The Kansas City Chiefs left their divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills a little banged up as they head toward the AFC championship.
The Chiefs take on the No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens in Maryland this weekend for their sixth consecutive conference title game and look to return to the Super Bowl after taking home the Lombardi Trophy a year ago.
But two key starters didn’t practice today and their statuses remain unclear as the week progresses: Running back Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a toe injury and guard Joe Thuney is dealing with a pec strain, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
A couple key injuries for the #Chiefs, per coach Andy Reid:
— RB Isiah Pacheco won’t practice today because of a toe injury but is getting better.
— G Joe Thuney won’t practice today with a pec strain.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 24, 2024
Pacheco sounds as though he’ll heal in time to play, but Thuney’s situation sounds a little more dire after he did not return when he left the game against the Bills.
The Chiefs’ next man up in the backfield would be former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire, while Nick Allegretti would likely fill in at guard if Thuney misses the game.
Both players have been incredibly important to the Chiefs’ recent success and would be sorely missed on offense against the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
While Pacheco’s production could be replicated with Edwards-Helaire or a shift toward a more pass-first offensive gameplan, Thuney is a Pro Bowl guard and would be harder to replace on the offensive line even with an experienced backup like Allegretti.
Baltimore is incredibly effective along the defensive line, too, and would look to exploit any weaknesses along the Chiefs’ offensive line as the Ravens look to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012.
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