Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today's installment covers:
But first, a look at the team that just refuses to lose ...
The Kansas City Chiefs have become a lightning rod for bitterness due to their sweeping success. Going back to last season, Kansas City has won 15 straight games. While some like to attribute this to luck or various conspiracy theories, Andy Reid and his squad have simply mastered the art of winning.
From Patrick Mahomes' savvy quarterbacking to Chris Jones' timely playmaking to Harrison Butker's clutch kicking, Kansas City has become the best complementary football team in the league, showcasing rare balance and versatility. The Chiefs have embraced a methodical style that enables the offense, defense and special teams to win utilizing a collaborative effort. Though Kansas City's current commitment to playing complementary football drastically differs from the aerial circus that made this team so fun to watch during the Tyreek Hill era, the approach has put the Chiefs in position to accomplish something no team has ever done before: win three straight Super Bowls.
Part of the Chiefs' success should be attributed to Mahomes' ability to adapt to a supporting cast that's seen plenty of turnover in recent years. Though the signal-caller does consistently turn to his trusted No. 1 pass catcher, Travis Kelce, in crucial moments. The nine-time Pro Bowl tight end remains the go-to guy in an offense that's tormenting foes with a methodical game plan. The dink-and-dunk passing game features various short-to-intermediate throws with Kelce entrenched as the centerpiece, as evidenced by his 32 receptions over the past three games. With highly accomplished veteran DeAndre Hopkins coming on board via trade last month, the Chiefs have been able to utilize a deliberate passing attack to control the game and limit the number of possessions. While most ball-control teams rely on the running game to dominate the time of possession, the Chiefs have been able to do so via Mahomes' efficiency as a passer. The two-time MVP is averaging 34.6 pass attempts per game with a 69.5 percent completion rate and a yards-per-attempt figure of 7.1. Although his passer rating (90.3) and interception percentage (2.9) are the worst marks he's posted since become Kansas City's full-time starter in 2018, Mahomes is averaging 24 completions per game, while also gaining 14 first downs on impromptu runs or scrambles.
With the Chiefs leading the league in average time of possession (33:01), the team's offensive approach has helped the defense become a more dominant force. The unit plays fewer snaps and faces opponents who are challenged to do more with fewer opportunities. As a result, the Chiefs rank fourth in total defense and fifth in scoring D, making this the fifth time in six seasons that they have ranked among the top 10 in points allowed.
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo utilizes a high-pressure scheme featuring exotic blitzes to befuddle quarterbacks and opposing play-callers. The Chiefs have the No. 1 blitz rate on third down (52%), with the mad scientist frequently attacking opponents with all-out blitzes featuring Cover 0 in the back end. The blitz-centric scheme has helped Kansas City not allow a single 300-yard passer or 100-yard rusher this season. With every opponent thus far held to 25 points or fewer, the defense dominates by owning the critical areas determining who wins and loses each week.
From a personnel standpoint, the Chiefs have assembled a fine lineup to match the defensive play-caller's scheme. Spagnuolo's blitz-heavy tactics make it imperative to have front-line defenders with non-stop motors and back-seven defenders with superb coverage skills. Given the individual and collective skills of Jones, George Karlaftis, Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill and Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs challenge foes at every level with a defense built on talent, toughness and tactical excellence.
Though Kansas City's offensive and defensive production garner headlines, the team's success in the third phase cannot be overlooked. I already mentioned Butker, who's one of the very best kickers in the league. And actually, Thursday's news that he'll miss the next month or so due to a knee issue is indeed a big hit to the league's last remaining undefeated team. But the contributions from Dave Toub's special teams go far beyond one man's leg. The Chiefs have a knack for making plays on special teams when the game hangs in the balance. Remember Kadarius Toney's massive punt return late in Super Bowl LVII? Or how about this past Sunday, when Leo Chenal preserved Kansas City's perfect record by blocking a 35-yard field goal attempt? Toub's units routinely deliver game-changing plays. Not to mention, the underappreciated aspects of field-flipping punts and suffocating kick coverage -- stuff that further fuels the Chiefs' complementary football approach, leading to narrow wins against energized opponents hoping to knock off the reigning champs.
Heading to Buffalo this weekend for a massive showdown with the 8-2 Bills, the Chiefs once again find themselves squarely in the spotlight. Although the league's heavyweights have seemingly closed the gaps on Kansas City, this team just keeps doing everything possible to continue chalking up Ws in various ways. With most NFL games decided by eight points or fewer, the Chiefs' calculated approach could produce a three-peat that makes the rest of the league re-examine game-planning methods.
Ranking NFL's top five rivalries
The schedule makers made Week 11 quite compelling, with several heated rivalry games on tap. Packers-Bears, Ravens-Steelers and Seahawks-49ers are always intense battles, with history between the combatants ramping up the energy and electricity between players, coaches and fans on all sides.
