Tyrann Mathieu popped up on the injury report on Friday.
Mathieu’s inclusion was a surprise to fans, but the star safety evidently suffered a hip injury. Andy Reid didn’t give much of a comment on the issue, leaving Chiefs fans to their own devices to figure out whether they should be worried or not. Finally, it appears we have an actual update, courtesy of FanSided’s own Matt Verderame.
Mathieu is listed as questionable, but he’d be a major absence against Tua Tagovailoa and Miami if unable to play. While Miami’s offense leaves much to be desired, Mathieu’s ability to help in the run game from his safety position would be a big boost to the Chiefs.
The Chiefs can apply pressure to the Steelers atop the AFC
With their loss last week, the Steelers and Chiefs now have the same record in the fight for AFC supremacy. However, Pittsburgh still owns the tiebreaker thanks to their in-conference record, as their lone loss came against the Washington Football Team of the NFC. The Chiefs, meanwhile, lost to their AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders.
By beating Miami, the Chiefs would take a momentary AFC lead as they await the result of the Steelers Sunday Night Football primetime test against the playoff-bound Buffalo Bills. The Bills are rightly favored in such a matchup, as the Steelers looked downright bad against Washington, and arguably even worse the week before that vs the Ravens.
The Dolphins defense will be the ultimate test for the Chiefs, as they’re capable of defending Kansas City’s multiple skill position talents. However, having the ability to do something and actually achieving that goal are two very different things. Teams have been lucky to slow down the Chiefs at times this season. If Miami wants any chance on Sunday, they must do the same.