The Kansas City Chiefs are certainly a resilient bunch. On Sunday, they handed the Cleveland Browns a 21-7 loss and improved their hold on the top spot in the AFC. However, the injury to Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is concerning.
Head Coach Andy Reid has explained some of his play-calling in the second half. Facing a fourth and four with a two-touchdown lead, he chose not to punt, and the result of that gamble was an incomplete pass. The news is that Patrick Mahomes is now listed as having a high ankle sprain week-to-week
Though Superman has dealt with his fair share of ankle injuries, he must play two games over the next ten days at home against Houston on Saturday and four days later against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road on Christmas day. It’s hardly ideal, and with the offensive line still a mess, hopefully, DJ Humphries can return for the Texans game.
The experiment with Joe Thuney at left tackle was solid in the first half, but he didn’t do the job in the second half when the Chiefs offense stalled. On the bright side, Mike Caliendo, who was playing his first NFL game as a starter, managed to hold his own most of the game.
However, the injury to Mahomes dampened the win, and there should be genuine concern about playing next Saturday with a two-game lead, depending on the outcome of the Bills game at Detroit and the Steelers game at Philadelphia today; if I were Reid, I’d play Carson Wentz on Sunday.
On the bright side, the Chiefs’ defense played its best ball of the season. They had five sacks, four interceptions, and recovered two fumbles, one of which was recovered by special teams.
Trent McDuffie recorded his first interception of his career on a terrific play in the end zone. In fact, over the last three games, McDuffie has done it all for the Chiefs defense. He’s adapting to the same role as L’Jarius Sneed had before he was traded in the off-season.
Still, the offense shot itself in the foot. Again, the play calling was abysmal in the second half, as Reid kept trying to throw the rock instead of committing to running the ball to take time off the clock and save Mahomes from shooting shot after shot in the pocket.
Reid gets paid a lot of money to make big decisions, but sometimes he needs to remember he has a trio of running backs that can get ten yards on three carries. If he’d commit to the run game, and if Mahomes does not play Saturday, he better focus on running the ball against the Texans.
Kansas City faces an uphill battle if this offensive line can’t protect its quarterback. It’s clear that Mahomes isn’t Superhuman and was in pain after the game. Luckily, after taking X-rays, there are no broken bones, but it’s safe to assume he’s going to be sore this week.
Now, despite the gloom, doom, and concerns about Mahomes, this team is 13-1 and controls its destiny to earn the top spot in the AFC. If they go 2-1 for the remainder of the season, they get the coveted Bye Week in January.
Considering their injuries, especially Mahomes, he and his teammates could rest for a few weeks. Still, you can’t ever take an opponent for granted, and there’s no guarantee Kansas City can win two of the following three games.
Still, I like their odds.
