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Read Full BioPriest Holmes notices a couple of things that are off with the Kansas City Chiefs early on in the season.
The Chiefs are off to an 0-2 start and are in the midst of a three-game losing streak as they enter their Week 3 matchup with the New York Giants. It is the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era that they’ve endured such a stretch.
While Holmes is not concerned that the team is in a decline, he does acknowledge that they need to improve their open-field tackling.
“As far as the standpoint with the defense, that open-field tackling, that’s been their nemesis,” Holmes told Casino Beats in an exclusive interview. “That showed up, obviously, in the first two weeks, the open-field tackling. When you have an opportunity to, in space, make the tackle the first time, you definitely have to do that.”
According to Holmes, the second thing they need to do is find wide receivers to step up and catch the ball with No. 1 receiver Xavier Worthy sidelined due to injury.
“Losing Xavier in that first game out in Brazil, it’s going to be tough,” Holmes said. “They’re going to have to get some guys in there that can catch the ball and open up the space for Mahomes. Obviously, his arm and his ability to throw, that’s why they call him ‘Mahomes Magic.’ He has that ability. It’s not an aspect of them searching for other players. It’s just the aspect of them coming together as a team as they’ve always done.”
Holmes says they have the ability to start racking off some wins to get back to an even record. The Chiefs will face the winless Giants this week before taking on the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions.
He relates it to a singer just trying to hit that “first note” when it comes to the Chiefs looking to find their stride. It’s worth noting that Kansas City lost their first two games by one possession each.
While they would normally win those types of games, it’s not like they’ve been blown out against playoff-caliber opponents in the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers.
“There have been quarterbacks that have not hit that first note, and I could name a couple of them as well, but that’s how the season has come out right now,” says Holmes of the Chiefs. “Teams we were expecting to come out on all cylinders, everybody catching the ball, getting the scores, being high scoring games, it didn’t come out that way. I’m very interested to see how these teams are going to bounce back and be able to hit that first note, because they’re going to have several opportunities. They’ve got about 16 more times.”
Holmes: Chiefs Might Need Wideout Addition If Kelce Stays Inconsistent
The three-time Pro Bowl running back says it would build “some confidence” to add a new wide receiver to the mix at the trade deadline. The trade deadline is November 5 right before Week 10. It’s worth noting that their other starting wideout, Rashee Rice, is currently suspended for six games.
“I think it would build some confidence,” says Holmes of the Chiefs adding another receiver. “It’ll build confidence if they bring somebody else in as well. When players are getting banged around — and I just remember seeing in Brazil when Xavier was running across the field on the crossing route — and literally just ran into (Travis Kelce) and caught the side of his shoulder pad, Xavier being on the smaller side. That’s the impact that he was not ready for. They’re going to definitely need a bigger receiver out there helping out with these younger and faster receivers that they have.”
It’s worth noting that the Chiefs pulled off a similar move last season when they acquired Tennessee Titans receiver and five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins midway through the year.
They could be looking at a similar type of move this season. Holmes notes that Travis Kelce has been inconsistent to start out the season.
“I think so, hopefully there will be,” says Holmes of the Chiefs making a move for an available wide receiver. “There might be some receivers that they have that could come off the bench. But it’s nothing like having a veteran in there that can be able to help out those young guys as well.
“They have a tremendous veteran in Kelce, and so you can imagine that Kelce will save the day with running that 10-yard hitch, turning around, posting up like a basketball player, and then catching the ball and being consistent,” Holmes continues to say. “But I saw a very inconsistent Kelce last week versus Philly, especially down on the goal line. He was on the one-yard line, had a chance to catch a perfect pass and just fall into the end zone. He drops the pass, muffs it, it’s in the air, and it gets intercepted and returned for about 20 more yards. It’s uncharacteristic of Kelce.”
Holmes: Arch Manning Can ‘Take Cape Off,’ Settle In After First Loss
While Holmes is obviously remembered for his Kansas City Chiefs days, he’s also a proud Texas Longhorns alum. Holmes played alongside eventual Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams and rushed for 13 touchdowns during his senior season in 1996.
The current Longhorns have extremely high expectations as they seek their first national championship since 2005. They entered the season as national championship favorites with Arch Manning considered the Heisman Trophy favorite.
