By stunningly trading Tyreek Hill in the offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs parted with a player whose unparalleled speed consistently served as their easiest avenue to explosive plays.
Juju Smith-Schuster may have initially seemed a curious fit as his replacement but, after back-to-back 100-yard receiving performances, he is proving to be the ideal number one wideout for the Chiefs to attack how defenses are attempting to defend them in 2022.
While tight end Travis Kelce is Patrick Mahomes' unquestioned top target in the post-Hill era, Smith-Schuster is rapidly developing an increasingly potent rapport with a quarterback who is in a seemingly ceaseless battle with Josh Allen for the title of the league's most frightening signal-caller.
The San Francisco 49ers will spend the early part of the week before Halloween trying to learn the lessons from their previously top-ranked defense's nightmare showing against the Chiefs, one in which Smith-Schuster produced another demonstration of his increasing comfort level in an offense that has designs on overcoming the loss of Hill to right the wrongs of their playoff disappointments in the previous two seasons.
A serial separator
Having caught all five of his targets for 113 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs' narrow defeat to the Buffalo Bills last week, Smith-Schuster enjoyed another sensational display at Levi's Stadium.
He finished with seven catches on eight targets for 124 yards and a touchdown that was the knockout blow in the Chiefs' 44-23 win over the 49ers.
Smith-Schuster produced a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, on seven of his eight targets against San Francisco and averaged 15.5 burn yards per target. Among receivers targeted at least five times in Week 7, only Jaylen Waddle and Tyler Boyd averaged more as of Sunday.
Those numbers are a continuation of a theme from the Week 6 meeting with the Bills, in which Smith-Schuster registered a burn on each of his targets and averaged 22.6 burn yards per target.
For the season, Smith-Schuster now has a burn rate of 72.3 per cent, which is third among wide receivers with at least 25 targets.
In other words, he is creating separation at an elite level and, as he displayed versus the 49ers, he is doing so regardless of the coverage he is facing.
An answer for all coverageSmith-Schuster was outstanding in Week 7 when attacking both man and zone coverage.
Against man, he used his physicality and his 215-pound frame to win his matchups with the 49ers' cornerbacks.
He ran a pivot route on third down and relied on his superior bulk to get free of Deommodore Lenoir and convert with a five-yard gain to set up the Chiefs' first touchdown to Mecole Hardman.
Smith-Schuster then converted on second down on a six-yard slant, getting physical with former Chief Charvarius Ward to keep Kansas City out of a third down situation on a drive that ended with another touchdown for Hardman.
The former Pittsburgh Steeler ended the first half with a 19-yard reception on a back shoulder throw, which he brought in by easily beating backup corner Ambry Thomas at the catch point.
In the second half, though, Smith-Schuster thrived through his ability to exploit zone coverage.
The Chiefs proved near-unstoppable on third down, and Smith-Schuster came up with a key conversion on 3rd-and-2 that eventually culminated with a Mahomes strike to Justin Watson to put them up 28-16.
San Francisco rotated to a two-deep safety zone coverage at the snap, but it was they who were fooled by Mahomes, who never turned his eyes to Smith-Schuster until the last second, the Chiefs quarterback and a route by tight end Travis Kelce holding nickel defender Jimmie Ward and creating a big hole in the zone into which Smith-Schuster ran an out-breaking route.
Smith-Schuster broke his route to the outside at the perfect depth to ensure safety Tashaun Gipson had too much ground to make up, with Mahomes putting the ball high where only his receiver could get it as they connected for a 15-yard gain.
Mahomes was able to hold the defense with his eyes because of obvious faith Smith-Schuster would be in the right spot to make the play, and that confidence in the Chiefs' new top wideout will keep blossoming if he continues to make plays after the catch, on which he has racked up 210 yards so far this season -- 13th most in the NFL.
He did so on the drive that set up Hardman's third and final touchdown, Mahomes settling for a short throw to Smith-Schuster on an underneath crosser against the 49ers' Cover 6 look protecting the endzone. Smith-Schuster broke one-tackle and gained 20 yards to put the Chiefs on the three-yard line.
