PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

December 20, 2018 at 1:01 pm.

PLAYER NOTES

–RT Mitchell Schwartz injured his left knee during last Thursday’s loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. He did not exit the game, however, continuing his streak of never missing an offensive snap in his career. He did not practice on Wednesday and his status for Sunday’s trip to Seattle remains up in the air.

–WR Tyreek Hill was a full participant in practice on Wednesday after being limited with a foot injury last week. He continues wearing additional tape and wrapping on his right foot.

–CB Kendall Fuller did not practice on Wednesday but did appear on the field with a helmet during the team’s stretching period of practice. Fuller underwent thumb surgery on Friday, but head coach Andy Reid expects him to play Sunday night against Seattle.

–RB Spencer Ware returned to practice in a limited role Wednesday after a hamstring injury kept him out of last Thursdays’ loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Andy Reid said that when Ware returns he expects him to share the load in a backfield by committee with Damien Williams.

–WR Sammy Watkins remains on the sidelines with a right foot injury and did not practice on Wednesday. The Chiefs remain focused on ensuring Watkins can return at full strength for the playoffs. That should mean an increasingly larger role for newly acquired WR Kelvin Benjamin during the final two games of the regular season.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Damien Williams. The fifth-year veteran turned in a career performance last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, picking up 49 yards on 10 carries and adding another 74 yards on six catches along with two touchdowns. Williams showed speed and elusiveness against the Chargers, and proved enough to head coach Andy Reid to warrant more playing time and a larger share of the backfield work once starter Spencer Ware returns from a hamstring injury.

GAME PLAN: The Chiefs have a simple offensive game plan, which is to jump out on top early. In recent weeks, that’s meant trying to hang on for dear life at the end of the game. The Chiefs don’t need to change their formula for the first three quarters of the game but they do need a new solution for the end game. Without Kareem Hunt as their closer in the backfield, the Chiefs have to rely on quarterback Patrick Mahomes to build an early lead and then close the door in the fourth quarter by continuing to pour on the points and hang onto the football. Without Hunt, the Chiefs can no longer pound the ball on the ground to close games; that responsibility now falls on Mahomes.

Defensively, the Chiefs rely on their punishing pass rush to create big plays that slow down opposing offenses. That becomes more tricky this week facing an elusive quarterback such as Russell Wilson. The Chiefs had marginal success two weeks ago against Lamar Jackson, but Wilson poses a much greater threat through the air while the Seahawks three-headed backfield can pound out the yards. The Chiefs can’t allow the Seahawks to set the tone on offense by controlling the clock.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

–Chiefs DE Chris Jones vs. Seahawks LG J.R. Sweezy. Jones enters the game with at least one sack in 10 straight games, and can set a new NFL record with a sack Sunday night. Jones does most of his damage on the left side of the offensive line, benefitting from LBs Justin Houston and Dee Ford setting him up with one-on-one matchups inside. Sweezy is better in pass protection than run blocking, so Jones should have an opportunity to make a big play.

–Seahawks secondary vs. Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill. Injuries have plagued the Seattle secondary, and if Bradley McDougald can’t play Sunday night the Seahawks will be depending on young, untested safeties to keep Hill in check on the deep ball.