Chiefs bring in free agent DE Eric Lee for workout

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking at options to help their thinning defensive end group and this one has familiarity with their DL coach.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to free agency for options at the defensive end position.

There has been a ton of injuries throughout the season at the position group dating all the way back to the preseason. Second-year defensive end Breeland Speaks suffered a season-ending knee injury before the season started, Frank Clark has dealt with a pinched nerve in his neck since training camp, Alex Okafor has dealt with a hip injury and an ankle injury. It has been reported that standout and sack leader Emmanuel Ogbah will have season-ending surgery on a torn pec. The Chiefs technically only have one healthy player at the position right now in Tanoh Kpassagnon.

The team has already begun its quest to find a new defensive end. On Tuesday, the team reported a workout on the NFL’s transaction report of free-agent defensive end Eric Lee. Most recently, Lee spent time with the Detroit Lions, appearing in nine games during the 2018 season. He’s also spent time on their practice squad until early October of 2019.

Lee entered the league out of the University of South Florida, joining the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. Lee spent time with the New England Patriots in 2017, where he served under now-Chiefs defensive line coach Brendan Daly. He started five games for the Patriots that season and posted 19 tackles, three tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and an interception.

The Daly connection suggests this player could pick up the Chiefs’ system quickly, which might be necessitated by injuries. The Chiefs have not yet signed Lee, but the possibility remains as they mull their options before placing Ogbah on injured reserve.

Updated look at Bills’ remaining strength of schedule

Buffalo Bills remaining stretch of schedule in 2019.

The Bills sit at 6-3 after their 19-16 loss to the Browns and their 2019 schedule down the stretch is much tougher.

So, how much tougher is it exactly?

Currently the Bills sit dead-center in the NFL.

Buffalo has the 16th hardest schedule remaining in the NFL. Left on Buffalo’s schedule, in order, are the Dolphins, Broncos, Cowboys, Ravens, Steelers, Patriots and Jets.

Combined, those teams are 32-31 overall this year with a .508 winning percentage.

Earlier this season, NFL analysts were critical of the Bills and their opponents. Now the Bills will have a chance to prove they can beat better teams.

With the Bills’ schedule in mind, let’s now compare that with the other teams currently in the AFC Wild Card and playoff picture. If Buffalo doesn’t get it done, things could go bad.

Here’s how the standings currently sit with team records and remaining strength of schedule.

AFC seeding:

New England Patriots (8-1, .469 – 21st hardest)
Baltimore Ravens (7-2, .556 – 7th)
Houston Texans (6-3, .554 – 9th)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-4, .500 – 17th)
Buffalo Bills (6-3, .508 – 16th)
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4, .383 – 30th)
Oakland Raiders (5-4, .364 – 31st)
Indianapolis Colts (5-4, .531 – 13th)
Tennessee Titans (5-5, .611 – 3rd)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5, .446 – 25th)

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Chiefs open as favorites over Chargers for Monday night game in Mexico City

The Kansas City Chiefs open as favorites once again as quarterback Patrick Mahomes is now back from injury.

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) will play the Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Monday night in Week 11.

The Chiefs are reeling after miscues and misfortune, which cost them a winnable game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 10. For the Chargers, this is a must-win game if they are to stay in the playoff hunt.

Oddsmakers are showing renewed confidence in the Chiefs with the return of QB Patrick Mahomes.

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According to BetMGM, the Chiefs are 4.5-point favorites heading into Monday night’s game. The opening money line is at -182 for Kansas City and +150 for Los Angeles. The opening over/under point total rests at 52.5 points.

In Week 8 against the Packers and Week 9 against the Vikings, the mystery surrounding the Kansas City quarterback situation left the Chiefs game unavailable for betting purposes. Now, with Patrick Mahomes having returned in Week 10 from a dislocated kneecap, the betting — and the confidence we’d seen in Kansas City most of the season — have resumed.

