Arrowheadlines: Travis Kelce blames himself for Worthy injury

The latest

Prisco’s Week 2 NFL picks: Chiefs vs. Eagles in spotlight, will Lions and Ravens bounce back? | CBS Sports

This rematch of the last February’s Super Bowl will be a fun one to watch. The Chiefs are coming off a tough loss to the Chargers in Brazil, while the Eagles edged the Cowboys in their season opener. Philadelphia’s pass rush won the Super Bowl for the Eagles, but the Chiefs are better up front. That will matter as Patrick Mahomes wins it with a late comeback.

Pick: Chiefs 30, Eagles 28

What’s Real

and What’s Not From NFL Week 1? | The Ringer

The Kansas City Chiefs’ dynasty is over.

The offense should be fine going forward, even if the deep-ball problem doesn’t go away, but I’m not sure that Steve Spagnuolo’s defense will be OK. The unit struggled in many of the same ways it did a season ago. It showed that it can still beat up a power-run game in a phone booth, but the pass defense had no answer for Justin Herbert. The pass rush failed to get home without extra rushers and creative pressure, and they left too many receivers open downfield. Over the past few seasons Kansas City has lost a lot of talent in its secondary—L’Jarius Sneed, Justin Reid, and Tyrann Mathieu—and the front office has yet to find adequate replacements. Defensive success now seems to be entirely contingent on Chris Jones having a dominant day. Jones remains one of the NFL’s best interior pass rushers, but that’s a lot of pressure to put on a 31-year-old defensive tackle. It’s also a lot of pressure to put on Spagnuolo, whose schemes can make up for only so much. The same can be said of Mahomes and Reid on the other side of the ball.

I wouldn’t bury the Chiefs after an opening week loss against a quarterback who put on a virtuoso performance, but they no longer look like a lock for a spot in the AFC championship game. Forget about teams like the Bills, Ravens, and Bengals. Kansas City could have trouble holding on to the top spot in its own division after getting outclassed by the Chargers.

Early Hot Seat Check for Every NFL Head Coach | Bleacher Report

Ice Cold

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: Never say never, because Bill Belichick’s seat was once a block of ice and even he wore out his welcome in New England. That said, Reid is as close to immune as it gets following a six-year run of dominance that includes five Super Bowl appearances.

Week 2 QB Power Rankings: Who is No. 1 after start of 2025 season? | CBS Sports

7 – Patrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs QB
The reigning AFC champion was outdueled against the Bolts to open the year, but he still showcased some of his signature acrobatics. He might need even more now that speedster Xavier Worthy is banged up. (-3)

Chiefs’ Travis Kelce accepts blame for Xavier Worthy’s injury | ESPN

Kelce shared his perspective during the “New Heights” podcast he co-hosts with Jason Kelce, his brother, when discussing the Chiefs’ 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night. Travis Kelce said he took the “most accountability” himself for the defeat as one of the team’s main leaders.

“I ran into one of my guys and offed him out of the game; I literally took one of my players out,” Kelce said of Worthy. “That’s one of the most frustrating parts, and it’s hard to get your juices back going knowing you just hurt a guy.”

Worthy, a second-year player who is the team’s fastest receiver, suffered a right shoulder injury while running a crossing route to gain separation against the Chargers’ man-to-man coverage. He collided with Kelce, who was running a crossing route in the opposite direction. Worthy fell to the turf in pain and didn’t return to the game.

Around the NFL

Browns’ Joe Flacco admits first game in Baltimore since departure is ‘a big deal’ | NFL.com

The Browns starting quarterback admitted on Wednesday he’s surprised it didn’t happen sooner and is looking forward to the opportunity.

“We were on good terms when I left,” Flacco said. “But at the same time, you know, it’s natural to feel a certain way when you’re going against a team that you’re not playing for anymore. I’ve been a part of other players that do that and you kind of try to act normal, but it is a big deal. You do want to go beat them, and it’s a little bit of a difference.”

Flacco remains appreciative of the organization and of the many years he spent leading them to success — highlighted by a win in Super Bowl XLVII in which he won MVP. He called Baltimore on Wednesday a “very special place” where he made “many good memories,” and added he won’t feel quite as emotionally charged because he has faced the Ravens in the past — just not in Baltimore.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Injuries: Andy Reid says Xavier Worthy not headed to IR

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Reid said that only Worthy and rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals (who is dealing with tendonitis in his knee) would be held out of Wednesday’s practice.

“Those two won’t practice today,” said the coach in his opening statement. “Both are doing better; they’re working on it and making progress. But they’re not ready to go today, for sure.”

Reporters wanted more details on Worthy. Is surgery being considered for the second-year player?

“No,” declared Reid, making a rare black-and-white statement about a player’s injury. “Not right now.”

Would Worthy be placed on the team’s Reserve/Injured list? Reid demurred again.

“He’s just rehabbing here,” he said.