CHIEFS SQUAD SHOW: Which position groups are PREVENTING Kansas City’s playoff bid?

CHIEFS SQUAD SHOW: Which position groups are PREVENTING Kansas City’s playoff bid?

My name is Aaron Lad, host of the Chief Squad Show here on the Lockdown Podcast Network and Kansas City. So close to making one of my wishes come true. We’ll tell you what it was coming up later in the show. I am Darren Smith and I would tell you that New York City’s new mayor, Mom Donnie, has nothing to do with the Kansas City Chiefs and I don’t even have to explain why. All right. And my name is JC Pearson. And I’m glad Aaron Lad’s wish didn’t come true. And uh I’m going tell you why. Chiefs Kingdom stand up. It’s the Chief Squad. Everything Kansas City Chiefs every week, breaking down all the big hits and gamechanging plays from Arrowhead Stadium, the way only the Locked on Podcast Network can. Squad up. The Chief Squad Show starts now. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Remember, right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. It is the midweek of a by week for the Chief Squad Show. Aaron Lad, Darren Smith, and JC Pearson doing some self scout as we look at the offense, the defense, the special teams, the coaching, everything that Kansas City has going on as they enter the back half of the regular season. It was a quiet trade deadline against some of the hopes and dreams of some panelists here on our platform. We will get into that as well as you, the everydayers who tap in on every episode. We will take your questions at the end of the show. I like to throw those up. So, get those comments in, get those questions, those concerns, so we can make y’all part of the program. Let’s just start with the trade deadline. Darren Smith was very active in our group chat about this one. Here’s the information. The Chiefs reportedly offered a fourth round pick to the Jets for running back Bree Hall, but the Jets held firm on wanting a third round pick. Bree almost a chief, but we’ll stay with the Jets. It came public that he wanted out there. We’ve we’ve talked a lot about this. You can go ahead and stamp this part on your bingo card. Early in the first five minutes of this episode, we’re talking about the Chiefs running game and them made needing to make some changes. It wasn’t Bree Hall. The price was too expensive. What what what do you make of this whole deal? We’ll start with you, Darren. JC, I know where you’re going with this one. Well, for viewers who have, you know, watched us over the last three, four weeks, I’ve been adamant that I didn’t think the Chiefs were gonna make any big trades or any trades at all, especially for a running back. I just for me personally, I didn’t see the need because based off of how the offense was playing and even even after the game in Buffalo, I still didn’t think that they would go out and search for or or get a running back. Now, again, I don’t know if how credible those reports are, but that was something that we found out late in the day on yesterday that supposedly, you know, the Chiefs offered a fourth round draft pick. Now, to be quite honest, you know, I mean, based off of what the Chiefs have done in recent seasons, I don’t think a a third round would have been too much for Bree Hall. But what I kept trying to explain to people was that to get Bree Hall, you were also going to have to offer him a contract extension. He was not just going to play out and then just go go out of, you know, go out of um along along the merry way. And a lot of fans just didn’t seem to understand that. They didn’t have one. I already knew that they didn’t have the cap space. and uh uh for that. Now granted, you could you could fudge around with it with an extension and put all that money on the back end or whatever, but they just wasn’t going to do that because they felt that they were already have pieces in place on the offense. Now, I was a little I was a little surprised that they did not do anything on the defensive end based off of what we’ve seen throughout uh throughout the season with the defensive line, but running back, I just didn’t really feel like they were really going to do anything. I mean, you’re paying Elijah Mitchell $ three.5 million and he’s just sitting on the practice squad or sitting, you know, sitting on the inactive list week in and week out and he’s fully healthy according to his wife. And so why would you go out and get another running back when you haven’t utilized all the running backs that you have? True enough. According to his wife, right? Yeah. She she didn’t see Yeah. How did you get that information, Darren? Yo, who told you that? Yeah, I mean she post you gota read she wasn’t too happy that uh that Clyde got activated and her husband still on the practice squad but you know I mean they they’ve got a a lot of guys a lot of money um you know I just JC JC but but JC to your point about cloud being active he only had two carries for uh for five yards so it’s like I mean Elijah could have done that Yeah. Yeah. And I uh you know I I read too that there were some teams interested in uh signing Clyde off the practice squad. Um but uh you know there he talked to Andy about it and he talked him into staying and he wanted to prove himself if he was going to stay because obviously it’s his decision if a team wants to sign him off the practice squad or not. Um that he said if he was going to stay here that he wanted a chance to prove himself. So maybe that uh again so maybe that uh was the reason why he got called up. Um but again, you know, why give up a third round? I’m surprised they even offered a fourth round to be honest with you for for Bree Hall. A good player, but I mean, you’re not going to um you know, utilize his talents to the fullest because you’re not going to give him uh that many touches. And that’s what I explain to fans like he’s not going to get 20 25 touches. He’s just not right. And uh you know you they they like the the young guy Bashard Smith who is kind of similar you know in terms of catching out of the back field and that kind of stuff. They you know and if they want to run it you know I mean they’ve got four other guys that you know they split up the runs you know with Elijah’s not active yet but he’s healthy. Clyde now um you know Pacheco is not going to be out for a long time. And then um um you know um what’s his name? 29 is my my name right now. But yeah, you know, so I mean they I mean they’re they’re it just wasn’t worth um you know the the assets that they were going to have to give up for him. There’s a couple different pieces to this. I think the first piece is they obviously were interested in making a move. If you offer or reportedly offer a fourth round pick for somebody, that shows that you recognize there is a team need there, which is something that we’ve been begging for on this platform. I think the second piece of it is targeting Bree Hall of all the running backs that were supposedly out there. We know Alvin Kamaro was a name that was supposedly out there. Clyde Edwards was a guy you elevated. Why was Bree Hall the one above other ones? Did you think maybe he was the one that was most uh likely to be lured away the the best price tag? whatever. Then there’s the the extension part of the thing, right? If you targeted Bree Hall of all players, you then recognized, hey, we’re then gonna have to do the leg work as Darren said to be able to keep this guy in the fold. I don’t think you’re offering a fourth fourth round pick for a rental. I’ve got some numbers behind Chief’s running game. And obviously we’re going to do some more self scout in our third segment. But as far as the Chief’s running game is concerned right now, 4.5 uh rush yards per uh per running game for excuse me, per attack. That’s 12th in the league, tied for 12th. 121 rushing yards per game. There’s a commitment to