Last season’s NFL game planned for Mexico City was canceled amid concerns over the field conditions at Estadio Azteca. Thankfully, that shouldn’t be a problem this season with a new playing surface installed at the stadium.

Given the implications in the AFC West and the international stage set for this game, you can expect some theatrics, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Both teams will be battling to get back on track with their eyes ahead toward the postseason.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid explains RB LeSean McCoy’s absence vs. Titans

Is this a reasonable explanation for why RB LeSean McCoy was made inactive or just the one that Andy Reid is giving out?

Kansas City Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy was a healthy scratch against the Tennessee Titans in Week 10.

There was little indication leading up to the game against the Titans that McCoy would get the week off. Perhaps the writing was on the wall after McCoy lost a crucial fumble in Week 8 against the Packers. The Chiefs turned to Damien Williams in Week 9 as McCoy saw just six snaps.

If we’re to believe Andy Reid’s explanation, McCoy being made inactive had nothing to do with the fumble. Instead, Reid claims to be managing the workload of the 31-year-old running back.

“Yeah, I just thought it was the right thing to do right now,” Reid said after the game. “LeSean’s not getting any younger, so it’s important that I manage him the right way as we go. I just thought it was the right thing to do at this time.”

Basically, Reid chalked missing this game up to McCoy receiving veteran rest. What exactly warrants that rest, though? McCoy did have an ankle injury earlier this season, but he did not appear on the injury report during the week leading up to the Titans game.

As far as the workload is concerned, McCoy has played only 204 snaps this season. His game-high of 32 snaps came against the Detroit Lions in Week 4. Williams has seen 220 total snaps on the season, so it isn’t like McCoy is getting workhorse snaps every week.

Reid wouldn’t commit to a sure plan for McCoy moving forward. It seems there’s something Reid wants to see from him in practice before he returns to the lineup.

“We’ll see,” Reid said. “I’ll just manage him the way that I think is best so that he stays effective throughout the season. That’s not where I’m at right this minute. I’ll get there with him. We’ll see how it goes this week.”

That bit about staying effective has me wondering if Reid isn’t trying to motivate McCoy by making him inactive. It feels strikingly similar to what happened with Reggie Ragland earlier in the season. Reid claimed he was still a starter, yet he was inactive for several weeks before he was eased back in and became a bigger part of the game plan.

Could something like that work with McCoy? We’ll find out when he makes his return, which could be as early as Monday night in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers in Mexico City.

Chiefs DE Frank Clark comes clean about lingering neck injury

Kansas City Chiefs DE Frank Clark has been dealing with burning sensation and numbness as the result of a pinched nerve in his neck.

After the loss to the Titans, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark was candid about the mysterious injury he’s dealt with all season. We learned ahead of Week 8 that he’d been dealing with a neck injury, but there wasn’t much information on when it happened or how long it’d been going on. It wasn’t something that popped up after Week 7 against the Broncos, which Andy Reid made clear.

This injury would lead to Clark missing two games. Clark first popped up on the injury report with a neck injury ahead of the Chiefs’ Week 2 matchup against the Raiders. Most thought little of it because he was a full participant, but according to Clark, this injury has been going on since training camp and it has impacted his play.

“I’ve been playing kind of timid this whole season,” Clark said. “That’s why I’ve been kind of slow. I’ve had a pinched nerve since the end of training camp. I’ve been playing through it. It just got to the point where [it] was so serious it was sending burning sensations down my arm. My two fingers were going numb. I had to take precautions, get checked out and make sure everything that I was doing football-wise wasn’t going to affect my life after football.”

Going back to training camp, Clark dealt with a wrist injury and an illness, but the neck injury was never on an official injury report. It’s likely that he didn’t receive treatment for it until Week 2 of the regular season, when he first was spotted on the report.

