🏈 The Touchdown Collective: Champion Chiefs finally dethroned
Patrick Mahomes, Daniel Jones and Matt LaFleur all feature to keep you ahead of the game, one play at a time
In today’s Touchdown Collective there’s the latest on the Chiefs after their costly defeat to the Texans in Press Coverage, it’s all about No.12 in Get to the Post, while Inside Zone has the scoop on an injury to Zach Ertz.
📰 Press Coverage
🤠 Houston Texans 20 🤴 Kansas City Chiefs 10
The Chiefs will not win the AFC West for the first time since 2015 after they fell to 6-7 (yes, I know) on the season with a defeat to the Texans.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was 14-of-33 with no TDs and three INTs with a rating of 19.8 as the Texans put on a defensive masterclass. Coach Andy Reid, though, placed the blame at his own door after deciding to go on a fourth down from their own 31-yard line with the game tied at 10-10 in the fourth.
The Chiefs failed, turned the ball over, the Texans took the lead shortly after and never gave it up again.
“I thought we could get it,” Reid said. “That was the decision. I was confident we could do that. It’s important that you take advantage of opportunities. I thought it was an opportunity. I was wrong, though. In hindsight, it was wrong. We’ve been pretty good on fourth downs. I messed that one up.”
Indianapolis Colts
What a shame.
The Colts were flying just a few weeks ago but QB Daniel Jones looks to be done for the season with an Achilles injury, and with it any real hopes of a deep play-off run.
Having played the last few weeks with a reportedly fractured fibula, Jones went down early and grabbed the back of his right leg (the other one to the fibula issue) and was ruled out of the game with what sources have confirmed to ESPN to be a torn Achilles which will need surgery and rule him out for the rest of the campaign.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen did not confirm that yesterday, but said: “It could be season-ending. It’s not looking good.”
WR Alec Pierce summed up the Colts’ feelings, saying: “That’s our team leader, our team captain. It’s brutal.”
Their opponents yesterday, Jacksonville, now lead the division at 9-4, with the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union saying the win will allow the Jaguars to “roll to the AFC South title”.
Green Bay Packers
Matt LaFleur was all business yesterday as the Packers downed Ben Johnson’s Bears, insisting there was no personal satisfaction after the win.
Johnson said in the off-season that he enjoyed beating LaFleur’s Packers twice a season as part of his role in Detroit. Well, he’s 0-1 against them as a head coach now.
A (very) quick handshake took place after the game, perhaps not surprising given they meet again in a few weeks.
And asked if the win was a little bit sweeter than normal, LaFleur simply said: “No, absolutely not. It’s Packers-Bears. It’s a great rivalry. Certainly, with what was at stake in regards to positioning in the NFC North, that’s the only thing that matters.”
↔️ Read option
🟡Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers says he hopes critics of head coach Mike Tomlin will “shut the hell up for a week” after their win over the 🐦⬛Ravens. The Baltimore Banner, meanwhile, believe the Ravens “are wobbling” after back-to-back defeats.
Geno Smith’s shoulder “locked up” according to head coach Pete Carroll during the ⚔️Raiders’ defeat to the 🐴Broncos. Bo Nix said he was happy with the way the Broncos “controlled the football” in what was their 10th successive win.
WCommanders star Jayden Daniels was another QB to leave their game early yesterday as he landed hard on the same elbow he dislocated just a few weeks ago in a heavy defeat to the 🟣Vikings. You can read the report from CBS Sports here. For the Vikings, however, a first win in five was a ‘cathartic victory’ writes Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Arguably the best team in football (and there isn’t much of an argument at the moment) the 🐏Rams walloped the 🔴Cardinals yesterday and are ‘back on top of their game’ writes Gary Klein of the LA Times. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said the manner of the 45-17 defeat was “very humbling”.
The 🏴☠️Buccaneers are now tied for the lead in the NFC South with the 🐈⬛Panthers after defeat to divisional rivals the ⚜️Saints. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield said the defeat “sucks” as they “gave it away”, while Tyler Shough’s performance offered ‘hope for the future’ according to Nola.com.
Josh Allen was thankful the 🦬Bills “made plays tonight” as they came back to down the 🐅Bengals in the snow, scoring 21 points in the final quarter of a 39-34 win. Bengals QB Joe Burrow says his side have “four games to go and show high-level execution, high-level play and playmaking”.
⏱️ Game clock
This week’s NFL fixtures
Press conference picks of the week
Eagles v Chargers
🦅 Eagles – Saquon Barkley: Energy is high
⚡️Chargers – Khalil Mack: It’s a hell of a challenge
↗ Get to the Post
What’s up 12? 😢
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High Five!
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🤫 Inside Zone
Commanders TE Zach Ertz may have a torn ACL, head coach Dan Quinn says.
Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was ruled out during their game yesterday with what coach Andy Reid called a ‘hyperextended knee’.
Justin Herbert is listed as questionable for the Chargers’ game against the Eagles tonight with an injury to his non-throwing hand.
📩 Who am I? I’m Michael Ham, the Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express Sports Editor – and an avid NFL fan. I have almost 20 years of experience in sports news journalism and I’m the writer behind The Touchdown Collective.
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