it. They’re wanting to. Obviously, they like what they’re getting with Kareem. But I’m kind of fighting back on what you said a little bit, JC, about Isaiah Pacheco. I can’t count on him anymore. I mean, the one thing I can essentially count on with Pacheco is that he’s gonna miss time. He he he misses he misses time every year. Uh, and I think that’s something that maybe the front office sees in a move like this or potential move like this or a failed move like this is we need to bring in somebody who can stabilize this unit. Even if it’s underperforming overall, we can’t get to that Elijah Mitchell part of the depth chart. We got to finish out with some guys that we can depend on. And it looked like Bree Hall was the one that they wanted. Well, like I said, I’m surprised that uh you know that it came out that they offered a fourth round for him because if there would if it was that big of a need, well, then the third. Yeah. Right. I I you know, so I don’t know. Um, you know, there’s pros and cons either way, but uh, you know, I I don’t think that, uh, you know, if if they thought that it was a huge need, uh, and again, like I said, if they really did offer a fourth, why not give up the third then? You know, it’s not not that much different. No, maybe you draw the line in the sand and say, “Hey, that’s too rich for my blood.” You know what I mean? The fourth that’s that big of a need. if that if it’s that big of a need like you’re saying and and they’re already counting Pacheco out and Elijah Smith is not the guy even though they you know he’s making $3 million or whatever it is you know there there there would be a lot of money invested in that running back room if they would have brought um Bree Hall in but you’re not getting you know what are you getting in return when you’re not really a running football team so you know I don’t know and that I mean and that when you look I mean, you can always draft a running back next even though you just drafted a running back this year. And I mean, and and you can get great value from a running back. Now, you know, of course, somebody somebody put out a Chiefs mock mock draft that, you know, they will look at Jeremiah Love in the first round, uh, you know, in this this upcoming year’s draft. I mean perhaps but again the last time you spent a first round on on a running back was of course Clyde was a lair and but again you know and Clyde is not Clyde is not one of those type of running backs that you can count on for an every down back. So, you know, I’m not sure. Now, Jeremiah is that we’ve seen in college thus far, but again, the Chiefs do not I I I keep trying to explain to fans as kindly as I can Andy Reed and them do not run a football like that. Again, that now when you Now, Kareem Hunt’s rookie year in that first game against against the New England Patriots, yes, I think he r I think he had 245 uh yards from scrimmage in that game. That shocked everybody. You know what I’m saying? But that’s also what they feel like they had to do to win that game. But week in and week out, they are not going to run the football like that. Plus, they just don’t have and and it’s nothing against Andy Reed and Managi, but that’s just not their mentality. Their mentality is is is throwing the ball down the field. Again, I if people get upset, could I go back to Eric Ben Eric Ben as a as a running back? And as you’ll see during that time period, that was his mind from, you know, he knew the balance between, you know, trying to run that football and utilizing the clock and trying to keep the other teams uh uh uh offense on the sidelines if if that’s what it needed if that’s what you need to do. So, again, it’s it’s nothing it’s nothing against Andy and Matt, but that’s just not their personality. if they, you know, I mean, and even told me a while back, you know, because I I would ask from time to time, why aren’t you running? Why don’t you just run the football more? He told me to a man that they that they view the short passing game as an extension of their run game. And that’s just that’s just the way it is. And so, you know, if you got a running back that can catch the ball at the backfield, yeah, cool. That’s just an added bonus, added benefit. But the numbers that they’re looking at, they’re looking at Patrick Mahomes and his offensive numbers, not the offensive numbers of the running back or the running game. You know, I I wouldn’t be surprised since that didn’t go through. And you know, if in fact they did offer that and uh acknowledge that they need somebody else. Maybe Pacheco is going to be out for an extended time. Um I wouldn’t be surprised with the Chiefs anyway. I wouldn’t be surpris I’m talking this year. No, I’m saying this is this is last season with the Chiefs. So they’re they’re not going to resign him in the offseason. No, I’m talking about the rest of this season. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. If he um he’s not out for the year. No. Um as far as I know. But um you know, if they if they do need somebody to come in, I wouldn’t be surprised if they brought in an Alvin Kamara because doesn’t cost him anything. And uh and it’ll be cheap. You know, they don’t have to give him a lot of money either. And no draft capital lost. And you know, you you take a look and see if he can give you something. And if so, great. And if not, no harm, no foul. So, you know, somebody like that I I can see them taking a shot at. No. Well, hold on. Hold on. Let me push. The Chiefs aren’t signing Alvin Camra for cheap in the offseason. Alvin Camra is going to get at least 10 million or more. That’s just that it’s cheaper than having to give up draft capital to acquire them and then being hamstrung to signing them individually versus the market dictating what their value is. And then I get that part. But but but the Chiefs can also just draft a running back and still pay cheaper for for drafting a running back than what you would uh pay paying a veteran who have to come in and still learn the offense. So I’m saying running back in the first and second round. Not many rookie running backs come in and make a huge impact um right away. So it’s an unknown commodity. You know it that’s the same thing that you got with Pacheco. Yeah. But but that’s also the easiest transition from college to the NFL. I mean, we saw Pacheco with a seventh round draft pick and started his first game as a Chiefs. Sure. We also saw them try it with Carson Steel, though. And look at what happened with that. You know, there there’s there’s two sides to every coin. Hold on. I didn’t tell them to draft Carson Steel. That’s a There’s two sides to every coin, you know. Absolutely. One more thing while we’re on the trade deadline. Are are we surprised they didn’t make a offensive line move or anything along along the trenches in general? If anything, defensive side, not the offensive side. Obviously, Simmons is back, Josh Simmons is back. Um, so, um, you know, and again, they got a lot of money up there, a lot of money, uh, being paid up there. Um, but if anything, I thought that if there was anything any trade to be made, I thought it would be on the defensive front and they didn’t do that. So, you know, outside of that, I really don’t think that there was anything um or anyone that they needed to go and spend that kind of capital on that was going to come in and make a huge impact. I would also say that I was actually shocked that they made that they didn’t or maybe I don’t know maybe they didn’t get any calls about maybe trading one of the wide receivers, you know, uh Hollywood or or even uh uh Taekwon, you know, because again, as I mentioned with the return of Rice, his numbers, his numbers have just dropped just drastically since Rice’s return. So that’s to me that was a shock right there. I think that’s a good call. I saw his name floated