As has all too often become the familiar storyline in seasons that don’t end with a championship in this dynastic era of Kansas City Chiefs football, the team is entering a crucial stretch with a depleted offensive line — beginning with this weekend’s gotta-have-it Sunday Night Football game against the Houston Texans.
Starting left tackle Josh Simmons (wrist) is now on injured reserve. Right guard Trey Smith (ankle) missed last game and still is out of practice. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor (triceps), who exited early on Thanksgiving, also remains sidelined.
On Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid surprised many when he offered the current plan in place should Taylor not find his way back: Wanya Morris at left tackle and Jaylon Moore at right tackle against one of the NFL’s premier defensive fronts.
On Thursday, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy expanded upon how the club’s staff reached that decision.
“As we go through that process with these players and where they’re at, for us, there’s a little bit of a process between coach Reid, (offensive line) coach (Andy) Heck on where the guys are,” Nagy said. “We all talk through that, and we end up making a decision on how that goes with the guys, and then we leave it at that.
“Wherever it is, we want those guys to go out and do everything they can to trust their fundamentals and technique. Obviously we’re seeing a great pass rush — that’s not telling anybody anything we don’t know — so we’ve got to find ways to be able to, in any way possible, give our guys the best advantage when they play.”
For Morris, Sunday’s task might evoke a difficult memory.
The former 2023 third-round pick’s last meaningful start came a little more than 12 months ago against the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead — and with it, the lasting, brutal memory of pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson instantly swimming around him.
Sacked and having to settle for three, Patrick Mahomes became visibly frustrated, leading Reid to bench Morris and kick Joe Thuney outside at tackle.
This weekend, Morris will see plenty of Danielle Hunter, who — along with teammate Will Anderson — ranks among the league’s leaders in sacks and QB pressures. Yet even though Anderson has produced roughly 10 more pressures than Hunter this season, Nagy said the one-on-one matchup wasn’t the deciding factor.
“No, I wouldn’t say it’s who you’re playing against as much as the discussion of what’s best for those guys,” Nagy said. “Where they’re comfortable, and then in the end, whatever decision is made, you got to go with it, and you can’t look back on it.”
One theory might suggest that with Smith still sidelined, the Chiefs don’t want the weaker of the two tackles, Morris, on the same side as another backup, Mike Caliendo. A right-side pairing of Caliendo-Morris against Anderson would be no recipe for success.
Another is that Kansas City is more optimistic about Taylor playing at right tackle than publicly indicated. A final theory could involve a curveball, where Kansas City taps into the recently reacquired Esa Pole. Maybe Hunter Nourzad factors into the mix along the interior.
“For us, whoever is going to be in the game, they’re going to be ready to roll,” center Creed Humphrey said. “So, for me, it’s just making sure the communication is good, and everybody is on the same page, and everybody is ready to play.”
Regardless of their ultimate lineup decision, the Chiefs have openly acknowledged that quick passing and a commitment to the run game will be critical in emerging victorious. That’s where workhorse veteran back Kareem Hunt, who has touched the football 48 times over the past two weeks, comes in.
Hunt said his body feels refreshed after the three extra days of rest time this week.
“It’s one of my favorite things to do — carry the football, man. I’m one of those guys who just loves the game,” he said. “We’ve got to set the tone for the rest of the year. It’s definitely going to be a big game — (the Texans are) hot, they’ve got a great defense, and we’ve just got to come out and play physical.”
In the offseason, the Chiefs made strategic moves with the intention of getting back to a high-powered offense that would return to explosive, downfield football. But here, with the season on the line and the offensive line banged up, they have come to realize the only way to preserve their hopes might be to muck it up and win ugly.
“The very first thing that you notice when you watch this Texans’ defense — you see them on TV or you watch them like we do in the cut-ups that we have — is they’re super relentless,” Nagy said. “I think in this game, for us, we create our game plan offensively — what do we want to do? Make that loud and clear to the offense in the beginning of the week — and then we’ve got to execute it and know what kind of game this is going to be.
“It’s probably not going to be a real pretty game, and that’s OK. This team doesn’t allow many points. So when you go into it, the goal is to score as many as you can, but what’s real is how you’re going to do it.
“And I think the team messaging, the offensive messaging from us is, ‘Just do what you’re supposed to do, coach how we’re supposed to coach,’ and we’ve got a lot of trust in our guys. And I think a lot of confidence — but we have a lot of respect, because they’re a good football team and they’re very well coached.”
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