NFL Mailbag: Readers React To Chiefs Praying, Allen And Goff MVP Matchup, And Where Is Belichick Going?
This week's mailbag is led by a ton of reaction I received about the Kansas City Chiefs and their prayers.
The Chiefs, you see, pray. The franchise makes it part of its mission to follow God.
Reading that made some people happy. And it triggered others.
So we address that, plus Sunday's MVP battle between Josh Allen and Jared Goff, and an update on Bill Belichick.
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 02: Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and his family huddle for a prayer in game action during the Super Bowl LIV game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on February 2, 2020 at Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs Open About Faith
Mr. Salguero,
Thank you for writing your article about the Chiefs and their beliefs. You were unafraid to use the name of our Lord, Savior & Friend Jesus Christ. I appreciate your work and pray for God to bless you immensely. When someone like you has a platform to express their voice, it's magnified b/c it reaches so many. It's refreshing to see, and it makes me proud to be a regular reader of Outkick.
Thanks again sir and God Bless - in Jesus' name we pray.
– Thomas Tamez
Outkick reader in Texas.
A. Mr Tamez: Thanks so much for reading the column and reaching out. I'm indeed not afraid. I follow a savior who was jailed, spat upon, disfigured after suffering 39 lashes, stabbed with a lance, and crucified. Me getting some negative comments online or via email from people who dislike what I wrote doesn't compare as any sort of backlash.
Chiefs Are Not Without Sin
A. Adam, I didn't say the Chiefs are without sin. You must know that.
And you saying what I wrote is "nonsense" completely ignores the possibility – I would say probability – that the favor of God is on that franchise right now.
That is a tangible thing for those who believe.
You saw that winning field goal hit the upright and bounce in on Sunday against the Chargers. You dismiss that as coincidence or blind luck, but I see favor. There are thousands of examples of that organization being lucky, as you might say. After a while, only a fool believes consistent luck is coincidental. So, I raise the possibility of the favor of God.
Look, before the Super Bowl against the Eagles, quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain. But Mahomes played and said God helped heal him from an injury that can take four-to-six weeks to recover from. He said that.
So, whether you believe God is a factor for the Chiefs or not is irrelevant. They have people in that organization who believe.
Josh Allen
MVP Question Addressed This Weekend
Q. Armando, it's the Bills and the Lions going at it on Sunday. I think that game will go a long way in deciding the MVP this year. Who is the better MVP candidate, Josh Allen or Jared Goff?
– Tony In Lansing
A. Tony, I see where you're writing from so I'm guessing you want me to say Goff is the better MVP candidate. But I don't know that I can make you happy.
Firstly, votes for MVP aren't due or even allowed until after the season. So Sunday's game will be something of a memory by then. But it will matter.
I was, coincidentally, discussing this very subject with a fellow MVP voter recently and we both agreed:
NFL fans had plenty of funny reactions to Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff getting a huge extension. Check out the best reactions. (Credit: Getty Images)
Jared Goff In Play For MVP
When I see Allen's accomplishments, I see an individual raising his team to great heights despite not having a ton of stellar help. Good help, no doubt. Great coaching, too. But the Bills don't boast a loaded roster.
And yet, Allen is having a great year and the Bills are in the mix for the top playoff seed in the AFC.
The Lions, meanwhile, are stacked. They have a great offensive line, a running back corps so good they have nicknames, very good receivers and a good tight end room. I cannot state this as fact, but my opinion is that half-a-dozen NFL quarterbacks could replace Goff in Detroit and do as well.
That's not a criticism of Goff who is maximizing his situation. But he has benefited greatly from it.
I would pick Allen over Goff at this stage.
FOXBORO, MA - October 26: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media at Gillette Stadium on October 26, 2022 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Where Does Belichick End Up?
Q. Mando, what's the deal with Belichick? Where is he going to end up?
– Allan Sloan
Providence, RI.
A. Al, you're asking me to predict the unpredictable. But because I work for you, let me try the impossible:
Belichick's preference is to remain in the NFL. But I wouldn't be shocked if he's already done his due diligence on jobs that are open (New Orleans, Chicago, Jets) or could come open (Giants, Jacksonville, Dallas) and isn't getting the kind of feedback he loves.
He's not coaching the Jets because he doesn't respect owner Woody Johnson. He's likely not going to Chicago, based on the leadership structure already there. And there is no certainty the Jaguars, Giants and Cowboys make changes.
I believe the jobs Belichick would like are the Giants, Jaguars and perhaps Saints. But where is the guarantee?
There have been ongoing talks with North Carolina. But, shocker, money is an issue. It's not going to be about Belichick's salary necessarily but, rather, investment in the football program by a basketball school.
This much is certain: The coach who 100 percent wants to have a team in 2025 is expanding his opportunity with North Carolina. But I believe he ends up back in the NFL if he has his choice.