Don’t worry Kansas City Chiefs fans, there are still reasons to stay tuned in to the NFL this weekend, despite the team’s bye week.
Your team’s bye week is always tough week if your an NFL fan, particularly if you’re not involved in fantasy football (or the fantasy season has gotten away from you by this point). Given the Kansas City Chiefs have their bye in Week 12, we wanted to help make it through the time away from your favorite team, so here are some things to watch for.
Key AFC Match-ups
We’re about to hit the homestretch of the NFL season and the playoff picture is becoming clearer. The Chiefs sit atop the AFC, but by a thin margin. Some breathing room would be great.
Unfortunately, this week, the AFC contenders are not playing other contenders for the most part. The Los Angeles Chargers are at home against the Arizona Cardinals. The Patriots visit the New York Jets, and the Pittsburgh Steelers head to Denver to face the Broncos. The Houston Texans face off against the Tennessee Titans, who at 5-5 are at least still in serious playoff contention. Perhaps the Broncos can help the Chiefs two weeks in a row, but I’m not holding my breath. On the plus side, given the parity-driven NFL scheduling, these teams will face better competition later on, and any losses this week will be a huge gift to the Chiefs.
(Re) Acquaint Yourself With the Enemies
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When the Chiefs come back to action in Week 13 they face the Oakland Raiders, then in Week 14 Kansas City plays the Baltimore Ravens. Coincidentally, the Oakland Raiders play at Baltimore this week, which makes this a great time to catch up on these teams if you haven’t had the chance.
The Oakland Raiders’ struggles this season are well documented and have been quite enjoyable for us other AFC West fan bases. But hey, Oakland may have some momentum coming off their big win against the Arizona Cardinals—though the performances by ex-Raiders Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper on Thanksgiving may have stymied any lingering optimism.
The Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, started the season strong with a stout defense, but have struggled more as of late. Lamar Jackson started at quarterback last week for the injured Joe Flacco and provided a spark, pulling off a divisional win against Cincinnati. Depending on Flacco’s health and Jackson’s performance, the dynamic rookie may get the nod against Kansas City.
Chiefs Injury Updates
Any official injury-related news is unlikely to surface until the Chiefs return to regular game preparation next week. However, tidbits and notes may leak out over the weekend and be seen on pregame shows and social media.
Some Eric Berry news has emerged recently, and I’ll be curious to see if more word leaks. Additionally, after Sammy Watkins missed the Arizona game and only played a handful of snaps in Los Angeles, where he stands going forward is unclear. Armani Watts and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif were both mentioned as possible Injured Reserve Returnees by Andy Reid.
Maybe no news will come out, but it’s the bye week. Debate with your friends and fellow fans, over-analyze mysterious social media posts, make completely unfounded predictions, and most importantly, do what you need to do to get through it.