Weekend discussion.

Friday’s daily.

So…I found an article posted yesterday, and it. is. interesting. It’s “get your popcorn” caliber reading material. The headline alone is an attention grabber: How a Season-long Rift Between Patrick Mahomes and Eric Bieniemy Ruined the AFC Championship. But it’s more than that. (Movie trailer narrator voice…) Imagine if you will, a world where Bienemy’s contract has expired…he once again has no HC job…and there’s a Flores lawsuit about black men and coaching opportunities in the NFL. What do the Chiefs do moving forward??

NOTE: I left out a huge chunk of the article that talks about the rough road the Chiefs had early in the season, and Mike Kafka basically was the one who turned it around for the Chiefs. Also, I’ve left out other insights about Bienemy that are worthy of reading the entire article. Feel free to copy and paste some of those in the comments section.

Link to article: How a Season-long Rift Between Patrick Mahomes and Eric Bieniemy ruined the AFC Championship

Excerpt 1:

There is no racism involved with Bieniemy not getting a head coaching job. When you interview for a role 15 times and come away empty handed, it’s time to look at the man in the mirror. Bieniemy has rushed his interviews, been incomplete in thought and structure and has lacked a true plan that a billionaire owner can get behind.

The back-channel communication on Bieniemy is simply not good and it has zero to do with race. Case in point, the NFL begged and pleaded with the Saints ownership group to “strongly consider” Bieniemy. In the end, the team felt Dennis Allen’s plan and continuity was more important than Bieniemy’s ideas and the NFL’s pleadings.

So what now? Bieniemy is a free agent. He will meet with the Chiefs and talk through options. They have held initial talks with another round coming soon. However, considering what has happened, and what you’re about to read, it all boils down to…The Chiefs and Eric Bieniemy are not meant for each other.

Excerpt 2:

For anyone questioning Mahomes at this point, consider the following insight from a family member of a high profile Chiefs player:

“Most of the guys tune Bieniemy out, because he does the one thing good coaches don’t do: ignores feedback from players.”

We have heard from multiple Chiefs staff, including some who stand on the sidelines, that Reid, Mahomes and Bieniemy have disagreed over gameplans and strategy all year, as well as far back to late 2020.

The same sources have indicated to us that the reason Bieniemy doesn’t have a head-coaching job is because of his temperament and unwillingness to accept feedback from his players.

This came up with the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints. Broncos GM George Paton asked Bieniemy point blank in his interview about a situation he saw while in Kansas City earlier this season. The answer from Bieniemy eliminated him from job contention.

Excerpt 3:

(1) (0:09–2nd) Timeout #1 by CIN at 00:09.

Bieniemy tells Mahomes he has a timeout left and they had five play calls lined up, two of which were runs that were never sent in.

The first play failed. Bieniemy then told Mahomes he had one timeout left, and to run play X, or take a field goal.

The narrative that Bieniemy only wanted a field goal is 100 percent false. Bieniemy called the play that resulted in a doomed pass to Hill, not Reid.

Mahomes then tried to call timeout, and the clock expired.

Bieniemy called the entire game. While Reid can chime in at any point and toss out a call, Bieniemy had full play-calling authority via his contract.

(2) Bieniemy and Mahomes get into it at half time, in the tunnel and in the locker room. There was in-the-face yelling before Reid and the other coaches stepped in. It happened again after the game. Any remaining confidence or trust in the relationship was broken at that point.

(3) Anyone who has played QB at a higher level will say the headset can’t be chaotic. Usually only one coach has access, but this goes unchecked by the NFL.

Unfortunately, those in-game moments where Mahomes is squeezing his helmet and receiving calls late, is due to multiple voices on the hot mic. This happened multiple times in 2021, and during the AFC Championship, it was chaotic, particularly before the final snap prior to halftime.

Nobody can say exactly when this happened but at one point during the AFC Championship, the following exchange took place after Bienemy called a play.

Reid: “No, run this”

Bieniemy: “What the fuck.”

Kafka: “We’re blowing this game.”

Mahomes: “Call the fucking play or I will.”

(4) A high-profile offensive lineman snapped and spoke at halftime. This player is usually quiet, so his words have resonated with several high-ranking members of the Chiefs brass the past three weeks.

(5) Bieniemy called the entire second half, calling multiple times for Clyde Edwards-Helaire to get the ball instead of Jerick McKinnon. Bieniemy called for Demarcus Robinson to get the ball in overtime, over Mecole Hardman. Both passes fell incomplete.

Bieniemy ignored feedback from Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Hardman and McKinnon. Bieniemy had his “my way or the highway” moment calling plays in the second half.

At the end of regulation, with the Chiefs needing a touchdown to win, Bieniemy called at least two plays that the team hadn’t practiced in three months. It led to confusion across the board, from line blocking assignments, to routes, to Mahomes looking shaken.

Re-watch that series. Mahomes didn’t throw the game. Bieniemy literally created mass confusion in the most pivotal moment of the game.

(6) Since the AFC Championship, Super-Agent Leigh Steinberg and Bob Lamonte (Reid’s agent) have done a lot of talking about Bieniemy and Mahomes. This keeps the line of communication between Mahomes and Reid clear and consistent, but at the same time players are speaking up and trying to handle this situation via the back of the clubhouse.

(7) Travis Kelce agreed to be the Face of the Chiefs during the Super Bowl but he had as many as six issues with Bieniemy during the fall.

Wednesday’s daily.

Tuesday’s daily.

Monday’s daily. California knows how to party…

Weekend Discussion.