Look, Smith can clearly design a decent run scheme. He coaxed a 1,000-yard season out of 5th-round pick Tyler Allgeier in 2022āwhich would be the resume bullet item Iād personally spotlight if I were trying to carry water for Arthur.
But itās impossible to spin this as a forward-thinking hire (trust me, Iāve tried). How is this not the ultimate retread?
Smith is not a talent elevator and does not cater an offense to his personnel. He sticks square pegs in round holes so no one can question that he is the architect of the offense.
Iām sure Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will be āfineā for fantasy purposes in the same way Bijan Robinson and Allgeier were āfineā in 2023, which is to say theyāll accumulate points in the most maddening way possible.
But when it comes to the passing game? Lord, give me strength. We are going to need some massive discounts to take the plunge in 2024 drafts.
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Itās been quite the journey to the Super Bowl. Today, Ian dissects how these two teams arrived at the biggest gameā¦
š¢ Highest High and Lowest Low
š Kansas City Chiefs
High: Right now
Low: Two-game losing streak in Weeks 13-14 vs. Packers and Bills
Obviously, playoff success will always trump any regular season momentum, but the Chiefs are truly peaking right this second on both offense and defense.
While still really good, this was easily the least dominant Chiefs team of the Patrick Mahomes era during the regular season:
Chiefs regular season points differential 2018-2023:
2023: +77 (6th)
2022: +127 (4th)
2021: +116 (5th)
2020: +111 (6th)
2019: +143 (4th)
2018: +144 (2nd)
And yet, the group has found a way to peak at the right time in consecutive TOUGH matchups against the Dolphins, Bills and Ravens.
This is the first stretch since Weeks 2-5 that the offense posted a positive EPA per play in three consecutive games, while only the Josh Allen and Jordan Love experiences have been capable of giving the defense any sort of real problems pretty much all season long.
Donāt get it twisted: This offense is still hardly looking like their typically ELITE self. The Chiefsā current nine-game stretch with fewer than 30 points marks the first time since 2018 that they have gone more than three games under that mark.
This relative offensive ineptitude hasnāt hurt too much thanks to consistent excellence from the leagueās fifth-ranked defense in EPA allowed per play; just realize this version of the Chiefs has made a habit of winning in 12-round WARS as opposed to previous editions that specialized in quick knockouts.
š San Francisco 49ers
High: Blowing out the Cowboys on Sunday night football in Week 5
Low: Three-game losing streak in Weeks 6-8 without Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams
This isnāt meant to disrespect what Brock Purdy and company have accomplished over the last two weeks. All the credit in the world to the second-year QB for engineering back-to-back comeback wins; his consistent off-script excellence against the Lions in particular deserves all kinds of praise.
Still, this team as a whole ā ESPECIALLY the defense ā was objectively playing at a different level to start the season.
The offense has performed pretty awesome all season other than during their infamous three-game stretch with just 17 points in Weeks 6 to 8 with both Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams sidelined with injuries.
A similar sentiment was true for the defense until the last two weeks. Jordan Love and Jared Goff have led consecutive plus offensive performances against this much-heralded defense for the first time since Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow managed to do so in Weeks 7 and 8.
So yeah: Not exactly limping to the finish line, but at their best the 49ers proved capable of absolutely THRIVING on both sides of the football against some truly solid opponents. Theyāre still doing enough to get by these days ā thatās why theyāre in the f*cking Super Bowl after all ā but itās fair to say neither the offense nor defense is exactly peaking at the moment.
š„ The story behind the Justin Tucker incident with the Chiefs.Let him explain.
š A full scorecard of all the 2024 coaching and GM moves. Keep up.
The fantasy football season might be over, but we are NOT ready to unplug. Cooterdoodle is here to keep our minds in check by asking the age-old, evergreen question: āWhat Now?ā
ā What Now: Calm Before The Super Bowl
Our final two teams are icing up and resting their legs, and we should take a page out of their book. Itās time to relax as we embrace the calm before the storm.
The big game kicks off in 11 days. But if weāre going to be Ready For It, hereās what we need to doā¦
š Send League Invites
Itās time to send out league invites! (No, not that kind.)
Jeez, has it really been over a month since the league last got together? Just because the winner hasnāt stopped gloating, it doesnāt mean that we shouldnāt spend our final Sunday of the season together as a group.
Think about it. Between life and work and kids, we may not have an excuse to argue over player rankings face-to-face again until August.
Letās not take the final game for granted! Call up your league and schedule a Super Bowl watch party. Trust me, theyāll be happy you did.
š Dish It
We donāt have a reason for choosing team names anymore, so weāll have to transfer those puns over to the kitchen. Itās time to serve ridiculously cheesy-themed dishes. Someone fact-check me, but Iām pretty sure itās a Super Bowl requirement.
I can dish it. Hereās a few options for the big day:
Buffalo shouldbeplaying Wings
Spinach Lamartichoke Dip
Smoked Briskittle
Philly CMCs Steak
7-point favorites layer dip
Just be sure to keep them relevant. No oneās excited about your āBadonkaGronk Burgersā anymore. Itās 2024.
š Pick Favorites
It is still football season, after all. Plant your flag and pick a team so youāre not flip-flopping at halftime.
Mathematically speaking, you were probably hoping for another team to make it this far. Same here. But we get what we get and we donāt throw a fit. Itās time to pick sides.
Itās our last big hoorah of the season. The pigskin will soon go into its annual hibernation and weāll be begging for any kind of football entertainment.
As for me? Iām more of a positional fan. Iām rooting for all of the tight ends.
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