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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

For years, the Kansas City Chiefs have relied on their dynamic offense to help them win matches. And it has served them well, enabling them to lift the Lombardi Trophy for the third time last year. However, in Sunday’s match against the Jaguars they seemed to change tack. The defense came to the rescue of the 0-1 Chiefs and helped them beat the Jaguars 17-9.

Now, in a worrying injury report released by the Chiefs, key defensive players missed practice due to various injuries. Who are these players and how will they impact the Chiefs’ upcoming game against the Chicago Bears?

Chinks in the Chiefs’ armor

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Chiefs fans breathed a sigh of relief when Head Coach Andy Reid did not have much to share in terms of injuries on Monday. Hence, the new list with 5 players down, comes as a surprise. According to the report, LB Nick Bolton skipped practice due to an ankle injury. Since he played 80% of the team’s snap on defense, it is likely he picked up the injury late in the match against the Jaguars.

via Imago

In a clash with Christian Kirk, that made Chiefs fans’ hearts skip a beat, LB Willie Gay went crashing down. He was listed on the report as suffering from a quadriceps injury. It is unclear how severe the injury is and whether he will be back for the Bears game.

Reid had briefly mentioned following the Jaguars game that WR Kadarius Toney was dealing with a minor toe issue. Toney has not had the greatest start to the season, making crucial key drops in the losing match against the Lions. But he seemed to do well in the Jaguars game, catching each of the five passes thrown in his direction.

RB Isiah Pacheco has been listed as suffering from a hamstring injury. This comes after he had spent a good chunk of preseason recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. However, there was some good news. CB L’Jarius Sneed, OT Jawaan Taylor, CB Nic Jones, and WR Justin Watson participated in the practice. How will these injuries affect the upcoming games?

Bears’ two down vs. Chiefs’ five

Key defense players being injured is a worrying sign for the Kansas City Chiefs. It seems that for their match against the Chicago Bears on September 25, they will have to rely on offense, as is their norm. TE Travis Kelce who had hyper-extended his knee the previous week and missed the season opener against Detroit was back in the Jaguars match. But will the Mahomes-Kelce duo be enough to carry the day for the Chiefs?

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USA Today via Reuters

Scouting the other camp, the Bears do not look so beat down. WR Darnell Mooney and safety Eddie Jackson had exited last Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with injuries. However, in the latest report, Mooney and DB Josh Blackwell were in limited participation while Eddie and OL Lucas Patrick skipped practice. 

Read more: Downplaying Patrick Mahomes’ “Scary” Concerns, Travis Kelce Rues Missed Opportunity Against Jaguars

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With the Chiefs’ offense still not up to the mark, even with Kelce’s return, they will need all of their best players to bring their high-scoring offense game that fans and the league are used to. Going into Sunday, they will face a subdued 0-2 Bears, but the Chiefs must not let their guard down because the Bears will certainly give no quarter.

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