2 min read • January 14, 2021
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Quarterbacks - When Patrick Mahomes went down last week, speculation ramped up around the nature of his injury. His admittance to concussion protocol obviously raised questions of whether he had truly suffered a concussion or not. Some believed so, others thought it was a nerve issue, or that he was "choked out" on the play. By video, it appears to be none of these three things. While any force to the torso can cause a concussion, the mechanism of the tackle had very little to do with his head or chest, as the defender's arm hit him under the mask and above the pads. There was also not enough torque on the neck to cause trauma to the bone or ligaments, and there was not nearly enough time for the defender to restrict blood flow to his brain. The likelihood is that he suffered momentary trauma to the carotid sinus area, where the vagus nerve and baroreceptors are located. Vasovagal reactions can be caused by a direct blow to this part of the neck, and can cause the same kind of momentary excitement of the nerve, sending a signal to his brain and causing him to pass out. Also known as a brachial stun, we have never seen this in our experience covering football, but it was an uncommon hit, with the defenders' forearm just clearing Mahomes' protective gear. The initial blow and subsequent pulling would be enough to cause the brain to "short circuit", causing the stunned state we saw in Mahomes after the hit. While he will remain in concussion protocol through this week per league rules, he is a good bet to play, and this is a likely and legitimate cause for his unusual injury.
Running Backs - Le’Veon Bell missed Week 17 with a knee issue after being listed as questionable, and sat out two straight practices ahead of the season finale. However, having clinched the #1 seed the Chiefs were sitting the majority of their stars, and there is a good chance Bell falls under this category. We will monitor his practice status ahead of the Divisional Round but there is a good chance he returns.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire awkwardly was forced into the splits on a goal line run in Week 15, and has sat out the past 3 games with a hip/ankle listing. However, with the BYE he has now had 4 weeks of rest, and we’ll watch for his potential return in practice this week.
Wide Receivers - Tyreek Hill was questionable Week 16 with a hamstring, and sat out Week 17 with the same issue. It is likely they were just resting him for the playoffs, and Kansas City’s premiere deep threat should be fine.
Sammy Watkins has struggled to stay healthy recently, and has not played all 16 games since his rookie campaign. This season, it was hamstring and calf issues that got him down. He missed Weeks 7-11 with the hamstring, and sat out the season finale with the calf. While he could be yet another player rested in Week 17, he has not historically played well through injuries, and is worth keeping an eye on injurywise here.
Offensive Line - The Chiefs’ offensive line issues are well-documented this year. It began with veteran guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and rookie tackle Lucas Niang opting-out, due to COVID, and since they’ve had a rash of injuries all around this unit. Kelechi Osemele suffered a bilateral tendon tear, and is deep in the rehab process on both knees, on IR of course. They have had issues outside as well, as right tackle Mitchell Schwartz last played Week 6 and has been on IR since. Their depth at tackle has had issues as well, as Martinas Rankin started the year on PUP with a patella injury, and Mike Remmers missed Weeks 15 and 17 with a back issue of his own. With 2 of their starting guards down, and an issue at right tackle, Cleveland will have to scheme up ways to attack this front.
Linebackers - Kansas City’s linebacking corps has had a few issues this year. Anthony Hitchens missed the final 2 regular season games with COVID, but could return after 3 weeks out of the facility. Ben Niemann sat out Week 17 with a hamstring, but this could be another resting case. Damien Wilson missed 3 of the last 4 games with knee, but has since returned, and should be ok for the playoffs. Willie Gay also suffered a high ankle sprain but it appears to be mild and he should return.
Defensive Lineman - Taco Charlton missed one game with a knee injury before heading to injured reserve with a broken right leg. He had season-ending surgery, and will not be back for the Chiefs playoff run. Another pass rusher here, Alex Okafor has missed time this year with a hamstring issue, with 6 games out earlier in the year. However, he has since returned and appears good to go heading forward.
Secondary - L’Jarius Sneed missed 6 games early in the year with a fractured collarbone, but has returned to help the Kansas City cornerbacks for solid depth in the back part of the defense.
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