around, but maybe the price was too high as we talked about earlier in this segment. Good start on the first segment here on the Chiefs Squad Show on the Lock Podcast Network. When we come back, it’s the bye-week. We’re going to do some self scouting on the defensive side of the ball, where Kansas City can improve and where they’ve done well in the first half. We’ll tell you all about it on the other side of this break. The NBA is back and there’s no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of a game or want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. It keeps every game exciting, especially when your team’s making that late push. Right now, FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So, head to fanduel.com to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. All right, we are back in on the Chiefs squad show on the Locked on Podcast Network. Aaron Lad, JC Pearson, and Darren Smith joining you in a by-week. We’re laboring through the bye-week. Like the Chiefs, they’re chilling. They’re resting. They’re they’re getting ready for this the stretch half of the regular season. Here we are uh doing some self scouting, looking back at the first half, what’s gone well, what has suffered, and what needs some improvement. I want to start with the defensive side of the ball. Uh because it’s been a strong suit. It’s been a strong point for Kansas City so far through their five and four record. I’m scrolling. I’m scrolling trying to find some defensive statistics for Kansas City. And we have them. Opponent point per game right at about 18. That’s good for three in the league. Yards per game 291. That’s seven. So like top 10 in a lot of the big stats. Fourth down conversion. They’re stopping those more than not. This can need some improvement. Third down conversion 19 in the National Football League. Let’s get some highlights. We’ll start with the good news, right? Let’s get some highlights defensively. for Kansas City. Darren, it’s not many highlights, man. Why you make that face? I mean, look, it’s just me, man. But when your top when your top defensive player, your top paid player who’s a captain and one of the leaders on the team only has 13 tackles after nine games and what maybe two sacks, you know, I’m everybody else has stepped up, but I’m not seeing enough from the quote unquote one of the We were supposed to talk about positives first, my guy. Hold on. But but but that’s why I gave you the look cuz you was like why is that look my look? Okay, so positive Nick Bolton. You know Nick Bolton leads a team of tackles which is what he should do. But look, I got more concerns than I do than I do praise. Uh so and and people know me for my honesty and my bluntness. I can’t, you know, I I can’t sugarcoat things. And so if there if if there if there is any positive, I’d say that the rookies have done well uh you know in in the playing time that they’ve gotten for the Kansas City Chiefs and and the fact that you know we were always trying to figure out you know what Spags was going to do with his with his defensive backfield especially in the absence of Justin Reed and and some of the other players uh on that side of the ball from last year. I think that they’ve done extremely well. Shamari Connor, Trent McDuffy, you know, they’ve done well along with Jaylen Watson. So, you know, so I’ll give I’ll give them their flowers. Did you say you had more concerns than positives on the defense? Yeah, I didn’t stutter, did I? Come on, dog. What do you What do you expect them to do? Shut everybody out? I mean, Aaron gave you a bunch of positives. I mean, Hold on again, JC. I start with the leader of the defense. Now, if you Now, now if you going to tell me that the leader of the defense, Chris Jones, has been playing well this season, then you know, maybe maybe I’m covering the wrong team cuz I’m not seeing what you’re seeing. 13 tackles after nine games so far. Come on, man. Well, we we said just defense as a whole, not the individual. Yeah. I got Okay, defense as a whole has has there are a lot of positives. The defense I go like this. When Shamari Connor and Trent McDuffy have more tackles than everybody on the team except for Nick Bolton, that’s a problem as well because they should not have as many tack they shouldn’t have more tackles than, you know, than the linebacking crew. Well, uh, you know, I mean, I I I’ll be the bright side. I mean, we we still got I mean, come on, man. I mean, the bottom line is some positives, man. The bottom line is prior to last game, right? you singing every singing the defense’s praise. The defense has played very well. Um you you’ve been on this, you know, obviously on the you and Chris got something going on. Um I got over Chris. No, I’m just saying. Hey, hey, pause, man. I’m just saying though, defensively, we we’ve been saying this defense has been doing a great job um you know, and and playing winning uh defense up until last week. You know, last week, of course, they had some issues, but there are a lot of positives defensively. Now, what they’re going to do is self scout and see, you know, are they being predictable? Are they, you know, Aaron gave you that third down stat? Are we calling too many of the same coverages on third down, too many of the same blitzes? Teams are starting to pick it up. Teams are knowing what we’re doing. Uh, that’s part of the self scout. But, um, you know, there there are a lot of positives that this defense can it can it get better? of course. But the bottom line too is is how many points given up and I believe Aaron said that they were third in the league terms of points allowed. Um I think that’s a a huge positive in uh winning performance. You know, you you ask them, I’m sure that they’re going to say that they can get better as well, but you know, I’m not going to say that there’s more concerns than positives. Now, you all were the same two people that talked about that talked about how the Chiefs were beating up on the JV team and the Raiders, but you want me to give them the same but but you want to give them the same credit for shutting them out. So, you can’t have it both ways because just two weeks ago they they were playing a JV team in the Raiders, but you but but you want but you want to profess. Oh, well, you know, they shut nine games this year. I mean, come on, man. Okay. All right, let me hop in. I do have a positive as far as as far as the Chiefs defense is concerned, one of the biggest positives in the first half in my opinion has been the play of defensive end George Caroftus. I remember when he got drafted in Vegas. I was there and um you know he was seen as a project. Maybe that was something that people said. They had slow expectations. Didn’t expect him to be a double- digit sack guy, which he was in his second season in the league. Got 10 and a half in 2023. Already has five this year. And I think that number could be higher um with some plays that finish off a little bit differently in the first half. But to me, he’s always been a consmate professional in the locker room. He is um someone that has been a sponge as far as absorbing some of the leadership that uh a Chris Jones, a Charles Amahue, a Mike Dana have given. And now he reflects those things. Now he’s a mirror of that. Now, when you have an a Norman Lot and some of the younger guys coming in that you think and want to make an impact along the defensive line, they’re learning from a guy like George Caroftus. He’s someone that’s always shown up on the tape in this first half and has continued to be a highlight for this defense. I think he has one of the closest relationships with Steis Spagnolo as well. Um George Carlos has been a a huge highlight in this first half for Kansas City. And if they’re gonna make another push to the postseason in the playoff, he’s gonna have to be that double digit sack