Those odds have since changed with Texas and Manning dropping a bit of a dud in their season-opening 14-7 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Longhorns had multiple opportunities to take control of the game, but failed to execute in the red zone, failing twice in that area.
While Manning’s performance left a lot to be desired, Holmes isn’t sweating it as the young quarterback continues to gain more experience in a starting role. The Longhorns have since gone 2-0, albeit they were victories against overmatched opponents such as UTEP and San Jose State University.
“As far as Manning goes, that first game out, I think it was the ability for him to take that cape off and put it to the side,” Holmes said. “You got your first ‘L.’ I think the game was very fast. It was probably faster than what he expected initially.”
Luckily for the Longhorns, the College Football Playoff features 12 teams. Furthermore, they have plenty of time to rectify that loss with big games against other SEC teams coming up, such as the Georgia Bulldogs.
Holmes downplays the loss and says there isn’t anything that the Longhorns can’t do. It’s worth noting this is an experienced team with a veteran head coach (Steve Sarkisian) that is coming off of a College Football Playoff appearance last season.
“I don’t think there’s anything that the Longhorns aren’t able to do,” says Holmes. “I think the running game is what we need to watch. It gave him (Manning) the opportunity to settle down as a player.
“The ingredients that he brings to the table – his family, his background, being a Manning, being from that family lineage – it’s not that he doesn’t have the ability to be good, because he’s going to be great. It’s just a matter of him settling down and bringing Texas back to the forefront.”
Manning has since bounced back to throw five touchdowns against two picks along with three rushing touchdowns. The Longhorns have outscored their opponents, 65-17.
Holmes once again reiterates that he’s not concerned about the Longhorns moving forward. Texas is currently ranked No. 8 in the AP Polls.
“What he’s done, that was incredible over the last two weekends, his boys obviously beating up on some teams that they’re more superior to,” says Holmes. “But the Longhorns, they’re going to be just fine. The running back committee, that’s what we need to watch, because that’s what the strength is.
“The defense also was incredible as well. I loved how they were able to stop the run. Ohio State could have ran the score up, but that was a very close game as well — 14 points that they gave up. That’s incredible against the defending national champions.”
Holmes: ‘Plenty of Time’ For Arch To Re-Enter Heisman Race
The Longhorns alum says the early loss only benefits Manning moving forward, especially in regards to his Heisman chances.
“What happens is, when you get that first ‘L,’ it’s early in the season, there’s plenty of time to make up for that,” Holmes said. “There’s a lot of pressure that’s been put on his shoulders. He’s touted as a Heisman winner or with Heisman potential, you know. He’s only got a couple of seasons behind him, so to get that first loss, it definitely helps him.”
Holmes says Manning can simply go back to the drawing board now with the first loss out of the way.
“He can go back, take a breather, and now he can just be good,” Holmes said. “Because there’s nothing that’s going to change about his arm, his delivery, his accuracy. He has all those intangibles. He was bred; he came up in it. He knows what it looks like, knows what it feels like, so it’s just a matter of him just being a Manning.”
The former running back also hints at potential “favoritism” emerging when it comes to votes for Manning due to his name and the fact that his grandfather, Archie Manning, and his uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning, never won the Heisman Trophy.
“Absolutely, I think that he has the ability to,” says Holmes of Manning bouncing back to win the award. “There’s also the ability to say that there’s some type of favoritism as well, in terms of the lineage that he comes from. It’s only to be expected. It’s mentioned how his uncles had missed it, Peyton Manning had missed it. But those talks have always been around that family, and I think it’s plenty of time for him to come back, plenty of ball to be played.”
Holmes: Sports Betting Talk Is New To Me, But I Like It
Holmes is releasing his new podcast called “The Holmes Stretch” which goes into detail with football analysis, has special guests such as former teammates and also gives betting perspectives. The main sponsor of the show is bet365.
The three-time Pro Bowl was known as a fantasy stud back in the day, once holding the single-season record for touchdowns. He acknowledges he’s not a betting expert, but he’s starting to learn and gives some of his own betting perspectives on the show.
“Definitely like talking sports, we’ve got an incredible sponsor that’s behind me with bet365,” says Holmes. “We’re talking unders, we’re talking overs. When I first started saying that, I was like, how do we put this under together? How do we put this over together? Coming from a guy that doesn’t have a history of betting, but I’ve been able to get the cliff notes.”
