The NFL playoffs are just around the corner, with six games scheduled this weekend: two on Saturday, three on Sunday, and the Monday night finale between the Vikings and Rams, which was moved from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Arizona due to the wildfires that ravaged California this week. With the regular season over and analyzed with a clear head, the NFL released the 2024 All-Pro Team, with a national panel of 50 media members voting on the best players at each position for the first and second teams, with former LSU teammates Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson being the only unanimous choices.
At the quarterback position, Lamar Jackson won the award for the second straight year and third time overall, breaking a tie with Patrick Mahomes, who has won it twice (2018-22). Only Peyton Manning (7) and Aaron Rodgers (4) have won more times than Lamar, who received 30 first-place votes to Josh Allen’s 18. The other two times Lamar won, he also ended up as the season’s MVP, which is a strong indication that it could happen again this year. Interestingly, fourteen players are first-timers, most notably Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who finished ahead of George Kittle. Travis Kelce received only one second-team vote, showing that unlike the Pro Bowl, the Swifties have no influence in the All-Pro selection.
Mahomes and Kelce off All-Pro Team for Second Straight Year
This was undoubtedly Mahomes’ worst statistical season, with career lows in yards and touchdowns, but it was also his best season in terms of wins, which are clearly more important than individual awards, especially this year as he chases the first three-peat in history. What stands out most about the three Chiefs players selected to the first team is that two are from the offensive line: Left guard Joe Thuney and center Creed Humphrey. However, their selection coincides with Mahomes being sacked a career-high 36 times this year. With these two players being chosen as “the best” in their position it seems that the haters are right and Mahomes had a downturn to what we were used to, but in the playoffs we will surely see his best version as well as Kelce’s.
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The other two players selected were from the defensive side of the ball, which has been the strength of the team due to so many injuries on offense and the main reason the Chiefs are where they are since last season. One was Chris Jones, the leader and captain of the defense, and the other was cornerback Trent McDuffie, but he was selected to the second team. The Chiefs may not be the flashiest team, but they know how to do the most important thing: win. They’ve won 21 of their last 23 games, and it probably would have been 22 if they hadn’t rested their starters in the regular season finale against Denver. Undoubtedly the absence of the Chiefs’ star players for the second year shows that the team is very well balanced and that it is more important to win than anything else.
Chiefs Will be Ready and Rest for the Playoffs
Now we’ll see how the lack of rhythm could affect them, because with their players resting, their starters will have about 23-24 days of rest, since they won’t take the field again until the divisional round, scheduled for January 18 or 19 against the winner of the first playoff game between the Chargers and the Texans. Fortunately for the Chiefs, Andy Reid has an impressive 22-4 record after a bye, so he’ll have plenty of time to prepare.
Additionally, Patrick Mahomes has proven to be at his best in the playoffs. In his 18 postseason games, he has a 15-3 record, 5,659 total yards, 46 total touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. One more win would tie him with Joe Montana for the second most playoff wins in history. The only slight difference is that Mahomes would do it in seven seasons, while Montana took 16. Of course, he’s still well behind Tom Brady’s 35 playoff wins, but he’s on the right track. I would venture to say that a three-peat would be a greater accomplishment than anything any quarterback in history has achieved, without taking anything away from the seven Super Bowls Brady has won.