guy that y’all have been asking for. No, I agree. Yeah. And he’s and he’s expected to be. Go ahead. Darren, go ahead. Well, okay. I’m sorry. Well, no. Also, what I was going to say was, you know, if if you go back to to the training camp, I remember when Chris Jones challenged uh George Koffton, you know, he talked about, you know, you signed that, you know, he’s talking about how you signed a big contract. Let me see you get more than, you know, 10 sacks or get, you know, get high up in the sacks. And so, uh, now, you know, his sack total is is low. I mean, it it’s made he’s got five at the moment. So, you know, I think he he leads the team in total sacks right now. So, uh, I do like that he has been playing well. Um, and and he has he has been someone that even though I still think he’s a little light on the backside when it comes to to a defensive end or whatever, you know, that he plays, I I think I think we’ve gotten a lot out of him uh this season. Yeah. And, you know, like I was saying earlier, you know, he has to be that guy. You know, when when you sign that that contract, um, you know, a lot is uh a lot is given, a lot is expected. And, uh, so he’s got to continue to be that guy. He plays hard. He’s a young guy. Um but uh you know it when they’re both playing hard and giving the effort and uh creating havoc um then that that team and that pass rush and that front is a lot better. And uh haven’t been getting that. Um not from Georgia’s standpoint, but uh you know if if they can get everybody up there playing hard, his numbers will go up as well because now they’re going to have to be concerned with other guys. right now. Uh if I’m another team, uh scouting this team, I’m going to make sure George doesn’t get to the quarterback, make the other guys beat single blocking, and they haven’t been doing that enough. As far as low lightss, you get you you led right into it, JC. It’s the guys that are not named George Carlos. For me, there has not been nearly enough impact from the others. I know Mike Dana had his one standout game with the sack and the pick in prime time, but other than that, we have not been saying their names enough. I know Darren Smith has been saying one name quite a bit, but I think that’s impacting some of the red zone percentages that we’re seeing. Kansas City is allowing opponents to score 64% of the time when they get in the red zone. That’s not good enough. We’ve been asking for this defense to generate more turnovers. Red zone turnovers almost worth double because you’re getting the ball. you’re stopping them from scoring and you’re giving your offense the opportunity to go and cash in on the other end. As far as low lightss are concerned, sure, we can pick on some guys in the secondary that have had some penalty problems. I’m thinking of a Jaylen Watson. I’m thinking of some of those corners, but for me, I’ve had higher expectations for the others when it comes to non-carus defensive linemen, and they just have not. They have the most room for improvement, I’ll say, in the second half. Yeah. Uh obviously they they there’s a lot they can improve on for me. And also, you know, going back to not even just Christians, but the defensive line as a whole, they just have not been getting enough pressure that we’ve seen throughout a lot of these games. And obviously, if you look at the most recent game, there was really no pressure at all put on uh Josh Allen. And again, I don’t know if they just, you know, I don’t know if Josh Allen somehow is a kryptonite to, you know, say to this Chiefs, this Chiefs defense and team, but uh, you know, but hopefully one of the things that JC talked about, we on this by week, get a time to make some reflection, they’ll get a chance to, you know, if nothing else, try to work on that. Yeah, no question. They they’ll be looking at everything. And uh you know I mean the biggest thing up there is is effort you know and I would say just consistent effort um because when it’s there we know that they are capable um but for some reason we haven’t seen it um every play every game like we have in the past and uh you know again we’ll see if if there’s some adjustments made there but you know with this with this team it’s it’s just about effort when we’re talking out up front in the trenches defensively. That’s a that’s a concern that that I have because you know what you like even from the Buffalo game. My biggest my biggest uh gripe that I have with Chris Jones coming out of the game was that you could see live on television where it was a lot of times he wasn’t giving effort. I mean, he was getting pushed back five, seven yards, you know, from, you know, from their from the offensive line. And then and then when when he is on the offensive line or or defensive line trying to make a play, it’s like he’s he’s holding or the guy’s holding him up and Chris Jones is not trying to move or throw him off so he can make make the play which again to me just from an you know from an observer from uh from watching the game Sunday was very concerning because people see that on film and that becomes you know that just becomes a part of what you know that that becomes a part of of who you are part of your character because now people are going to be questioning are you really giving it your all out there. You think that sets a bad example for the rest of the defense? Definitely. Cuz you know, cuz I’m pretty sure Spag is going to have to show that on the film, but you know, you got the younger guys. I mean, you got younger guys that’s going to be looking up to you and they see that type of effort out there and that’s that’s that’s not good. Yeah. And and that’s one of the things that we talked about with with a guy like Panel coming back. It’s not more so what he does on the field, but you know, he’s a peer that can call Chris out. I mean, who on that team, who on that defense, not the team, but who on that defense um sees that play and can call him out, you know? Uh Drew Tranquil, Nick Bowden. I’m No. No. No. Hold on. No. They got into it week one, right? Yeah. But they but that’s yeah but you haven’t seen it anymore. But you know it’s just an older defense in general too. Like I mean how much are we going to get into the fact that like they resigned most of these guys and now they’re on their second and third deals and the same explosion isn’t there or the same the same hunger isn’t there when you won so many titles. I mean it’s just a veteran veteran. Hold on. I’ll give hold. I’ll give you the hunger part. But outside of Chris, all these other guys are are pretty okay. Drew Drew maybe. But Drew, maybe not. But but you know, I mean, Jordan, some of these other casts, they’re just from they’re from I mean, they’re finishing off their their their first rookie contract. So, I mean, you make it seem like they long in the tooth like they you know, like they uh uh Justin um uh uh you know, for Tomah and those type of players, man, they’re not that old, brother. Yeah. But, uh up front, you know, you Dana and Panel, older guys, you know, the the the rookie, he’s out. