Week 16 – Sunday Night,
Chiefs at Seahawks:
OPEN THREAD
by David Bell | December 23, 2018
Notations for Sunday
Is there any doubt that each season goes down to the wire and that is what is intended by NFL Powers that be? There are still 12 teams with playoff picture implications and another 4 teams in each Conference with a shot at making postseason play.
What About Our Cornerbacks?
Though Kendall Fuller did not Practice Thursday, It appears that the Chiefs are planning on his playing in the game Sunday. It was reported that Charvarius Ward would see duty as the outside cornerback and Adam Teicher, in an article today indicated that this is how they are planning it and practicing. Adam Teicher also said that Smith would stick with his kick return duties.
What About Our Running Backs?
Spencer Ware is Doubtful so we are going to see The Williams/Williams show redux. I am good with what I saw from the pair in the game versus the Chargers.
WR: Watkins Doubtful,
Benjamin More Targets?
At Wide Receiver, it appears that Sammy Watkins is also doubtful to play. Laddie wrote a piece on Kelvin Benjamin and the offense will have had another week to work Benjamin into the offense. That’s a wait and see as well. I suspect this will be part of the game plan. You should also see a healthy dose of Chris Conley in the contest. You can check out the piece I wrote on Conley here.
The Eric Berry Saga
Eric Berry had one half of the game snaps versus the Chargers. I don’t know if he’ll be ready for a full load but I suspect he will shoulder it if allowed. My thoughts on the Chiefs defense with and without Berry were made known earlier this week in: “The Chiefs Recent Afflictions: Their Negative Affect.“
Chiefs Other Injuries
Mitch Schwartz was out Wednesday as was Kendall Fuller and Sammy Watkins. Spencer Ware was limited. Cam Erving, Tyreek Hill and Derrick Nnadi were all full practice.
Seahawk Injury Report
Both Seahawk Starting safeties are ailing. Bradley McDougald and Tedrick Thompson have not practiced all week. The outlook is not promising for either player. Jarran Reed, Defensive Tackle has also been out all week with a couple of injuries. RB Rashaad Penny and lineman DJ Fluker both are questionable. So it is not just the Chiefs suffering from important injuries.
The Defensive Plan
If the Chiefs contain the run game, Russell Wilson is going to have to succeed through the air. I envision that Berry helps stop the run and this should make for more straight up coverage discipline. The Seahawks are no longer the Legion of Doom on Defense and their ground game is not the same either, both for obvious reasons.
It remains to be seen what the Chiefs Defensive Coordinator does in his plan to curtail the Seahawk Offense. No doubt, Wilson will bring headaches to the secondary and more. With Penny out and the run game limited, I think Sutton’s defense must account for Wilson on every snap… but I have suggested a plan for action each week and Sutton has chosen not to use my ideas… and… my text messages are now going unanswered…. and frankly, the excitement has gone out of our relationship!
The Inverse of Wilson is Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes is not without a few tricks up his own sleeve. One sure thing about the game is best summed up as being a short 2-game season. In order to lock down the top seed in the AFC playoff picture the Chiefs must win both games (*see Late Editor’s Update below). This does not mean that losses by other teams won’t figure into it but by winning out, the Chiefs position would be tops in the AFC. The first contest of that abbreviated two game showdown is Sunday.
*Late Editor’s Update: with the Baltimore Ravens beating the Los Angeles Chargers last night, the significance of the game with the Seahawks tonight changes a bit. However, the Chiefs should not approach this game any differently now, because if they don’t beat the Seahawks tonight, then the game with the Raiders becomes a MUST WIN game for the Chiefs to win the AFC West. -Laddie.
The Weather Report
Here’s the Forecast for Sunday evening in the 98134 area code, which is where Century Link Stadium is located.
It looks like it will be nasty, weather-wise, this evening in Seattle. Here’s a look at the Radar on Saturday evening for that same area.
What more can a team ask for? Playing meaningful games round down to the wire and still be assured a playoff spot? No matter what… GO CHIEFS!
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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