Thursday A Big Day For The Kansas City Chief
Today may be the most important Thursday of the NFL season for the Kansas City Chiefs.
There are a couple of things that are going to happen today that could have a big impact on the team’s playoff chance.
The first will be the status of QB Matt Cassel at today’s practice. While Cassel returned in a limited capacity yesterday, the reviews on his throws were mixed. He attempted mostly short passes with solid accuracy and zip. His few long pass attempts, however, were reported to be lacking velocity. Cassel was also reported to be lacking his usual speed in running drills.
The question is how much Cassel’s healing wounds are limiting him on the field. The team may have just been taking a cautious approach yesterday to see how Cassel responded to limited action. If the soreness was at a minimum, we will likely see Cassel increase his practice reps today as the team prepares for the St. Louis Rams. The team will release a practice report later today.
The other event for we’ll be keeping an eye on is tonight’s contest between those pesky San Diego Chargers and the underachieving San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs were unable to take care of business in San Diego last Sunday and while they can still win the division by winning out, another Chargers stumble would certainly make things easier on the Kansas City. A Charger loss to San Fran, though unlikely, would drop San Diego to 7-7 with two games to play. Should that happen, the Chiefs would only need to win two of their next three to clinch the AFC West.*
This is assuming the Oakland Raiders do not win out. While this is possible, it is pretty unlikely looking at Oakland’s schedule.
I don’t think there is any way the Chargers lose at home to the 49ers tonight but anything is possible. San Diego has proved to be inconsistent this season and that they can lay an egg at any given time. I thought they had gotten over it but their loss at home at the hands of the Raiders a couple of weeks ago leads me to believe that the possibility of one more San Diego meltdown down the stretch is possible. I have their game at Cincinnati next week penciled in as their best chance at blowing one. Despite Cinci’s horrible record, they’ve had a tough schedule and have lost a number of close games. The Chargers haven’t been great on the road so if you are placing bets on them losing once more, bet on the Cinci game.
What do you think Addicts? How will today’s events turn out? Will Cassel be a full participant in practice or will he be limited again? Can the Frank Gore-less 49ers steam a road win in San Diego?