KC Chiefs vs. Browns: Underrated storylines heading into Week 1

Backfield health concerns

Let’s say this up front: Andy Reid stated that he thinks the Chiefs will be okay when it comes to a pair of injuries in the offensive backfield for both Darrel Williams and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Williams has been sitting out a lot of practice this preseason in the team’s concussion protocol. Edwards-Helaire missed practice time as well with a hamstring injury, and it’s put a halt to some of the momentum he had heading into a season filled with promise behind a new offensive line ready to run the ball more.

That’s not to say that Edwards-Helaire and Williams won’t be dynamic out of the gate as the team’s one-two tandem atop the depth chart. If Reid says they are good, then maybe there’s no storyline here to follow at all. However, both players have missed time recently and soft tissue injuries (like a hamstring) can linger.

If something goes awry and one of the two needs more time than expected, it’s going to turn into the Jerick McKinnon show, which is not something we thought we’d say before Week 1. Still the Chiefs have a vast array of weapons available to them and even McKinnon is likely to put up fantasy star numbers if given major reps. Just something to watch in a loaded opening week.