Chiefs vs. Titans Inactives: Who's In, Who's Out?
After defeating the Washington Football Team by a sizable margin in Week 6, the Kansas City Chiefs are back on the road for a Week 7 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. This game is a battle between two of the AFC's top teams and has a lot riding on the line for both sides. Ahead of Sunday's game, the Chiefs have released their inactives list:
Luckily for the Chiefs, reinforcements are on the way. Not listed are defensive end Chris Jones and cornerback Charvarius Ward, which means they are active and set to return to action. Jones missed the team's previous two games with a hand/wrist injury and Ward suffered a strained quad that forced him to sit out four games in a row. Having two defensive starters back in the fold should pay dividends for a Chiefs unit that played its best football of the season last week against Washington.
As expected, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and offensive lineman Joe Thuney are playing through their quad and hand injuries (respectively). Neither has missed games this season and both should remain effective despite being a bit banged up. Tight end Jody Fortson was placed on the injured reserve list earlier this week, fullback Michael Burton didn't practice throughout the week and linebacker Anthony Hitchens was spotted at Thursday's practice with his arm in a sling.
The Titans have also released their list of inactive players:
One of the biggest absences for the Titans is left tackle Taylor Lewan. The three-time Pro Bowler hasn't yet cleared concussion protocol after being carted off during last week's victory over the Buffalo Bills. Without him, even more pressure to perform is thrust upon an offensive line that does much better in the run game than against opposing pass rushers.
There was some legitimate concern about the potential availability of linebacker Bud Dupree and safety Amani Hooker due to their respective knee and groin injuries, and Hooker being out is a massive blow. For a team that was already missing Kristian Fulton and Caleb Farley in the secondary, the Titans will have their work cut out for them on Sunday. Getting Dupree on the field is a plus, though.
Offensively, having receivers AJ Brown and Julio Jones active is massive. The Titans are going to need every weapon they can get in order to keep up with the Chiefs, so keeping two of the NFL's most dynamic targets moving will be paramount. Steve Spagnuolo's secondary has been tested this season, and that should be the case again in Week 7.
