Chiefs Patrick Mahomes Drops Blunt 4-Word Reply to Bills Cornerback
The Kansas City Chiefs face what may be their most important regular season game since Patrick Mahomes took over as full-time starting quarterback in 2017. Since then, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to a 95-30 regular season record, winning the AFC West division every season, and advancing to the conference championship game every year as well.
But Mahomes and the Chiefs’ incredible string of success stands in peril on Sunday when the Chiefs come out of their bye week — though still nursing the wounds of a devastating 28-21 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in their final game before the weeklong break — to face the new West division leaders, the Denver Broncos.
Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston who collected his first NFL interception in the game off a Mahomes throw, couldn’t resist adding a little insult to injury in his postgame comments.
At the podium for the first time since the aftermath of the Buffalo game on Wednesday, Mahomes delivered a pointed, four-word response to the rookie.
In fact, Mahomes said that Hairston’s remarks might help the Chiefs deal with their immediate problem — the Broncos.
Loss to Broncos Could End Division Win Streak
Behind sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, Denver’s first-round pick, 12th overall, out of Oregon in 2024, the Broncos have powered their way to what, at least so far, looks like their best season since 2015 when Denver won its third Super Bowl in franchise history.
More importantly, at 8-2, the Broncos stand 2 1/2 game ahead of Kansas City in the divisional standings. The Chiefs not only are looking a steep comeback to win the division, but they are currently out of a playoff position altogether, occupying the eighth seed in the conference.
A loss to the Broncos could effectively put an end to the Chiefs’ hopes of winning an eigth consecutive division title — and could put them in danger of not making the playoffs at all. According to a mathematical formula created by The Athletic, the Chiefs currently have a 75 percent chance of making the playoffs, but that probability falls to 61 percent if they fail to defeat Denver on the road Sunday.
Hairston Identifies Worthy’s ‘Tells’
Clearly, the Bills need to address some flaws in their performance if they want to prevent that scenario, and one of those flaws was identified by Hairston. In the aftermath of the Bills’ win over Kansas City, Hairston — who was playing in only his second NFL game — said that he had identified certain body language “tells” in wide receiver Xavier Worthy that enabled him to lock down the Chiefs’ second-year pass catcher.
“Finding a difference in his posture and his effort for real — when he knows he’s not getting it, when it’s a run,” Hairston said, as quoted by journalist Tyler Dunne. “So just applying what I saw from the film room and taking it out to the field. There are tells that everybody gives. It’s just about finding it.”
Mahomes Responds to Hairston
Told of Hairston’s remarks on Wednesday, by reporters at Mahomes’ media appearance, the Chiefs’ two-time NFL MVP signal-caller had four words to say.
“I appreciate the info,” Mahomes remarked.
The three-time Super Bowl winning QB went on to say that the information provided by Hairston would help the Chiefs in their crucial game against the Broncos on Sunday, in a game that will be televised to almost the entire country by CBS in the 4:25 Eastern time slot.
Brandon Graham picked up where he left off in first Eagles game in his return
One of the true OG's in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history returned to the gridiron in Week 10, as Brandon Graham took to the tundra at Lambeau Field in what would be a grueling 10-7 triumph over the Green Bay Packers that went the way of the visiting Birds.
Graham, who is third in all-time franchise sacks (76.5) and first in games played (277), registered 10 snaps on the evening. Lining up at defensive end in a three-point stance on a four-man front, as well as EDGE, he exhibited that there's gas left in the tank to burn.
After scratching his retirement plans and re-signing, the instrumental team leader ramped up in practice for two weeks. His season debut at Lambeau Field proved to be perfect timing, as it was the front seven who stole the show in a grind-it-out, actual game of inches affair.
The 16-year defensive stalwart and two-time Super Bowl Champion fired up the motor once again, knifing off the edge and into the backfield on a handful of pivotal plays.
How did Graham look in his return to the field for the Eagles?
On a crucial outside run down the stretch, Graham set the edge perfectly, barreling into the Green Bay backfield out wide to spin Josh Jacobs inside, where a flock of Birds defenders swallowed him up. A flash play for sure, but his positive presence delves far deeper.
While the snap count was relatively low, his impact was crystal clear. Graham's positive presence has always been two-fold: Philadelphia figures to benefit from key plays out of number 55 as part of their Edge unit, and they will undoubtedly enjoy the return of a passionate leader amongst such an athletic and dynamic, albeit young, defensive group.
Back when there were rumblings that Graham might return, teammate Nakobe Dean lauded the possibility, stating, "the energy BG brings is unparalleled."
And now with a spirited captain officially back in the fold, the collective energy level amid countless gang tackles and key stops was on full display versus Green Bay.