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Minhahoo has been around for a little bit. Um, the other guys, they do that when they resign him, too. Yeah. But, you know, I mean, so, um, that’s why I was thinking if they were going to do anything, it would it would be upfront defensively. Um, but you talking about Tranquil calling, um, Chris out. Um, you know, that that showed you that week one that, you know, Chris is not listening to anything he has to say. And, you know, so he’s not going to say anything else. uh or it’s going to be a fight, you know. I mean, it’s it’s a it’s a respect thing, too. And and then Tranquil is not, you know, I mean, it’s not like he’s having the best year either, you know what I mean? And and doing uh as well as he has in the past. So, you know, it it all goes back to, you know, they have to not only self scout as a defense, but they have to look internally individually and, you know, and say, “Hey, you know, do do we want this anymore or have we gotten like you said, Aaron, less hungry? I got paid. I got my money. Got my Super Bowl rings.” You know, sometimes it it’s it’s natural to not work as hard as you did when you got there. Once you get there and now you you are reaping the the the benefits and the laurels, you know, it’s uh you know, sometimes it’s it’s it takes a shock to to make you realize that, hey, man, I’m not doing the things I did prior to getting this contract or prior to the things the all these accolades I’ve gotten. It it happens. Let’s go to break real quick. Good conversation. We’re going to pick it back up on the other side and continue to talk offense as we self scout during the Chiefs bye-week here on the Chief Squad Show on the Locked on Podcast Network. Nobody likes paying rent, but if you must, you might as well get something for it. That’s where Built comes in. Built is changing the game by turning your rent payment into real rewards you can actually use. When you pay rent through Built, you earn flexible points that can be redeemed towards hundred of hundreds of hotels and airlines, a future rent payment, your next lift ride, and more. But Built isn’t just about rent. It’s about rewarding you around your entire neighborhood. Whether I’m grabbing food at my favorite local restaurant or heading to the gym, I’m still earning rewards. Built has made everyday life feel more rewarding. from your neighborhood to your travel plans. Turn your rent into rewards and start earning points around your neighborhood by going to joinbuilt.com backlocked NFL. That’s ji n i lt.com/lockedonfl. Make sure to use that link so they know the chief squad show sent you. All right, we are doing some self scouting here on the midweek episode of the Chief Squad Show. Aaron Lad, JC Pearson, and Darren Smith doing some defense talk leading into offense now. Uh maybe talking some hunger as well. Maybe we’re doing some self scout of the Chiefs mentality as they sit five and four and on the outside of the AFC picture looking in. Obviously, the offense has been a little bit more of a bright spot than the defense for Kansas City in the first half. A few numbers before we do our highlights and lowlights from the first half for Kansas City’s offense. Averaging 26 points per game. That’s good for ninth in the league. 370 yards per game, sixth in the league of about 5.8 yards per play in general. That’s 10th. They’re also 10th in third down conversion and fourth overall in red zone scoring percentage as far as touchdowns are concerned. I think highlights are very easy. Rasheed Rice since he has come back has been a highlight for this offense. Patrick Mahomes and his play have been a highlight for this offense, but it’s few and far between outside of that. Let’s stick to the highlights before we start dumping on everybody. Darren, do you have anybody that you want to give some flowers offensively on this KC offense? Hey, first of all, don’t try to call me out, bro. going to call me out but self but but to your point uh unfortunately be you know because of the drop off I you know I thought Taekwon Thornton uh and his play you know for Rasheed Rice came back or whatever I you know he was he was a great addition I the Chiefs I can’t remember if the Chiefs picked him up last year prior to the Super Bowl prior to the Super Bowl if they got him in the offseason but but just the sheer fact his play you know I I thought thus far this season, especially against the Giants in some of the other games where he, you know, he had the long, you know, those little deep catches that he would get to put the team in position to win. I thought his play has been well. Um, I I’d also say Kareem Hunt. I mean, we didn’t, you know, we wasn’t sure what we would get with uh with Kareem Hunt, you know, because we thought Pekka would be the the work uh the workhorse, but I think Kareem has done well in the in in his spell at running back. And then also um you know giving credits do I think Rasheed Rice you know just just the sheer fact coming back he you know he has showed he has showed no no no no no signs of rust uh because essentially outside of cover of the few preseason games he hadn’t played in over a year you know when you include the suspension and the injury. So to be able to just come really just come right back as if he never you know basically after what we saw at the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. I mean I thought you know I thought he’s he’s played extremely well. So, uh, those and of course, you know, Patrick Mahomes up until up until this last game, I thought he’s, you know, he’s played obviously MVP level as well. Um, Travis Kelce, I’m sorry, Travis Kelce. Uh, just name everybody then, bro. I mean, I could I could I mean on and on, man. I mean I mean you all want me to be positive so but uh you know but I you know I think all although he’s missed the last couple games I think Justin Simmons is um was a was a bright spot because uh you know they didn’t know how he was going to be coming off of you know that injury last year and uh you know I I think he was Josh Simmons Josh Simmons not Justin Simmons I’m sorry Josh Simmons left tackle speak up, man. Don’t just make all them crazy faces, Grinch. I was like, Justin Simmons is Yeah, Josh, not Josh Simmons. I mean, you know, I mean, uh, coming off that injury, no one really knew how he was going to um, recover from that, you know, he was late round pick after that and he he’s played well. Um, and I think moving Sua Matia down in into the guard position was a positive for him and this team as well. So, you know, I I think uh you know, there are a lot of positive positives offensively. It was just that it took a while for them to all play together with Rashi being out uh and not coming in for a while, but then once he came in uh they started uh finding a rhythm and then obviously Josh uh goes out and misses a couple games. So, we haven’t really seen this offense as a complete unit um for a couple of games uh in a row. But, uh so I I think there’s definitely some positives there. And and and you brought up a good point with Kingsley, you know, based off of what we saw last year, he and at the left tackle position and of course they had to bring had to bring a a guy in from from Arizona and how that didn’t play off in Tuni playing the left tackle role in the Super Bowl to move him and uh to probably his more natural position of guard. Um was a real smart move by the Chiefs. The Kareem Hunt call was a great one because kind of word to our first topic. He’s played so well or exceeded the expectations that were given to him so well that you you almost avoid making a move for Bree Hall. You hold firm on your price. You know, now you’re assuming just assuming that Pacheco is going to be weak to whatever it is. I always assume that he’s going to miss some time. Kareem Hunt’s play has steadied you and has allowed you to make the decisions knowing, “All right, our running game is at least at this floor right here. He’s established the 4.4 yards per carry, where the running game is right now is on the shoulders of what he’s given you in the first half. He might be the biggest he might be the biggest highlight as far as off.” You know what Patrick Mahomes going to give you? Travis Kelce’s been kind of up and down. There’s been some receivers that maybe have been in and out in the lineup. Kareem Hunt has been that consistent, steady presence for a guy that you essentially got off the street a year ago. Well, and and look and and actually to point this out, talking to Kareem uh throughout the season, one of the things that you know, you kind of forget because