The Kansas City Chiefs’ next opponents, the Dallas Cowboys, are playing at a really high level entering Week 13 after back-to-back wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles, but the latest injury news should help KC.
“Left tackle Tyler Guyton is dealing with a high ankle sprain and is unlikely to be available Thursday vs. the Chiefs, per multiple sources,” ESPN beat reporter Todd Archer relayed on November 24. Adding: “Nate Thomas would start.”
As Chiefs fans know all too well, even the best quarterbacks can struggle behind poor pass protection. And no offense to Thomas, but his backup status tells you that he’s a downgrade from Guyton talent-wise.
This provides Kansas City with a major opportunity to get after quarterback Dak Prescott on Thanksgiving Day. If they can do that, maybe they can slow down the Cowboys’ high-octane passing attack, which features CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson, and more.
Chiefs Dealing With a Key Offensive Line Injury of Their Own in Week 13 Ahead of Cowboys Clash
GettyKansas City Chiefs right guard Trey Smith goes up against the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
Earlier in the day on November 24, it was revealed that Chiefs right guard Trey Smith suffered both high- and low-ankle sprains in Week 12. He is not expected to suit up for the Cowboys matchup in a few days, similar to Guyton.
Obviously, this evens the playing field a little, and A-to-Z Sports reporter Charles Goldman explained why Smith’s absence could be detrimental against the Dallas defense, in particular.
“Unclear if [the injured reserve] is an option for the Chiefs at this point, but this is just a brutal injury for Week 13 vs. the Cowboys,” Goldman noted, after hearing the news. “[Dallas has] invested heavily in their interior defensive line with recent trade acquisitions in Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams.”
The KC reporter is correct. Especially in recent weeks, after adding Williams at the NFL trade deadline, the Cowboys’ interior rush has been their defensive unit’s greatest strength.
Now, Williams and company will likely go to work against a guard pairing of Kingsley Suamataia — who has also been banged up of late — and backup interior offensive lineman Mike Caliendo. That could be a real problem for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Chiefs & Cowboys Have Very Short Turnarounds Amid Injury News
The late afternoon Thanksgiving Day game, while iconic, is actually more difficult on NFL teams than your average Thursday Night Football outing.
After a Sunday matchup, which the Chiefs and Cowboys both took part in this weekend, these franchises must then immediately prepare for a Thursday afternoon football game. Obviously, simple math tells you that this only gives each team about four days to prepare if they begin film study on Sunday night.
Then, when you take into account travel periods and a rest and recovery day, that timeline really plummets down to about one or two brief practices, if even.
If everyone’s healthy, you roll with your starters and trust the work that you’ve put in since OTAs and training camp. But when injuries are thrown into the mix, especially O-line injuries to a position that relies on cohesiveness, things begin to get dicey.
The good news is that the Chiefs and Cowboys will both be dealing with similar issues, as mentioned above. The bad news is that the NFL product sometimes worsens in games like these.
We’ll see how well KC and Dallas account for their injuries in Week 13. Whoever does so with more success might just win the pivotal matchup.
Chiefs Catch a Break in Week 13 After Latest Cowboys News: Report