The Kansas City Chiefs are in do-or-die mode for the rest of the season. They sit at 6-7 and are already out of the division race in the AFC West. The Chiefs need to keep winning to stay in the playoff mix over these next three weeks. It starts with this game against the Chargers, and they need all hands on deck, but they received bad news on offense before the game due to injuries, even with Patrick Mahomes being good to go.
According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, the Chiefs are missing WR Hollywood Brown for personal reasons, and three offensive linemen, Trey Smith, Jawaan Taylor, and Wanya Morris, are all out due to injuries. This game will mark another week of the Chiefs being shorthanded on the offensive side of the ball, which has been a key aspect behind their struggles as a team.
The Chiefs need all the help they can get on offense, and the fact that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed he would be out due to personal reasons leaves the receiving corps shorthanded. Hollywood Brown is behind Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy in importance to this offense, but he is second on the team in separation rate, which would have been huge against the Chargers.
Chiefs right guard Trey Smith is not quite ready yet, according to HC Andy Reid. He gave it a go in practice this week, knowing that the team could really use him back. However, with both high and low ankle sprains, returning so soon was always a long shot, and he was downgraded before the weekend.
With Morris and Taylor out, it's paving the way for Esa Pole’s first career start and another start for Jaylon Moore. The Chargers have a solid defensive line led by Khalil Mack, and they can capitalize on the offensive line's issues.
Defensively, it looks like the Chiefs will have linebacker Nick Bolton available, and cornerback Trent McDuffie seems like a game-time decision, as he is listed as questionable.
Every team has injuries at this time of year, but the Chiefs needed all the help they could get, given how desperate they are. It remains to be seen how much of a difference this will make at home.