Those are scary symptoms that Clark claims to be dealing with, and it makes sense why he’d take the utmost caution in his return to play. He’s been the subject of a lot of criticism, and it seems like it all finally boiled over for Clark in the disappointing loss to the Titans.

Reid continued to be optimistic during his Monday conference call that this wouldn’t be a long-term problem for Clark.

“I know that (trainer) Rick (Burkholder) will keep a close eye on it, which he has been doing,” Reid said of Clark’s injury. “Those things you can help with treatment and all of that. They’ll work on that.”

Clark’s health is paramount for the Chiefs because they’ve lost defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, their sack leader, for the season with a torn pectoral. With Alex Okafor also dealing with a high ankle sprain, the Chiefs are quickly running out of bodies at defensive end.

Bills playoff picture: Post-Week 10 recap of AFC teams ‘in the hunt’

The Bills’ loss to the Cleveland Browns hurt. All loses tend to do that in the NFL, but this one hurt a little more. The feeling that Buffalo let this one get away, combined with other teams around the AFC playoff picture scoring some wins of their …

The Bills’ loss to the Cleveland Browns hurt.

All loses tend to do that in the NFL, but this one hurt a little more. The feeling that Buffalo let this one get away, combined with other teams around the AFC playoff picture scoring some wins of their own, things didn’t go well for Western New York in Week 10.

Here’s a recap of the latest happenings in the AFC playoff picture:

AFC seeding:

New England Patriots (8-1)
Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
Houston Texans (6-3)
Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
Buffalo Bills (6-3)
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)
Oakland Raiders (5-4)
Indianapolis Colts (5-4)
Tennessee Titans (5-5)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

In the hunt teams recap:

Playoff teams recap:

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Chargers training in Colorado ahead of Mexico City showdown with Chiefs

The Los Angeles Chargers will work at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs ahead of Week 11 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs in Mexico City.

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The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers are preparing to take a road trip south of the border.

In Week 11, both teams will face off 7,200 feet above sea level at Mexico City, Mexico in a highly anticipated matchup at Estadio Azteca. The Chiefs’ opponents have a unique plan to prepare for the altitude change.

In order to get acclimated to playing in a higher altitude, the Chargers are taking a trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado. They will practice for four days at 6,000 feet at the Air Force Academy in hopes that it will give them an advantage against the Chiefs in Week 11.

Los Angeles.
Colorado Springs.
Mexico City.

LEGGO ‼️ pic.twitter.com/3icsOPPgCR

— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) November 11, 2019

The Los Angeles Rams tried a similar strategy in 2018 ahead of their Mexico City game against the Chiefs. The game was ultimately moved back to Los Angeles and the Rams stayed in Colorado as their home state dealt with wildfires.

Kansas City will stick to their normal weekly schedule and prepare for this game as they usually would a Monday Night Football game. Andy Reid is just old-fashioned like that. He spoke a bit about the decision to not prepare for the altitude last season.

“We were going to stay here for practice,” Reid said. “Not really. We did a bunch of studies and talked to people in the offseason and felt like it was best to stay here and practice. We really haven’t had a change much other than going to a hotel in Los Angeles, but other than that, not a lot of changes.”

Their decision to stay in Kansas City isn’t without its research. Meanwhile, this is a must-win game for the Chargers and it feels like they’re going to pull out all of the stops. You can catch this primetime showdown between AFC West rivals on ESPN on Monday at 7:20 P.M. CT.

AFC playoff picture: Chiefs complicate things for themselves in Week 10

An updated look at where the Kansas City Chiefs stand in the AFC playoff seeding.

The Kansas City Chiefs dropped a winnable game against the Tennessee Titans, resulting in a 6-4 record through 10 weeks to start the season. This is a game that fans will likely be looking back on, especially depending on the results from the next few weeks. The loss significantly lessens their chances of securing a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs and opens the door for several teams that are in the hunt.

