The Kansas City Chiefs made relatively easy work of the Divisional Round, and now they might get even healthier as they prepare for the Patriots.
The Kansas City Chiefs already have plenty of reasons to feel fairly confident about their upcoming matchup against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.
The Chiefs are playing better than they have all season long, and they’re also going to be in front of the loudest fans in football at Arrowhead Stadium once again. Unfortunately for New England, they might also be healthier than before.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters on Monday and shared positive news that several players who missed the previous game are listed as day-to-day, meaning each of them could very well show up on Sunday after being given another week to rest and rehab.
Andy Reid said everyone who didn’t play Saturday — Eric Berry, Spencer Ware, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif & Dorian O’Daniel — are all day to day.
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) January 14, 2019
Eric Berry would be a difference maker in the secondary if the Chiefs were able to replace a player like Eric Murray in the lineup for a full game. Then again, Berry is the biggest mystery here. He’s literally been “day-to-day” all season long and even the urgency/ability to play in the playoffs hasn’t drawn Berry out onto the field. Reid has said it’s all up to him as a player to say whether or not he’s capable of being out there. That said, his potential presence would be a huge boost to be sure.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has not played for the Chiefs since fracturing a broken fibula, but the Chiefs can bring back LDT from injured reserve if they’d like. His replacement Andrew Wylie has done an admirable job filling in, but a healthy LDT would not only give the Chiefs some important depth and security with a full roster but the team could also explore some options if Cam Erving was frustrating them at left guard for some reason.
Spencer Ware would be a great addition to the offense as a player to supplant Damien Williams and keep the backfield just as productive. Ware has been the lead back before, and his presence would keep the Chiefs offense as potent when Williams is off the field. It would also likely provide some much-needed depth instead of forcing things to Darrel Williams or Charcandrick West in such significant moments.
As for Dorian O’Daniel, the rookie linebacker could be a nice weapon to spy on very particular offensive players for the Pats, including James White or Rob Gronkowski. O’Daniel has the closing speed and instincts to play such specialized roles, and his return would afford the Chiefs defense a bit more flexibility in their game planning.