in camp, will have a tougher road back to the active roster. Gore could still wind up on the practice squad, but with his relatively strong work in mop-up time a year ago, a team might take a flier on him off waivers.


Fortson, a tight end, is another that's working his way back from a serious injury, as it's uncertain whether he'll be ready after tearing his Achilles in Week 6 of last season at Washington. There are just three other healthy tight ends in camp -- Kelce, Noah Gray, and UDFA Trae Barry.


Another underrated position battle to watch will be for the punting duties, as the Chiefs paid a premium to bring in rookie punter Matt Araiza on a UDFA contract. It is not a guarantee that he'll outright win the job, but Tommy Townsend struggled down the stretch when called upon, hitting just a 43.1 gross average over the last eight games (incl. playoffs). Araiza has a huge leg, which is understating it, but isn't as refined with placement as Townsend or long-time Chief Dustin Colquitt, who retired after last season.

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Preseason Game Preview: Tampa Bay

By Tyler Barrister | Kansas City Star | August 12th, 2022

The two teams will meet for the fourth time since 2020, as the Chiefs are 2-1 in their last three matchups with the only loss being in the Super Bowl after the 2020 season. Head coach Andy Reid expects the ones to play at least the first quarter, with a few players quite possibly stretching into the second quarter. He also has three other quarterbacks on the roster all vying for the backup role, with second-year pro Shane Buechele considered to be the favorite to take over the backup role that Chad Henne and Matt Moore have held the last few seasons.


There are few injuries to speak of, with tackle Lucas Niang the only major scratch as he continues to recover from his patellar tendon injury from late last season. Tight end Jody Fortson is also out as he's on the mend from his Achilles injury from Week 6 last year, but Reid noted he expects both of them to be ready by Week 1 or 'soon thereafter'. He noted that Fortson's recovery has been exceptionally miraculous, as those types of injuries can not only be season-ending, but career-threatening.


1. A glimpse of the draft class
This will be the first look that the staff will have at the 2022 draft class in a live-action setting, as all of them are expected to log significant or starter's snaps in the early going. All eyes will especially be on first-rounder Nik Bonitto, as he'll be counted on to provide some juice in the pass rush to absorb the loss of Frank Clark, whom the team traded earlier in the offseason to Cincinnati for a draft pick. Second-round pick Brian Asamoah II also figures to play a prominent role on Saturday night alongside incumbent linebackers Willie Gay and Nick Bolton.


A few undrafted free agents also warrant some additional scrutiny -- defensive tackle Dante Stills, punter Matt Araiza, and outside linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who has been one of the talks of camp amongst the defensive staff. There's also some chatter that suggests that Dorian O'Daniel may see an increased role in the linebacker room, especially on passing downs in addition to his special teams role.


2. Making sense of the backup QB situation
For the first time in Patrick Mahomes' career, he won't have a grizzled veteran backing him up -- with Chad Henne's retirement, it leaves an unproven quarterback room after him, with Buechele, Skylar Thompson, and EJ Perry as the four quarterbacks in camp. Apparently, the Chiefs (and most of the league) held Buechele in high enough regard that the Chiefs added him to the roster midseason with all of the quarterback injuries/Covid issues from a season ago, effectively making him the favorite heading into this season.


However, Thompson has been singled out by Reid himself for having a good camp, so it's possible that there's a real competition brewing for the backup role. Thompson also has a local tie to the area, playing collegiately at Kansas State, and playing in high school for Fort Osage in Independence, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City.


3. How much will the staff show?
As we all know, these two teams are going to meet Week 1 in Kansas City. I wouldn't expect a whole lot of defense being played, and I doubt that either Bruce Arians or Reid will want to tip too much of their hand prior to the regular season opener. Defensively, Steve Spagnuolo and Todd Bowles aren't going to show a lot of exotic looks or blitzes, so from a football nerd standpoint, it's not going to be an aesthetically pleasing matchup.

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Chiefs Drop Preseason Opener

By Tyler Barrister | Kansas City Star | August 14th, 2022

It was a sloppy first half for both sides, as the Chiefs were the victim of a safety and a scoop-and-score on their first two drives, and Tampa Bay quarterbacks threw three interceptions, all of them picked off by Tyrann Mathieu. Somehow, despite all of those turnovers, the two teams managed to play to a 21-19 halftime score. With the reserves in the game for the majority of the second half on, Tampa Bay took control, outscoring the Chiefs 28-18 in the second half on their way to a wild 47-39 victory to open the preseason.


The Buccaneers rolled up 516 yards of offense, outgaining the Chiefs 516-378 while also going 5-for-9 on third down. Kansas City was 6-for-12 on third down. The Chiefs led the NFL in third down conversion rate at 51.3% a season ago.


Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City ones on offense played just the first quarter, with Mahomes finishing 10-of-15 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for thirty-eight yards on five carries, with Darrel Williams rushing for sixteen yards on five carries. Three different quarterbacks played for the Chiefs, with Shane Buechele and Skylar Thompson alternating series in the second half after Mahomes. Buechele played the entire second quarter.


Each of them threw a touchdown pass, with Thompson going 6-for-11 and Buechele completing 7-of-12 pass attempts. Rookies Romeo Doubs and Trae Barry each caught touchdown passes, with fellow rookie receiver Ty Fryfogle catching five passes, all in the second half. Buechele also had a nifty twenty-five yard run to convert a third-and-long late in the third quarter on the same drive he threw his touchdown pass.


