PLAYER NOTES
–S Eric Berry did not practice Wednesday with head coach Andy Reid stressing he’s continuing to progress. Berry has not practiced with the team since Aug. 11, and his absence Wednesday casts doubts on his return this week against the 49ers.
–DE Chris Jones suffered a groin strain during Sunday’s 42-37 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He did not practice Wednesday but it appears he may still be available for Sunday’s home opener.
–LB Reggie Ragland practiced with the team Wednesday despite suffering a stinger against the Steelers Sunday. Ragland also continues wearing a brace on his left knee stemming from an offseason training injury that limited him during training camp. He appeared as a full participant on the team’s injury report with a shoulder and knee issue.
–LG Cam Erving suffered a knee injury during Sunday’s win, and although he did not leave the game the team added him to their Wednesday injury report as a full participant.
–CB Kendall Fuller continues nursing a hand injury sustained during Week 1 but the injury should not impact his availability for Sunday’s game against the 49ers.
–LB Ben Niemann practiced on a limited basis Wednesday for the first time since suffering a strained hamstring in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers. His availability for this week’s game against San Francisco remains uncertain.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Kareem Hunt. The other three members of the Chiefs’ offensive quartet – tight end Travis Kelce and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins — have all had at least one game with 90 yards of offense. Now running back Kareem Hunt needs to shoulder his load of the offense. He led the league in rushing a year ago but averaged just 62 yards rushing through the first two games and has a mere one catch for five yards. Getting Hunt more involved in the game plan should improve ball control and time of possession, which the Chiefs have struggled with through their two wins. With defenses targeting Patrick Mahomes and his down-field threats, Hunt may find the opening he needs to break out.
GAME PLAN: Scoring points early and often remains the Chiefs blueprint on offense. The offense would like to get back on track running Kareem Hunt, who averaged just 62 yards per game through the first two weeks. That would help the Chiefs extend drives and control the clock, but they want nothing to deter a passing attack with 10 touchdowns through two weeks and averages 291 yards through the air.
The Chiefs defense just wants stops, any kind of stops. The defense has played 82 snaps each of the first two games and second-most in the league through two weeks. Getting off the field faster remains a top priority, whether it’s forcing punts, field goals or turnovers. The Chiefs beat Pittsburgh without a turnover, but that’s not normally how this defense wins football games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “He was a great basketball player at one time, too. A big kid and they’re a big defensive front and physical. Buckner can rush the passer, they move him around, he’s got a nice little combination of moves that he makes, and he’s very long, 6-7-ish. He and 91 (Arik Armstead) are big guys that were college teammates. They kind of know each other and how to play off it and they bring it. High motors. That’s a good front right here, that’s a very good front. — Head coach Andy Reid on San Francisco defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and the 49ers defensive front.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–49ers RB Matt Breida vs. Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens. The Chiefs brought in Hitchens to shore up a leaky run defense, and he’s done just that through two games. He leads the league with 26 combined tackles on the season, most of them coming against the run or the short passing game. Breida leads the league with 184 yards rushing and the Chiefs have put a premium this season on stuffing the run and forcing opponents to become more one-dimensional.
–Chiefs interior OL vs. 49ers DT DeForest Buckner. Bucker ranks second in the NFL with 3.5 sacks, but the Chiefs offensive line has allowed just one sack in each of the first two games. The Chiefs offensive line hasn’t been spectacular, but it has allowed QB Patrick Mahomes just enough time to throw without taking too many hits. Not much has fazed Mahomes yet, but pressure up the middle could disrupt his timing and downfield vision.