If the playoffs started tomorrow, here’s what the AFC seeding would look like:

In the playoffs:

New England Patriots: 8-1
Baltimore Ravens: 7-2
Houston Texans: 6-3
Kansas City Chiefs: 6-4
Buffalo Bills: 6-3
Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-4

In the hunt:

Oakland Raiders: 5-4
Indianapolis Colts: 5-4
Tennessee Titans: 5-5
Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-5

What lies ahead:

The Chiefs will head to Mexico City to face the Chargers for Monday Night Football in Week 11.

As I mentioned earlier, the loss to the Titans significantly lessens the chance to secure a first-round bye week and the No. 2 seed. The Colts, Titans and Texans all hold head-to-head tiebreakers over Kansas City. That means if the Chiefs finish with the same record as any of those AFC South teams they would have priority in seeding. Before we even get to that point, the Ravens would have to fumble a few games heading into the postseason, which seems unlikely.

The Chiefs should look to take care of business against their AFC West opponents in the coming weeks. If they run the table the AFC West is theirs, along with a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. The Week 13 game against the Raiders very well could determine who comes away with the AFC West division this season.

Remaining opponents:

Week 11 @ Los Angeles Chargers (at Mexico City): 4-6
BYE
Week 13 vs. Oakland Raiders: 5-4
Week 14 @ New England Patriots: 8-1
Week 15 vs. Denver Broncos: 3-6
Week 16 @ Chicago Bears: 4-5
Week 17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

6 reasons the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs look like the 2018 New England Patriots

The Chiefs lost their week 10 matchup to the Titans and now it’s time to worry about Kansas City. They haven’t looked the same. Their offensive line has some questions. Their defense has even more questions. The Raiders are ready to sneak past them in the west. Everything that can go wrong in Kansas City is going wrong . . . but there’s good news! There are a lot of weird similarities between the 2019 Chiefs and the 2018 Patriots. That Patriots team won a Super Bowl.

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Report: Chiefs DE Emmanuel Ogbah to have season-ending surgery on torn pec

It sounds like the MRI results are in for Kansas City Chiefs DE Emmanuel Ogbah and the news is not good.

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The Kansas City Chiefs defense looks to be losing one of their pass rushers for the remainder of 2019.

Yesterday evening, Andy Reid let us know that they believed DE Emmanuel Ogbah had suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the Chiefs’ 35-32 loss to the Tennessee Titans. It appears that he’s since had an MRI to confirm the initial diagnosis, and according to a new report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ogbah will require season-ending surgery.

It’s not an ideal situation for Kansas City as Ogbah has been a big surprise. He came over to the Chiefs in a player-for-player swap with the Browns where the Chiefs sent safety Eric Murray to Cleveland. Since the trade, Ogbah has seen one of the best seasons in his career, matching his career sack total of 5.5 in just four starts and 10 total appearances with Kansas City.

Chiefs’ DE Emmanuel Ogbah will undergo season-ending surgery this week for a torn pectoral muscle he suffered during Sunday’s loss at Tennessee, per source. Ogbah, who leads KC in sacks, is scheduled to be a free agent this off-season but is expected to be recovered by then.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 11, 2019

This could be the last we see of Ogbah with the Chiefs as he’s currently slated to become a free agent in 2020. Kansas City could try and work out a deal to re-sign him but they’re going to be up against the cap trying to fit big contracts for DT Chris Jones and QB Patrick Mahomes.

Replacing Ogbah’s production in the meantime will be a difficult task for the Chiefs as they’ve seen quite a bit of attrition along the defensive line already. Starters Alex Okafor and Frank Clark have both dealt with injuries throughout the season.

Right now, there isn’t a clear move to make when Kansas City decides to send Ogbah to IR. They could potentially elevate Cameron Malveaux from the practice squad or bring in some free agents for tryouts. One thing we’ll likely see is more snaps from Jones at defensive end for the time being. He’s played there several times over the past two weeks due to injuries along the defensive line.

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