"That's the fun of the preseason, insofar that you get to see the younger guys on the field, showing what they can do," said head coach Andy Reid. "Saw a lot of things that we liked as a staff, and for sure, there's some things to work on, which is how it goes most years."


Tom Brady played just the first quarter for Tampa, with Kyle Trask playing the final three quarters. He threw for 247 yards and two interceptions on 19-for-33 passing, but also threw for a pair of touchdowns as he engineered a strong second half offensively for the Bucs.


The injury bug bit the Chiefs early on, as first-round pick Nik Bonitto (ankle) and linebacker Nick Bolton (hamstring) were both chased from the game due to injuries, and did not return. Neither one is expected to be out for any significant length of time per Reid, but lower body injuries can linger for weeks, even at a minor level.

Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Aug 13, 2022 1 2 3 4 OT F KAN (0-1) 7 14 7 11 - 39 TAM (1-0) 16 3 14 14 - 47 Top Performers TB PASS: Kyle Trask - 19-of-33, 247 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT KC PASS: Patrick Mahomes - 10-of-15, 158 YDS, TD TB RUSH: Brian Robinson II - 9 ATT, 47 YDS, TD KC RUSH: Clyde Edwards-Helaire - 5 ATT, 38 YDS, TD TB RECV: Tim Patrick - 6 REC, 70 YDS, TD KC RECV: Ty Fryfogle - 5 REC, 72 YDS	Team Stats Comparison KAN TAM First Downs 24 19 3rd Down Efficiency 5/9 6/12 4th Down Efficiency 0/0 0/0 Total Yards 378 516 Passing Yards 275 396 Rushing Yards 103 120 Penalties-Penalty Yards 5-57 6-45 Turnovers 1 3 Time of Possession 28:49 31:11

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Preseason Game Preview: Philadelphia

By Tyler Barrister | Kansas City Star | August 19th, 2022

While the Buccaneers are more apt to move the ball through the air, the Eagles will give the Chiefs a completely different look, as they use the legs of Jalen Hurts to help move the ball on the ground along with running backs Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell. They also brought in veteran Tyrod Taylor on a two-year contract to back Hurts up, along with rookie free agent Zedrick Cooper as the three arms in Eagles' camp. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has noted that he doesn't want to expose Hurts to too many hits in the preseason, but acknowledged that he's at his best when teams are fearful he'll take off with the ball.


"Jalen's had a great camp so far," said Sirianni of his third-year quarterback. "Going back and looking at film from the last couple of seasons, the leaps he's made as a passer are pretty stark. He's put in the work over the offseason, and the guys just gravitate toward him as a leader, and that's really exciting as a coach to see that from your starter."


They also brought in a solid draft class, led by safety Kyle Hamilton, defensive end George Karlaftis, and center Tyler Linderbaum, all in the first dozen picks of the entire draft. They also grabbed Georgia teammates Travon Walker and Derion Kendrick from the national champion Bulldog program in the second and third rounds, respectively. Walker is a defensive end, and Kendrick is a cornerback.


With that, here are three things to watch for in the upcoming matchup with the Eagles:


1. Injuries becoming an issue
The offensive line is quite banged up as they head into the second preseason game tomorrow, as left tackle Orlando Brown, Jr., guard Trey Smith, and tackle Lucas Niang are all still out, although Niang resumed light drills this past week in camp. Joe Thuney will slide over to left tackle, rookie Andrew Vorhees is expected to start at left guard, and Dare Rosenthal is likely to start at right tackle tomorrow night. The only returning starters up front that are healthy and playing will be Creed Humphrey at center, and right tackle Andrew Wylie. Tight end Jody Fortson is also expected to remain out, while defensive end Nik Bonitto and Bolton are limited, but expected to play tomorrow night.


Brown (knee) went out on just the second series of the game on Saturday, and didn't return. Smith (oblique) also didn't return, but Andy Reid noted that Brown would likely play if it was a regular season game. Otherwise, he would remain out. Smith, on the other hand according to Reid, is not likely to play again this preseason.


2. Rookie receiver impact
The Chiefs' two receiver draft picks, Romeo Doubs and Ty Fryfogle, showed well against the Buccaneers, with Doubs catching three passes for forty-six yards and a touchdown, while Fryfogle caught five passes for seventy-two yards, with the latter leading the team. Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson, and Mecole Hardman are the likely entrenched top three receivers in the room, but the emergence of these two rookies is one of the major developments of camp so far.


Does that mean that others competing here, like Daurice Fountain, Marcus Kemp, or Cornell Powell are out of the running? No, but if the Chiefs can get anything out of a couple of later-round fliers at the position, it would bode well for not only the future, but for the present as well since they need to add competent depth with the losses of Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle, and Josh Gordon.


3. Issues in the secondary?
After Tom Brady left the game following the first quarter, Kyle Trask threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and his two interceptions came against most of the first-team defense. The Chiefs spent some decent money on guys like Damon Arnette, Jr., and Donte Jackson, and those two were part of the second-team defensive back unit that struggled against Trask and a host of reserves in the second half. It's just one game, but if they fail to get much traction against Jalen Hurts, Tyrod Taylor, and whomever else that the Eagles have in camp, then there might be some cause for concern if injuries arise in the back end of the defense.

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