NFL Injury Report – 8 Questionables on the Verge of Missing Arrowhead Clash as Bengals Hope to Extend Chiefs’ Misery

Last season, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval engaged in a playful ‘paternity test’ banter with Patrick Mahomes and his team. Despite offering an apology later, the Mayor once again issued a challenge to Mahomes and his squad in a teaser leading up to this season. In a challenging tone, he said would face the Red Army in Week 17. Now, that anticipated week has almost arrived.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to host one of their biggest rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, December 31, at Arrowhead Stadium from 4:25 p.m. ET. On one hand, as per the NFL, the Bengals are on the bubble of making it to the playoffs with just a 24% probability, on the other, the Chiefs are currently with a 95% chance, aiming to win Sunday. Before the kick-off, both the teams released a ‘concerning’ injury report, and two players have been listed out from the Chiefs’ actives.

Who is not playing the Sunday game?

The Chiefs have listed four players in questionable categories. L’Jarius Sneed (calf), Isiah Pacheco (concussion/shoulder), Mecole Hardman (thumb), and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) are in the questionable category. Sneed and Edwards-Helaire didn’t participate in practice, whereas Pacheco had limited participation on Friday, and Hardman, although fully participating in the practice session of the Chiefs, was listed as questionable. Donovan Smith (neck) and Kadarius Toney (hip) didn’t participate on any day, hence they are out of the Bengals game.

In the opposing team, Ja’Marr Chase (shoulder) and Jalen Davis (Groin) had limited participation on Thursday and Friday. Therefore, they were listed as questionable for the Chiefs game. Furthermore, no players are listed out of the game this time. Cam Sample (knee), Cam Taylor-Britt (ankle), Mitchell Wilcox (foot), and Joe Mixon (ankle), were all listed on the injury report since Wednesday. However, they either had full participation or limited participation on Friday and are now active for the game.

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A rather emotional Red Army is looking forward to this “must-win” game to secure a playoff berth. Ja’Marr Chase’s remarks have already added fuel to the rivalry. This matchup would be interesting considering their head-to-head in NFL history.

Bengals vs Chiefs: Head-to-Head

Arrowhead would be a thrilling sight as the red-hot rivalry would reach a heightened intensity. Ja’Marr Chase’s candid critique of the Chiefs’ poor defense has already stirred the pot. A quick rewind of the heated clashes – the Bengals and Chiefs have met each other for 33 times, including two post-season games. The Bengals have the upper hand with 18 wins over the Chiefs’ 15 wins. The last time the Bengals played the Red Army was in the AFC Championship game where the Chiefs defeated Cincinnati 23-20 on January 29, 2023, in KC.

This time again the Chiefs (9-6) are close in on the AFC West title, while the Bengals (8-7) need to win all their games on the road, to keep their playoff hopes alive. This means the Bengals will not only try to extend their winning score from 18 wins to 19. Fans can expect a monster game from the Bengals at Arrowhead as they will also try to extend their playoff chances by defeating the Chiefs. The game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET on December 31st. What do you think, who will win?

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