Still Shorthanded, Help Is on the Way for the Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a close 24-20 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in a key AFC matchup. The loss pushed the Chiefs to 4-2 on the season and they are essentially two games behind the Bills for the top spot in the AFC playoff standings. The sky is falling, right?
Take a deep breath and realize things may not be as bad as they seem. Last year through Week 7, the Chiefs had a record of 3-4. Many were speculating the Chiefs would miss the playoffs. The Chiefs went on to win eight in a row and ended up hosting the AFC Championship Game. There’s a recent history of this team bouncing back and making deep playoff runs.
This year, the Chiefs have wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers, two divisional foes, and they are sitting atop the AFC West heading into Week 7. A loss to the Bills and a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 were both close games. The Chiefs haven't been overwhelmed by an opponent this season. Still, there is room for improvement.
Kicker Harrison Butker returned last week and set a new Chiefs record with a 62-yard field goal before halftime. Many feel if Butker had been healthy all season, the Chiefs would have beat the Colts. At a position that is generally taken for granted, Butker’s return helps solidify the kicking game going forward.
Not only is Butker’s return key, but there is more help on the way. It’s not just for Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers, but after the Week 8 bye as well. First up, the return of Willie Gay Jr.
Willie Gay Jr. played in the first two games of the season before being suspended four games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy last January. Gay is one of the most athletic defenders the Chiefs have and will make an immediate impact upon his return to the middle of the field.
Specifically on Sunday against the 49ers, Gay should be able to run with tight end George Kittle or keep up with wide receiver Deebo Samuel if he lines up in the backfield in certain formations. Gay brings a sideline-to-sideline effort that couldn’t be easily replicated by another linebacker on the Chiefs' roster.
The secondary is also looking to upgrade very soon as a couple of rookies are nearing a return. Safety Bryan Cook has been practicing all week and looks to be ready to roll against the Niners. Cornerback Trent McDuffie, who has been out since exiting Week 1 with a hamstring injury, can be activated off the injured reserve list at any time. McDuffie practiced with the team this week, but the Chiefs have held McDuffie out for another week, leading to an extended two-week rest with a bye week coming after San Francisco. This week, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo seemed optimistic about McDuffie’s recovery and Gay's return.
“Both of them looked good to me,” Spagnuolo said on Thursday. “I go off what Rick [Burkholder] says in Trent’s case. Willie is just a ball of energy. He can be at 100 miles an hour no matter what. He’s rusty, he hasn’t been here in a month. We have to shake that off, but we have to get them out there and get rolling.”
The offensive line has had their struggles, especially at the right tackle position. Lucas Niang, who was the starting right tackle at the beginning of the 2021 season, is likely to return from IR sometime after the bye week. This could potentially be a big addition along the line. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes seems to always speak highly of Niang whenever his name comes up.
One piece of the puzzle that has yet to be fully unlocked is the role of rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore. Moore seems to be getting more opportunities week-by-week, and giving the offense another solid route runner with good speed can add another dimension and weapon for Mahomes to utilize going forward.
Then there’s the recent Travis Kelce contract restructure. The assumption is the Chiefs freed up some cap space in order to go after a piece to add to this team. What type of piece could the Chiefs add to the roster? Could it be a pass-rusher like Robert Quinn to help the defensive line? Maybe bringing Odell Beckham Jr. in from free agency when he is healthy enough to pass a physical? There will be a lot of speculation during the bye week.
No matter the outcome on Sunday, the Chiefs have the pieces in place, along with additional pieces on the way, that can lead this team back to another Super Bowl. The mix of youth and experience at all levels, on both sides of the ball, should give the Chiefs a chance to continue their unprecedented run of success that has never been seen in this franchise's history.