The final scoring drive was dominated by Smith-Schuster, who on a second-and-20 got the Chiefs in position to convert on third down, gaining more yards after the catch on a 14-yard completion from Mahomes on a stop route. Corner Charvarius Ward was again playing zone, but dropped deep to guard against a corner route from Hardman, giving Smith-Schuster an easy reception.
His defining contribution came on the next play on another routine catch that Smith-Schuster turned into a long touchdown, capitalising on a zone coverage bust to surge 47 yards into the endzone. Smith-Schuster was left alone to settle into a huge void in the middle of the field. That space should have been occupied by All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, but he had vacated the area to cover Kelce, leaving Smith-Schuster free to cap a dominant day for the Chiefs' offense in style.
Hardman's three touchdowns and Mahomes' 423-yard day may have attracted more attention, but it is the astute acquisition of Smith-Schuster that is unlocking this latest version of Andy Reid's offense.
Smith-Schuster offers Mahomes a receiver who excels attacking zone coverage and who can consistently turn short throws into plays that wear down a defense even when it has succeeded in forcing him to take the underneath option through the use of the two-high zones that have become the default reply to the Chiefs' attack.
Despite not having top-end speed, Smith-Schuster can critically also win against man when defenses take a more aggressive approach to the persistently infuriating challenge of trying to stop Mahomes. He could scarcely be a more different receiver to what Mahomes had when Hill was his number one wideout, but Smith-Schuster's skill set is one that gives the Chiefs answers to the variety of tests defenses are throwing at them.
And, as the burgeoning chemistry between Mahomes and Smith-Schuster grows, it will once again be defenses who are left desperately searching for a solution.
McKenna fired up for 'biggest game in world football' against Man United
Kieran McKenna believes Ipswich Town's Premier League clash with Manchester United will be the "biggest game in world football" this weekend.
United are in action under new manager Ruben Amorim for the first time since the Portuguese officially replaced Arne Slot as head coach.
While plenty of focus is on the visitors at Portman Road, Ipswich are fired up after beating Tottenham 2-1 before the international break.
That was Ipswich's first league win of the season – and their first in the Premier League in 22 years – and now attention turns to facing United.
McKenna, who previously coached United, said at a fan event this week: "Sunday, what a game. It's one we're really, really looking forward to.
"Not for the personal connection, but as manager of Ipswich Town, to be on that stage, it's what we've worked so hard for.
"It's the biggest game in world football anywhere this weekend, the biggest game in the world in the biggest sport in the world and it's at Portman Road."
Ipswich's surprise win at Tottenham last time out moved them up to 17th, while United are 13th after beating Leicester City 3-0 in Ruud van Nistelrooy's final game in caretaker charge.
Amorim took his first training session on Monday, albeit with many first-team stars away on international duty, and the former Sporting CP boss believes his style of play will be clear to see from the off.
"I think you will see an idea," he told the club's website. "You could like it or not, I don't know, but you will see an idea.
"You will see a positioning. You will see something that we want to reach that kind of level. You will feel that.
"We have to know it's [only] two trainings before the first match. This is the best league in the world. But if I have to say something to you, [it's that] you will see an idea. This I can guarantee."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ipswich Town - Liam Delap
Delap scored what proved to be Ipswich's winner against Tottenham and has now netted six of his side's 12 Premier League goals this term.
That makes the Manchester City academy product one of only three players to have scored at least half of his side's goals in the competition this season, along with Erling Haaland at City (55%) and Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest (53%).
Manchester United - Alejandro Garnacho
Garnacho was among the scorers against Leicester two weeks ago and has now been directly involved in 20 Premier League goals for United (13 goals and seven assists).
The Argentina international is one of only two non-British players to reach that figure for United before turning 21, along with Cristiano Ronaldo (25 goals).
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
Ipswich are seeking back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since February 2022, with that run also beginning with a 2-1 victory against Tottenham.
The Tractor Boys are the only side in the competition without a home win this season. Only five newly promoted clubs have failed to win any of their first six home matches, all of whom went back down.
