The Kansas City Chiefs are back, the NFL London games are back and, much to the delight of the Los Angeles Rams, Puka Nacua could be back. I was sat in on our weekly production meeting at Sky Sports NFL on Wednesday when Jason Bell declared Brock Bowers can do everything Jaxon Smith-Njigba can do, the only difference being that he does it from tight end. How right he is.
The Las Vegas Raiders star runs every route on the tree, can line up in any spot across the formation, boasts some of the safest hands in football, buys separation with feints and guile over electrifying speed, can win in isolated situations, can attack all levels of the field and offers focal point output. Bowers put up 10 catches from 13 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders improved to a shock 3-0 in Sunday's 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints. "I mean, it's self-explanatory, he's the best in the business," said Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby. "He's a complete game-changer. Unguardable.
So, yeah, we have a guy like that back in the lineup, it definitely helps the team out." The Raiders noted this week that he is now the third non-receiver in NFL history to record at least 1,900 receiving yards through his first 30 career games behind Mike Ditka and Kellen Winslow. He is everything he was billed as and more upon being drafted with the 13th overall pick in 2024, becoming the quintessential modern tight end whose makeup would previously fuel the rise of his position-mate in Kansas City. For so long Travis Kelce has been the blueprint of receiver-traited tight end production, torpedoing press and soft coverage while splitting his time between the slot and perimeter as Patrick Mahomes' most trusted ally.
Having shelved retirement for now, a 36-year-old Kelce has started the season strongly with a team-high 14 catches from 19 targets for 231 yards and two touchdowns as part of a reinvigorated Chiefs passing offense. Behind Kansas City's unbeaten 3-0 start have been signs of Mahomes looking like Mahomes once more, the league's best quarterback attacking defenses with both swagger and aggression through the air after returning from last season's knee injury. A heavy use of play-action has breathed new life in Andy Reid's passing scheme, opening the floor to Mahomes' off-platform exploits and the downfield splash plays that have disappeared in recent seasons.
But for all that Mahomes might be praised for his early impact, the arrival of former Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has been a game-changer in inspiring this apparent Chiefs resurgence. Play-action success doesn't happen without him. Walker, the Super Bowl MVP in February, leads the NFL with 360 rushing yards while averaging 5.5 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns on the ground, as well as making 11 catches for 82 yards and two scores.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing