Chiefs who received the greatest benefit from AFC playoffs first-round bye
The Kansas City Chiefs earned the lone first-round bye week They finished the AFC conference with a 14-3 overall record, and they have their seventh consecutive AFC West division championship in their hands.
The bye week was a traditional tradition. has been good for Andy Reid and his teams. It allows the team to recover, refresh, study, plan, and refine their game before the divisional round. This week off will be especially helpful for Chiefs players with injuries.
There is one game remaining in the wild card round on Monday night, and players are expected to return for the practice weeks. Here’s a look:
DE Frank Clark
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Clark suffered a groin injury in Week 18 He was expelled from the game. Chiefs HC Andy Reid concluded that it was just after an MRI. a mild groin strain and that the week off would give him enough time to heal Prepare for the playoffs. As much of an up-and-down career as Clark has seen in Kansas City, he’s been dominant during the playoffs. Clark’s 11 career playoff sacks rank fifth in NFL history. To pass Terrell Suggs (12.5) and Reggie White (12.5), he needs two sacks. This makes him the third-most prolific all-time.
CB L’Jarius Sneed
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Sneed suffered a hip pointer injury in Week 17 Sneed was selected to play against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18. It was obvious that Sneed wasn’t 100% during the course of the game. After making tackles, he was a bit embarrassed and took his time getting off the turf.
Sneed has been the team’s best corner this season and he’ll be an important weapon for Kansas City during the playoffs. The playoffs could be a great opportunity to give him some extra time to get closer to 100 percent.
WR Mecole Hartman
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Andy Reid, Chiefs HC thought Hardman was a good candidate to play in Week 18, but he was ruled-out before the game.
“Yeah, so I thought he might be able to go this past week,” Reid said last Monday. “That’s a hiccup on my end. He’s trying. He’s trying to get this thing right. It’s just a matter of time. He’s really day-to-day. However, he is feeling much better today that he was on Saturday. So, we’ll just see how it goes during practice.”
Hardman hasn’t played since Week 9 after suffering an abdomen injury. Hardman has struggled to get back in football shape since the injury. He is hopeful that the extra time off has given him the time he needs in order to get back into the game plan. He’s tied with Clyde Edwards-Helaire for the third-most touchdowns (6) on the team this season despite playing just eight games.
WR Skyy Moor
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Moore was hurt in Week 17. He sustained a severe laceration to his hand that required stitches and caused significant swelling. He was ruled out in Week 18 He should have an extra week to rest and heal before he can return for his first playoff game. It remains to be seen how effective he is as a receiver with a hand injury. It’s also unclear how much he’ll be utilized given his usage this season.
LG Joe Thuney
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Thuney has been an ironman all his NFL career. After starting 107 consecutive regular-season matches, he was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury in Week 12, Week 13, and Week 12. Thuney reaggravated the ankle injury He was able to play in Week 17, but he did not get to be fully healthy.