United have won 17 of their past 19 Premier League games against newly promoted opponents, meanwhile, including nine wins in a row in away fixtures.
The Red Devils were 1-0 winners on their most recent league trip to Portman Road in April 2022, but only once have they won successive league games away to Ipswich.
However, the Tractor Boys have lost four of their past five league matches against Man United, failing to score in each of those losses.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Ipswich Town - 22.2%
Draw - 23%
Manchester United - 54.8%
Slot deserves praise for modest approach to Liverpool job – Mills
Arne Slot deserves praise for not being "arrogant" with his approach to succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss, according to Danny Mills.
The Dutchman has made a hugely positive start to life at Anfield since replacing long-serving Klopp ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The 28 points Slot has collected is the joint-most of any manager in their opening 11 Premier League games along with Guus Hiddink at Chelsea.
Liverpool's only blemish on an otherwise perfect start to the top-flight campaign was a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September.
Indeed, only in 2019-20 (31 points) have Liverpool collected more points after 11 games of a Premier League season than their 28 this campaign.
Former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Mills has been particularly impressed by Slot's approach to a new era at Anfield.
"Arne Slot has surprised me," Mills told Stats Perform. "They did have a difficult defeat against Nottingham Forest at home. That was a defeat not many people saw that coming, but the start he's had is unbelievable. It's incredible.
"Training might be slightly different, but the style of play is very similar. The players are comfortable with it. They've been high-energy, closing people down, and playing at 100 miles an hour when they win the ball back.
"It shows managerial intelligence to understand the players' qualities and build on what they had when they were successful. He hasn't overthought it or tinkered too much.
"He hasn’t been arrogant and said, 'I'm going to rip it up and start fresh'. It wasn't broken; it was already successful. He's just added to it."
Liverpool won a first ever Premier League title during Klopp's eight-and-a-half years in charge, as well the Champions League in 2018-19.
Klopp also lifted the FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, setting a high benchmark to follow.
"Liverpool identified the man they wanted, brought him in, and he's been very clever," Mills added. "He looked at the squad and thought, 'these are good players. I don't need to change too much'.
"That's smart because Liverpool were very successful under Klopp. If you come in and rip up the playbook and it doesn't work, players will question why they're not doing what worked under Klopp."
Liverpool have conceded just six goals in the Premier League this season – four fewer than next-best Nottingham Forest.
They are conceding at a rate of around 0.5 goals per game, compared to around 1.1 in Klopp's final season in charge (41 goals in 38 matches).
"Slot has tweaked things slightly, maybe made them more defensively solid, which they needed to really challenge," Mills said. "Championship-winning or Champions League-winning teams are built on solid defences.
"You don't win without that. He's shored up the defence and allowed the players to continue doing what they were doing before."
Barca weren't going to sign Williams if they could not register him, says Laporta's advisor
Barcelona were not going to sign Nico Williams if his registration with LaLiga could not be guaranteed, according to Blaugrana president Joan Laporta's advisor, Enric Masip.
The Spain international was a top target for Hansi Flick's side after playing a starring role during La Roja's Euro 2024 triumph.
Williams netted a fine solo goal in the 4-1 win over Georgia in the round of 16, becoming the first player on record at the Euros (since 1980) to score, assist and complete 100% of his passes (46 from 46) in a game he started.
The Athletic Bilbao forward was then named Player of the Match after finding the net in Spain's 2-1 victory over England in the final.
Williams was expected to reunite with international team-mate Lamine Yamal at Camp Nou.
It was reported he chose to remain with Bilbao after Barca were unable to guarantee his registration with LaLiga due to complying with the salary cap, but Masip - advisor to Laporta - has refuted those claims.
"If a player who is of your interest doesn't want to move, you don't have much leeway," he told El Chiringuito. "There was not much you could do.
"It's hard for me to think that if you were going to sign Nico Williams, you wouldn't be able to register him.
"Barca weren't going to pay €50 million or €60 million for a player if they weren't going to be able to register him. So, well, it surely would have been done."
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