We’ve got some major questions for the Chiefs offensive line as they sort things out up front over the bye.
When looking at the way the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense struggled in Week 9 to find its footing against the Buffalo Bills, the offensive line became a central point of concern. That’s natural when looking at any position that’s banged up and working through losses. Now that the team is back at home for a bye week, fans can only hope the Chiefs’ concerns up front are taken care of.
Unfortunately, a week of rest doesn’t automatically take care of things, which means the questions still remain until they’re answered on the field. Recovery and resets are important things, but we’re not ready to cross issues off of our lists until we see they’re actually taken care of.
Here are our biggest o-line questions coming out of the bye.
1. Is Trey Smith’s back okay for the stretch run?
This concern will only be alleviated after some considerable time, but interest in how Trey Smith’s back is doing will be immediate once Kansas City returns to the field at Mile High. The Chiefs visit the Denver Broncos to start the second half of their schedule, and Smith’s protection up front is going to be vital for Patrick Mahomes against such a strong defensive front.
not only forced him to leave the game early in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he remained out against the Washington Commanders in Week 8. Fortunately both were victories for K.C., but Smith struggled in his return against Buffalo last Sunday, and that came after a week of limited practice sessions.
The Chiefs have Mike Caliendo waiting in the wings, but as valuable as Caliendo has been in a super-sub role, the talent differential is enough to impact what the offense can do.
2. Is Josh Simmons ready to resume his starting duties?
The Chiefs haven’t provided any clarity on the nature of Josh Simmons’ absence from the team over the last month, except to define it as a “personal matter.” And that’s not anyone’s business if Simmons doesn’t want to discuss it. But what is worth noting is that a month away from the team, and the distractions of whatever was happening, is bound to affect his performance.
It’s natural to question whether or not Simmons is going to be ready to resume his role or if the Chiefs will want to ease him back into the fold. We certainly hope that Simmons is doing well mentally and emotionally off the field, and that he’s ready physically to return to it. Jaylon Moore was a solid fill-in, but Simmons is the franchise’s blindside protector without question.
3. Is Jawaan Taylor’s ankle injury a big deal?
During the Chiefs’ loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, Jawaan Taylor, the starting right tackle, was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter with an ankle concern. He was designated as questionable to return, but he never made it back into the game and the Chiefs lost down the stretch. In his place, Wanya Morris took over with Moore at left tackle in the wake of Simmons’ absence.
Taylor has been a strong pass protector this season, despite early frustrations with his penchant for penalties. Cleaning up the mistakes has made all the difference, and it was not a coincidence that the Chiefs found their offensive mojo just as Taylor was finding his own. If the Chiefs lose Taylor for any length of time, it’s a big loss up front among the starters and a significant depth concern in case anything else goes wrong.
