Chiefs Rumors: Chargers credit Travis Kelce for dominating defense
The Kansas City Chiefs continued their recent dominance over the rival Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, picking up a 31-17 win at Arrowhead Stadium. To no one's surprise, tight end Travis Kelce -- with Taylor Swift in attendance, of course -- was dominant, hauling in 12 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Rather than downplaying Kelce's impact or anything of that sort, though, Chargers players are giving credit to the Chiefs tight end for picking the defense apart when they played zone.
While LA head coach Brandon Staley told Daniel Popper of The Athletic (subscription required) that the Chargers played "plenty of man" during the first 30 minutes and more in the second half, some of the defensive backs disagreed with that, while crediting Kelce for taking advantage.
"We played zone," Davis said. "(Kelce) just goes to the spot and turns around. It has nothing to do with Travis. It's us. We got to get on their ass. When you come down and you play the Chiefs, you got to come out and play man and get on their ass."
Derwin James also added that the Chargers played "too much zone" and said Kelce was getting behind the linebackers in space at will in the first half.
So while it does seem that there might be a bit of turmoil with the LA defense, they are certainly still giving Kelce his due. It's one thing to know the space is there in a zone defense, it's another thing entirely for a player to find that space again and again while slowly picking apart that defense. That's what Kelce accomplished.
Chiefs Rumors: Mike Pennel returns to Kansas City on practice squad
The first thing that the Chiefs needed on the defensive line this season was to get Chris Jones back on the field. After the season-opening loss to the Lions, Brett Veach made that happen quickly. However, the potential concerns on the defensive front didn't completely disappear after Jones returned to action.
Depth has been an issue with the defensive front to this point, even with the return of Charles Omenihu (who has been fantastic) from suspension. But now, the Chiefs might be turning to a familiar face and a Super Bowl champion (with Kansas City, of course) back into the fold.
As first reported by Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, Kansas City has signed veteran Mike Pennel to the practice squad. The team also released wide receiver Daniel Arias in a corresponding transaction.
Pennel spent two seasons and played in 22 games for the Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl with the team after the 2019 season. He registered one sack and two tackles for loss with 53 total tackles over his previous time in KC.
With Jones and veteran Derrick Nnadi as the starters, Kansas City doesn't need the 32-year-old Pennel to be a superstar or anything close. However, as an effective space-eater who can clog up the middle in a rotational role, once he gets up to speed on the practice squad, he could be an incredible valuable addition to keep the Chiefs defense trending as one of the better units in the NFL.
Chiefs Rumors: Marquise Brown trade connected to Kansas City
We've already seen the Kansas City Chiefs use the weeks leading up to the NFL Trade Deadliine to try and upgrade the offense. The team brought back a familiar weapon in Mecole Hardman in a deal with the Jets, but most analysts rightfully contend that Brett Veach still has more work to do in order to adequately improve the weaponry around Patrick Mahomes.
And perhaps there's an easy solution for that.
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports broke down trades that contenders should look to make. His suggestion for the Chiefs was trading for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver and former Ravens first-round pick Marquise Brown.
Here's what Sullivan had to say about why Kansas City would be wise to make that deal if the Cardinals wish to move the wideout:
"If they do listen to offers on him, the Chiefs would be the ideal landing spot. They've yet to find a top-tier No. 2 option in the passing game behind tight end Travis Kelce and the wide receiver unit is largely middling. Brown, 26, would not only immediately boost the Kansas City offense, but he could potentially be the top option for Mahomes going forward with Kelce in his age-34 season. With Brown's speed, he could be used similarly to Tyreek Hill in the Chiefs offense."
The comparison to Hill is a bit of a stretch, but the point stands still somewhat. Brown has great speed and would immediately arrive as the most proven receiver on the Chiefs roster. Furthermore, he's been productive this season, even with Josh Dobbs at QB in Arizona, leading the ardinals with 32 catches, 383 yards and three touchdowns on the year.
His presence would further alleviate pressure defensive backfields put on Travis Kelce while also giving Rashee Rice and others less pressure within the offense to be a focal point. Depending on the price and the Cardinals' willingness to do business, it's a trade that could help the Chiefs tremendously.
