The Kansas City Chiefs got back Sammy Watkins and Dee Ford in practice on Wednesday which looks good for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins suffered a “tightened hamstring” in Monday night’s game against the Denver Broncos, which forced him to exit the game. Similarly, outside linebacker Dee Ford suffered a “tightened groin” in the same game, which pulled him out in the 4th quarter. Fortunately rather good news surfaced on Wednesday in that both players were able to practice in full with the team.
With Watkins and Ford practicing, the only Chief not available is one that won’t come as a shock to most. Star safety Eric Berry, who hasn’t practiced since August 11th, will keep that streak alive as he will not be practicing on Wednesday. Berry reportedly has a bone spur in his heel, but the team remains confident that he’s improving yet they’re also emphasizing their patience with Berry overall.
In the press conference ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jaguars, Andy Reid said, “Every day he’s been going, he’s been getting better.” He went on to say, “One thing you know about Eric Berry is that he wants to be there and go, he’s trying everything he can to get himself back out there, we’ll just take it day by day and keep doing that. We want to be smart with it and make sure he’s being smart.” He continued, “we’ve always said that if you’re hurt, go get healed up. We’re not going to sit there and pressure you to get back. That’s not how we roll.”
So while he more than likely will not be able to play this week, the Chiefs seem optimistic that Berry will return sometime this season—perhaps even soon.
Watkins went down early in Monday’s game against the Broncos and the offense had difficulty clicking in his absence. The Chiefs had problems all night responding to the crowd noise and pass rush of the Broncos. Despite the win, the offense never really got moving and Patrick Mahomes had to get creative. With his return, hopefully the offense can return to full strength.
As for the Jaguars, they’re unfortunate as far as injuries go as well. Former first-round pick Leonard Fournette, who has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, has been ruled out against the Chiefs. Cornerback D.J. Hayden has also been ruled out. The Jaguars have no reason to fret, however, as they have one of the best defenses in the National Football League.