Given the intrigue surrounding these games this week, it is the perfect time to rank the NFL's best rivalries. Here are MY top five.
The storied histories of two of the league's oldest franchises puts this rivalry at the top of the list. The teams have combined for 22 NFL championships, including five Super Bowl titles. Additionally, the Bears and Packers have produced more than 70 Pro Football Hall of Famers. Given the rings, trophies and gold jackets between these bitter rivals, Bears-Packers is the gold standard for NFL rivalries.
These AFC North rivals engage in a backyard brawl twice a year, with two bullies throwing haymakers and trying to knock each other out. Though the Steelers have controlled the series with seven wins in the last eight showdowns, each contest has been decided by seven points or fewer. And the Ravens head into this week's installment with the ultimate equalizer in two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. Also, a few players switching sides this year (Patrick Queen, Diontae Johnson and DeShon Elliott) only adds to the spiciness. This rivalry has been dotted with passionate players like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jonathan Ogden, Terrell Suggs, Troy Polamalu, Jerome Bettis and Hines Ward. I can't wait to watch what Sunday's game brings.
Some would argue this is among the very best rivalries in sports, given the memorable battles that have fueled this never-ending feud between these division rivals. The Cowboys and Commanders mix like oil and water, with Dallas' glitz and glamour clashing with Washington's blue-collar tradition. With these teams typically staying true to their identities through their respective playing styles, the testy matchups have produced plenty of fireworks and enduring highlights over the years.
The "Dirty South" cannot get enough of this rivalry between divisional foes. Despite lengthy periods of futility between a pair of teams founded in the 1960s, the bitterness between these NFC South squads comes out whenever they square off in NOLA or The A. As these teams continue to battle it out for bragging rights within the region, the records do not matter to players and fans who just love to hand an "L" to their most hated rival.
Some would argue the Seahawks are the 49ers' biggest rivals, but San Francisco's long history with the Rams makes this the pick for me. This battle of California has escalated since Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay took over as team leaders, too, and their relationship and schematic similarities ramp up the intensity of the matchup. Lately, these showdowns have had strong implications on the race for the Lombardi Trophy, as well, so Rams-Niners deserves a spot on this list.
How Jesse Minter electrified Bolts' D
In three seasons under former head coach Brandon Staley, the Chargers never cracked the top 20 in points allowed. Now, nine games into the Jim Harbaugh regime -- with Jesse Minter serving as defensive coordinator -- the Bolts rank No. 1 in that category, having stifled opponents to the tune of 13.1 points allowed per game.
If that is not a stark enough sign of the leaps made under Minter, consider that the 2024 Chargers are allowing 10.1 points fewer per game than last year's iteration. Here's a great nugget from ESPN's Kris Rhim: Since 1990, only five defensive coordinators in their first year with a team have seen an improvement of at least 10 points per game from the previous season. And unlike the last coach to pull it off -- Ron Meeks, who was a decade-plus into his NFL career when he hit that mark with the Colts in 2002 -- Minter has mostly cut his teeth in the college ranks, aside from a four-season stint on the Ravens' staff.
L.A.'s success can surely be attributed in part to Minter's experience making complex schemes simple for his players. As the defensive coordinator at Michigan under Harbaugh over the previous two seasons, he followed predecessor Mike Macdonald's blueprint of conceptual learning to help his players expand the playbook by utilizing the same tactics with various personnel groupings. As Minter and safety Derwin James told ESPN, simplicity has been key to his approach with the Chargers, as well.
Studying film of the Chargers' recent games, the unit's communication, discipline and attention to detail jump off the screen. The simple design of the scheme is hidden from the offense by complex presentation; as James told ESPN, "It's complicated for the offense to understand, but it's not complicated for us." As the defense comes to understand how an opponent is attacking the game plan, it reacts faster and closes the available windows with speed and aggression.
L.A.'s defenders also execute the simple things well; their mastery of the basics (tackling and pursuit) has enabled them to keep opposing offenses from producing big plays. The defensive backfield is clearly intent on making opponents drive the length of the field via a series of short and intermediate passes. The Bolts appear willing to play the odds that the opponent cannot execute at a high level for four quarters without committing self-inflicted errors.
This is a veteran-laden squad featuring several players with extensive experience in the league (James, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Denzel Perryman) -- and the apparent exceptional communication within the unit has created a defense that plays like there are 13 players on the field.
It's true that much of the Chargers' defensive success has come against pedestrian offenses. But the schedule is toughening up -- starting with Sunday night's game against Joe Burrow's Bengals -- and I think we'll see Minter's group stand up to the challenge and help power a postseason run.