again, he was on the couch uh you know, when Isaiah PCO got hurt and they brought him in and and he had to sit a week on the practice squad and the following week, you know, you just threw him out there. this is this is really his his first full off season training camp OTA practices and you know with the Chiefs since he was here in 2018. So so the fact that he got all that underneath him and even according to him he’s healthy. He’s in you know he’s in shape you know he didn’t have to just kind of you know get on the team and then play himself in shape. He he’s in shape from beginning to end right now. And you know, granted, running back his age, you know, you get a few nicks and necks, whatever. So, so they do give him a day off, you know, like every two weeks or so, you know, from practice or whatever to just make sure, you know, he’s ready to go for the game. So, that’s a good point about, you know, that we mentioned about Kareem, but that’s essentially one of the reasons why because he’s fresh and he’s in shape and and he’s had he’s had all offseason to work with the team training camp and stuff like that. Well, I I mean, I’ve always been a a Kareem Hunt fan and uh you know, I was was disappointed when they let him go the first time. Um because he was just getting into his prime and um he would have really been rolling. Um but one thing if they if they do not cut Kareem Hunt, we beat we beat New England in that in that ASC championship game. Yeah. And uh you know, one thing about him, you know, I I think you just got to feature him. just give him the ball. Um, and uh, he’s a he’s a guy that is going to continue to get stronger. Uh, more carries he gets. Uh, and one thing I remember them saying when they drafted him is the first tackler very rarely brings him down. And when you watch him run still now, uh, keep that in mind and watch that because the first tackler very rarely brings him down. uh he always makes that first guy miss or runs through him and gets yards after that, but very very rarely does that first guy bring him down right away. I’m going to go a little out of the out of the frame with my low light for offense self scout in the first half and it’s been the mend of the coaching staff and the players. It’s been the play calling in some aspects. It’s been the execution in some aspects. just this general fog of where our expectations meet the execution. Where Kansas City has been, where we know they can be, the highness, the what they’ve shown us, their the skills and what they’ve been able to do at their peak versus what I feel like we get on a week in and week out basis. Um I I don’t think they’re reaching that potential and I don’t want to know who’s who I blame the who I placed the that at the feet of the blame, whatever it is. But um I just feel like it hasn’t been what we know that they’re capable of. Maybe that’s a play calling perspective. Maybe that’s uh maybe that’s a player is not putting out their the best foot on tape, but it just hasn’t been what we’re used to seeing. That that that’s my low light overall offensively. Well, JC, I’ll let you go next. Well, you know, I mean, obviously short yardage goal line um situations been an issue and I I think when it comes to that um it’s more play calling um and and not sticking with the run in short yardage situations because I mean Kareem, you know, when you give it to him more often than not, he’s going to make positive yards. And if he does get stopped, you know, now we we automatically go, you know, empty back field and we’re throwing the ball three uh the next three plays if we if we go, you know, four downs. But, uh, you know, and again, um, and I mentioned last week after the last game that, you know, I I wouldn’t mind seeing some quarterback sneaks. instead of, you know, lining up in the shotgun and handing the ball off, you hike the ball back uh three, four yards to try to, you know, go one or two yards. So, you know, I mean, you know, I think that’s that’s uh, you know, they could do that. Um, even if they’re going to bring in somebody else, you know, I know they used to bring in like uh, you know, Bo Bell and and those guys, the bulldozer to do those short yardage quarterback sneaks. You know, if they know you’re doing it, um, so what? They still have to stop it. you only you need a yard to go and then you now you can run some other plays off of that. But, you know, I think they just need to um you know, stick to it a little more when in the short yards goal line situations. For me, my biggest pet peeve I guess that I’ve seen on the offense is I don’t like the fact that Patrick Momes has been the team leading rusher for three of those games that they played during three three of the four losses came when he was was the team leading running back. like if you’re going to run if you’re going to run the football, man, that’s what you got running backs for. Mahomes should not be putting himself out there uh to where he could possibly get a concussion or worse or whatever running the football like that. So, that’s one of the I guess to me it’s one of the low lightss. I know you can say it’s a highlight because he’s he’s adding to the offense, whatever, but I think he’s putting himself uh in u in harm’s way by running as much as he has been to be the team lead rusher because that because again it goes back to well, what do you got your running backs for? Um uh the the other thing offensively I I’m sorry if there if there’s a low light outside of that again is just that I just don’t think that they you know outside of the last two games prior to this one of course and you can say JV playing the Raiders and playing the Commanders without without their starting quarterback. That was one of the first times that we saw them really having a balanced attack with both the passing game as well as the run game. And I felt like they got away from that in this last game. You know, again, Kareem Hunter had 49 yards on 11 carries as someone mentioned. You know, if they keep feeding the ball just like they did James Cook, he had he had 27 carries for 114 yards. So, if you just double up what Kareem has, you know, that’s that’s 22 carries for possibly 100 yards and and and of course the Chiefs extend their time on the field, which keeps Buffalo on the sideline. So, uh, so I I I guess I say say that to say that some of the play calling and clock management or game management is has been a little questionable for me that, uh, you know, I hate to see Andy kind of revert back to when he first got here when he was having clock management issues because you’re so busy as as as JC just alluded to where you run the ball, you get one yard, and now next thing you know, you’re passing the next three three downs instead of, you know, when you get seven yards on the run, you’re not trying to run another another play, you know, on the ground to try to extend the, you know, to try to extend extend the chains is instead you drop back the pass and it’s like you don’t have to. So that’s it just feels like they used to be more creative from a play calling aspect too. I remember the the snow globe play and the Ferrari play and even like the yeah the whole thing we’re saying about like the short pass game being a version of the run game like they used to be more creative in how they got there and I don’t know what the disconnect is there but that’s what our self scout is locked on here on the locked on podcast network chief squad show during a by-week we got one last break when we come back we’ll take some audience questions we’ll keep talking about offense defense special teams and more appreciate y’all joining Yes. All right, one final segment here in the midweek during the by-week for the Chiefs. Aaron Lad, JC Pearson, and Darren Smith doing our own evaluation of the Kansas City offense, defense, and special teams. I didn’t