Chiefs at Chargers: OPEN THREAD

Laddie Morse

The last game of the season. Well, it’s not technically the “last” game for the Kansas City Chiefs, but it is the last game of the regular season. Like many other seasons recently, this game doesn’t really matter, as far as playoff contention goes. That’s why we will not see QB Patrick Mahomes today… not unless the backup who starts today’s game, Blaine Gabbert, is injured, knock on wood. We will also not be seeing these players because on the Injury report they are listed as OUT and they include:

Aside from those players, others who will likely not be going today are:

All of those players are listed as QUESTIONABLE on the injury report but we know they should not be playing… AT ALL. An injury to one of those players at this point in the season would be catastrophic to their playoffs hopes. Especially if Patrick Mahomes were to play. Thank goodness he won’t have to. In fact, I expect he will not even dress out for this one.

Someone who will play, who is needing just 16 more receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the 8th year in a row is… Travis Kelce. I can see him playing on the first drive and reaching his goal and making a game exit as soon as he has the necessary yardage. Go Travis. Same goes for DT Chris Jones. He needs a half a sack to reach 10 which forces his incentives to kick in (it’s worth $1.25M).

What we hope not to see is an injury to Kelce or CJ in the process.

Here’s a look at the Chargers fianl Injury report:

With Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa OUT this week, the Chiefs backups actually have a chance to win this game. Not that it matters one bit, but I’m just saying. The Chargers should not be playing their best players i this game either. Not because it would improve their playoff position — because at 5-and-11 they aren’t in the playoff chase anyway — but because they need to think about their future for whoever takes over as their Head Coach in 2024.

Not that it matters, but here’s the weather report for So-Fi Stadium in Southern California today:

The Steelers beat the Ravens in Baltimore, 17-to-10 on Saturday. Pittsburgh finishes 10-and-7 while Baltimore finishes 13-and-4 and the Steelers playoff hopes continue. The Steelers can now reach the Playoffs if the Bills lose to the Dolphins or if the Jaguars lose to the Titans in Tennessee. If either of those things happen, Pittsburgh will move onto the playoffs.

Also, the Texans beat the Colts 23-to-19 in a very close game that went down to the wire. The Texans move on to the playoffs while the Colts are done for the year. The Texans finish the regular season with a 10-and-7 record while the Colts fall to 9-and-8. The Texans also have a chance to win the AFC South Division if the Jags lose today. If the Jags win, they will be the winners of the AFC South, but the Texans would still go to the Playoffs as a Wild Card team.

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The Chiefs Playoffs Opponent will be:

· The Miami Dolphins, If… the Dolphins lose. If Miami loses to the Bills, the Bills win their division and Miami falls to the 6th seed. The Dolphins will be the No. 6 seed by losing to the Bills, guaranteeing a matchup with K.C., in K.C..

· The Houston Texans, if… the Texans win (done) and the Jaguars win and the Dolphins win. If the Texans win, but the Jags also win, all it would take for a Texans team to play in the Chiefs in Arrowhead, is a Miami win.

· The Pittsburgh Steelers, if… the Jaguars lose and the Bills lose. A Steelers matchup with K.C… in K.C…. is rare in possibilities.

Go Chiefs!

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne