The Kansas City Chiefs keep winning, even as injuries keep adding up.
The latest injuries happened on Sunday when the two-time defending Super Bowl champions lost cornerback Jaylen Watson to a season-ending ankle injury and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a hamstring injury during their 28-18 victory over the 49ers. This win marked their 12th straight, dating back to last season, many of which have come despite injuries to key players.
“It starts with your locker room, your coaches, and just how do the guys like each other,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on Monday when asked about dealing with challenges. “And that whole trust thing that they develop with each other is important.
“Everything isn’t going to be roses when you’re playing,” Reid said. “You’re going to have ups and downs in games. Very few teams win every game during a season. You literally take it game by game.
Make sure you’re taking care of business this week. But I think the locker room has a big part of that. The coaches’ attitudes have a big part of that.”
Watson had been a rising star in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, helping Kansas City stop some of the best offenses in the NFL during the first six games of the season. Nazeeh Johnson, who has returned from a torn knee ligament, will step in to replace him as they head into Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
Another concern is Smith-Schuster’s injury, especially given the issues in the Chiefs’ wide receiver group. Rashee Rice had knee surgery and Marquise Brown had shoulder surgery, both of which ended their seasons.
Reid mentioned on Monday that Smith-Schuster would miss at least one game. Considering his injury history and the number of games left this season, the Chiefs will likely look for additional help before the trade deadline on November 5.
