Arrowhead Pride
On Wednesday, Kansas City’s offensive coordinator discussed his quarterback’s status, Joe Thuney’s performance at left tackle, DeAndre Hopkins and the lack of running plays in Cleveland.
As the Kansas City Chiefs returned on Wednesday for their second practice of the week ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the Houston Texans, the status of quarterback Patrick Mahomes remained a topic of speculation.
Before practice, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy discussed what he saw from the face of the league in Tuesday’s session. Mahomes would later be designated as a full participant for a second consecutive injury report after leaving Week 15’s game against the Cleveland Browns with an ankle injury.
“It’s a lighter day for us with the schedule that we have,” said Nagy. “So, I thought, all things considered, he did well, and we’ll just continue to just keep an eye on it.”
Nagy also specified what he is simply looking for honestly from a star with now a history of successfully navigating injuries.
“Just for [Mahomes] to be able to be honest with us as he goes through this,” the coach identified. “It’s all part of the game. We know he’s a tough kid — we understand that — but at the same point in time, you want to be smart. I think you know — we know — our schedule this week.
“[It’s] a little bit of a shorter week, so there’s a balance there to that, but so far, I think that his mindset is to do everything he can. At the same time, you still have to be able to see how he does throughout the week.”
Should Mahomes play, guard Joe Thuney will likely continue protecting his blindside at left tackle after taking on the position against the Browns. Nagy believes the veteran turned in a good showing after kicking outside, though head coach Andy Reid has the ultimate say on the lineup.
“Just to start off,” he explained, “I want to give a lot of credit to Joe coming in last week and doing what he did. I thought, in that moment, he did a great job against a really good front and in particular, Miles Garrett. So, we’ll continue to just kind of keep an eye on that.
“In the end, coach Reid will make the final decision on how we go with that and where we go. But I just look back to last week and just say for what Joe did in that moment, I think it just speaks to him and the value that he has of being able to have the flexibility to go out there and play tackle like he did.
Although the Chiefs defeated the Browns by two touchdowns, the 21-point outing was disappointing after the defense forced six Cleveland turnovers. The Chiefs appeared hesitant to call running plays in the second half, even with a two-score lead.
Nagy simply chalked the curiosity to how the second half unfolded while offering that had certain plays been made — such...