think special teams deserved its own segment because really they’ve studied the ship. And shout out shout out Harrison Bucker. No, you don’t want to have your own segment, right? That’s not a good thing. It’s not a good thing when we when we got our eyes on you for a full 15 minutes. I think Bucker has done well. There was a time in this podcast history when we used to come here every week and talk about how effing up the game and we need to bring in some kicking competition and Darren Smith is at his locker after every game. That’s not a place you want to be at. Special teams has studied the ship. They figured it out. I will say one thing that is concerning with Kansas City, and it’s been this way ever since I started covering the team, and I’m sure even longer than that. They’re a very penalized team. They pick up a lot of penalties. They got averaging right now right at about six and a half penalties per game. That’s 14th in the league for about 56 and a half yards per game. That’s 21st in the league. I don’t know how you and maybe JC you can give a player’s perspective on this. How do you how do you coach penalties? How do you play more disciplined? How do you avoid some of that penalty yardage because it it hurts when it happens at the wrong time? Yeah, I mean, you talk about it. You you you make it a point uh all week. You make it a point uh during the special teams period. You make it a point in the special teams meetings. Uh you make it a point. We can’t hold. We can’t jump off sides. We can’t uh block in the back. We can’t do all those things that are negative um to the return game, to the kicking game, any of that stuff. you put an emphasis on it. Um, you talk you you you show them in in the videos and you know we can’t do this. You know, you you point it out and you know the thing is is when guys start getting called out, you know, then guys are a lot more conscious of, hey, I I’m not I can’t do this and you know, I can’t, you know, I got to be smarter. I can’t grab, I can’t hold, I can’t if I don’t see it, you know, the numbers in the front, I can’t block them, you know, things like that. So, you just have to put an emphasis on it. Um, you know, and they’re not okay, you know, and uh, you know, that that’s what it is. You know, some those guys are all grown men and getting paid a lot of money and, uh, you know, you sometimes you need to get your feelings hurt to to correct some things. I’ll say this about the penalties is that we’ve seen them go from 13 penalties against Jacksonville to zero the following week. So, so, so, so, you know, that’s one of the few times I’ve seen a team literally get coached out of penalties, you know, because they, you know, they went back, you know, cuz there have been there have been games where the double defended. I’m like, you’re either coaching it or you’re allowing it. And again, to go from 13 to zero, you know, that that is coaching, but that is also self-awareness from the players because remember up until maybe last week and maybe the week before, we hadn’t heard Jawan Taylor’s name being mentioned in like four four consecutive games. So that, you know, I mean, so there was a lot of stuff that had been cleaned up, but sometimes, you know, sometimes when you play against another team that a certain player might be better than you, you might think that’s what you got to do to gain an advantage and it gets spotlighted because you get caught. And I will say that I wonder Go ahead, J. You know, they Yeah, that that’s an emphasis. Obviously, you know, in the meetings, you got to talk about penalties. Uh they need to emphasize takeaways, too. uh you’re not getting enough turnovers. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Y not getting enough turnovers and you know I mean we used to always I mean those things were always paramount in the meetings and it wasn’t a hey we need to get more turnovers you know it was it was stern emphasized and you knew that you needed to get the ball out somehow and you couldn’t afford penalties. uh you know and when you did you dreaded you you dreaded going into those meetings because you knew you were about to get chewed out. But but now now let me ask you this now JC now to your point being on defense a lot of times for like the defensive back for those interceptions to come it normally becomes because you’re getting a lot of pressure from the defensive line to get to that quarterback to make him uncomfortable. Am I right? Yeah. No doubt it it goes hand in hand, you know, and uh you know, the the better you cover, you know, it makes the quarterback have to hold on to the ball a half a step longer. Uh and that gives that the line a half a step or half a second more to get there. I mean, we used to go in the huddle and you know, we used to say, “Hey, give us uh you know, you got to get there a little bit quicker.” And sometimes they would come come in the huddle and say, “Hey, you got to cover a little bit quicker. We’re one step away. Cover a little bit quicker.” So, it goes uh cover a little bit longer. So, it kind of goes hand in hand. But, uh but yeah, absolutely. Another thing I got my eye on, and we’ll get to some audience questions and comments here in a second. Who’s going to be that third pass catcher for Kansas City? We know Rasheed Rice has asserted his dominance as pass catcher one, and Travis Kelce seems to be pass catcher two due to his chemistry with Patrick Mahomes, but who’s that third guy? It seems like Xavier Worthy is that guy from time to time. Hollywood Brown obviously had a breakout game earlier in the first half. Taekquin Thornton has had standouts. I’m wondering who’s going to be that third pass catcher for this offense that Mahomes can rely on down this second half as they try to push again. I wonder what y’all take what y’all take is on that. I mean, I’d like to think is I’d like to think it’s Xavier, but it seems like it is really based off of what the other team is doing defensively because again, because you can kind of, as I said before, maybe pick your poison. You know, we know Kelsey’s going to get his and and from from the extent that we’ve seen thus far, Rasheed Rice is going to get hit. The question is, you know, I I think they try to be creative in getting the ball to Xavier, but I think everybody else it just a matter of, you know, if if Patrick is going through his progression, going through his reads, who who might be open and because otherwise it’s it’s really kind of hard to say that this other person is going to play. It’s it’s supposed it’s supposed to be exa actually, it’s supposed to be Rice Worthy and then then Travis Kelce because Travis Kelce should not be the workhorse because right now he leads the team in in in yardage as a receiver. So, um, this was supposed now, you know, he he wasn’t supposed to be, you know, making all these plays or or or being this being that focal part of the offense, but, you know, again, I think just based off of what we’re seeing defensively and what they’re doing what they’re doing in in guarding our players. Yeah. I ideally it, you know, you want to be that guy because, you know, there’s no substitute for speed obviously. So, he’s a guy that can go down the field. Um but is you know is he a consistent route runner? Is he hands consistent to to move the chains? Um you know he’s he hopefully it’s him you know Rashid uh and Guju kind of run a lot of the same routes. Um you know and and move the chains and and then Kelsey fits in. So you know Hollywood’s got to got to you know he’s got to carry his his his load to be honest with you. you know, there’s a lot of expectations on on those three being the guy. You know, in Hollywood, you know, one game he only gets one target, you know, then, you know, he catches the long ball uh right before half last week and um which is great. comes off of a a you