The Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and the injury reports for Week 4 are going to play a big part in the outcome. The Chiefs are missing several players on defense, which is the unit that's kept them afloat in tough losses and won them the game against the New York Giants in Week 3.
For the Ravens, the injuries are plentiful, with tough-to-stomach absences for defensive tackle Nnadmi Madubuike and defensive end Broderick Jones. Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley and linebacker Kyle Van Noy are among a longer list of players who are questionable, which means all eyes will be on the team's inactive list coming into Sunday afternoon.
Let's look at the Chiefs injury report to survey the damage heading into an important home game for AFC contention.
Mike Danna, doubtful
Here's an odd one. Danna was able to return to practice this week following a missed game due to a quad injury in Week 3, a win over the Giants. Yet after improving from being a limited participant in practice on Wednesday to a full participant on Thursday, Danna was downgraded to doubtful for Sunday against Baltimore.
The Chiefs should be able to weather this storm if the rest of the depth chart was healthy and/or effective, but Charles Omenihu isn't looking so hot to start the season and there are further health concerns that we'll get to in just a second. Add in the fact that Felix Anudike-Uzomah is on injured reserve and Danna's desigantion is more concerning.
Ashton Gillotte, questionable
The listing of Gillotte on the injury report is both concerning and not, likely depending on how optimistic you are as a Chiefs.
Gillotte, the team's third-round pick out of Louisville, is healthy in terms of typical injury concerns, but an illness had him out of practice on Friday. Now he comes up on the injury report with a questionable designation, which could lead more pessimistic Chiefs fans to believe he could come up missing in action against the Ravens.
That said, head coach Andy Reid said he should be good to go come game time, and the Chiefs better hope so, because if Danna is also out, the Chiefs suddenly look very thin at defensive end. They shouldn't already be this reliant on a rookie performer just a handful of games into his NFL career but here we are.
Kristian Fulton, questionable
If there's good news to be found among the bad, it's that Fulton's potential absence from the game, due to an ankle injury that limited him in practice all week, isn't so tough to take given the state of the secondary. Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are looking like a strong tandem atop the depth chart, and the emergence of rookie Nohl Williams has bolstered the unit considerably.
Fulton was inked to a two-year deal to start on the boundary, but now, the Chiefs aren't in a position of great need there, which should allow K.C. to be patient here. Fulton will be needed at some point in a long season, but for now, it's nice to not panic about the pass defense knowing he could sit on Sunday.
Chris Jones, non-injury designation
A notable inclusion on the injury report for the Chiefs was defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had a non-injury designation. It turns out he made a trip back home to Mississippi, per ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, for a family funeral, and will be back in time for the game at Arrowhead.
The rest of the injury list
Here's the good news. While the defense is taking hits, the offense should at its strongest, at least in terms of personnel available. Rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals will likely make his debut after sitting the first two weeks with knee tendinitis. He was active for Week 3 but Andy Reid said he was an emergency play only.
The best news of all is that Xavier Worthy should return to the offense after sitting out the first three weeks of the season with a torn labrum, suffered on the third play of the year against the Chargers in Week 1. Worthy was rumored to return last week but was downgraded to out before the game. The Chiefs' passing attack will run through him, if healthy, until Rashee Rice arrives back from suspension in Week 7.
Jawaan Taylor's knee and Bryan Cook's neck are also likely concerns that have kept fans curious, and the good news is that both players practiced all week without issue. Both should be ready to go on Sunday.
Ravens get some good news as well
The Ravens got an early Sunday morning boost in the form of a return for Isaiah Likely in Week 4. The tight end has yet to play this season, but he's expected to make his debut for Baltimore on Sunday afternoon against the Chiefs. Fans will remember Likely's overturned touchdown catch in last season's Ravens-Chiefs game that was a major talking point a year ago, which will undoubtedly come up again on Sunday's broadcast.