know kind of a broken play and scrambled play, but you know he’s got to be um you know more consistent in terms of getting open as well because he’s a guy that you know can stretch it on the other side and if he’s not going to be that guy, you know, Taekquin can can run deep and stretch the field. So, you know, those guys, they all have a role. They just have to to step up and be that guy. You know, Guju’s always been he’s not that long ball guy to stretch the field, but he’s always been consistent catching the ball and uh and trying to move the chain. So, you know, like like Darren was saying, depending on how the defense is playing you, you know, they all have a role. Um but, you know, and and some of some of those guys are miss time obviously worthy with the shoulder and and the ankle and you know, so they they all should be healthy um after this week. And one and one last thing before we go to the comments questions. This is the first time and and they they actually mentioned it during the game. We were Steve and I were kind of confused like wait a second this person is going straight with Worthy in the game. And I don’t know if you all caught that, but but but I think when they announced Jim Nes might have been the one or or Tony Romo said that obviously Xavier ran the fastest combine time last year and the corner who was defending him ran the fastest combine combine time this season. Of course, they had to match those. I was like Xavier is not separating from this guy. So, you know, so so to Buffalo’s credit, they found somebody that could go strive for stride with him that uh you know, and pretty much took him out the game. I saw a theory that he maybe came back a little too soon and some of the plays I don’t know who on ESPN pointed this out. All the plays that he was running early were for him to end on the sideline so he was avoiding hits. Did y’all see any of that as far as Worthy? I didn’t see that. It wouldn’t surprise me. But he, you know, he’s got to with the routes that he runs, he has to be able to to finish on the sideline. Those comebacks. you you sell the go route obviously with the speed and then be able to break that off and and run that comeback uh which finishes on on uh the sideline. So, he’s got to be able to do that. Um he’s got to be able to get to the to the post. You know, we’ve seen him in in single coverage. Um you know, he should be able to to win um because of of his speed. Now, are you gonna win every time? Absolutely not. But, uh, like Darren said, if you have a guy that’s running stride for stride with you down the field, uh, on a nine route, well, that’s when you give them something else and now you you sell that nine and you come back on either a stop or a comeback or whatever. Um, but, you know, again, they all have their strengths. Um, it’s Pat looking for that and not just bailing out and then now it’s a scramble drill every time. Um, so he’s got to have the confidence to stand in there and allow those guys time to get down the field and get open and separate as well too and not just run around and now that you know there there’s no set there’s no set route. Everybody’s just looking for an open spot and there’s I think there’s been too much of that. Let’s go to the comments here before we finish out on a midweek chief squad show by week. Uh Darren, just standing on business when it comes to Chris Jones, we we know you have an axe to grind, Mr. Smith. I don’t know what accent is, but okay, whatever. I can tell you what it is. I can tell you I’m tell you better not happen to see Chris at Gates or wherever. You know, you might have a little bro. We miss Justin Reed. the safeties and linebackers are struggling with with covering tight ends and running backs the past two games. That’s true. I don’t know what Justin Reed is up to these last few years, but um they have definitely been target the tight ends and running backs have been an issue the last few weeks. Well, the thing the thing with Justin, of course, he’s he’s now with the Saints, so he I mean, he they signed him in the offseason, but the the thing that you miss with Justin Reed, not only is his leadership, but his physicality, like he set the tone every game, you know what I’m saying, with with certain hits or whatever that that that woke the defense up. You don’t really have I mean Brian Cook to the extent that he can you know he can get he can get on somebody but other than that yeah he’s his leadership and and his physicality is lost with this defense you know and I I think when we play uh tight ends and tight ends have have been a nemesis for our defense for a long time not just this year not just the last couple games but even when Justin was here when when uh uh Honeybadger was here all those guys you know tight ends have uh an issue and one of the reasons why is, you know, we’re not physical with them off the line of scrimmage like they are with Travis. You know, you remember they used to put one sometimes two guys uh and bump Travis at the line of scrimmage. And uh you know, we let their their their tight ends just run off and then try to cover them. And you know, we don’t have cover linebackers. you know, like Tran Tranquil, you know, we saw him fall down on the touchdown on the corner, but that was gonna be a touchdown whether he fell down or not because he was beat. Yeah, he was beat. So, you know, if you get up and you’re physical with those guys at the line of scrimmage, um just like with with a wide receiver, at least you throw the timing off and we’re not we’re not doing that. We don’t have those kind of guys. Final question, Darren. What is your appearance fee? What does it take to deck you out with some gear uh to wear on the the platform here? Well, first of all, Mr. Gates, and it’s not Ali, it’s Mr. Gates to you, uh Tom Lester and anyone else. It’s Mr. Gates. Um you know, they don’t pay me. Actually, I got this hat from KC, the clothing store over over at Ward Parkway, uh from the Popper, the local local rap artist. And so he g I just I love the hat and of course it represents Gates and Mr. Gates. So, you know, that’s just how it is, man. You know, I mean, they ain’t got none. They sponsor me, yes, but they ain’t got to pay me. But the food is great. So Darren Smith can be bought as we know. We will do another hey, first of all, Ted Deiasi said it best. Every man has a price. Okay, everybody’s got a price. A million dollar. No Chiefs game this Sunday, but we will have another episode of the squad show this Friday. Friday, whenever you get your podcast. Yeah, Darren, we talked about that in the chat. I thought No, I thought the next week. I didn’t know we said three shows this week. I thought it was next week. No, no, no. Two shows this week. Wednesday and Friday. Okay. Well, we had a show Sunday, too. But, okay. See if I We don’t have a show Sunday. We don’t have a show. No, I’m saying I’m saying we had one this past Sunday, did tonight. And then that’s See if I can I’m going see if I can get Chris to tune in. Hey, get him on the show. I don’t think you want that. We’ll work on that and see see if we get it. We’ll see you on Friday, y’all. Until next time. Peace.

The Kansas City Chiefs will use their bye week to ‘self scout’ and so will the Locked On Squad Show cast — evaluating each position group’s first half performance and room for improvement. Host Aaron Ladd alongside analysts Darren Smith and JC Pearson examine the team post-trade deadline and look ahead to the final stretch of regular season games and beyond.

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Let yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ today at https://www.onepeloton.com.

PrizePicks
Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.
Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Right now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)