The Kansas City Chiefs came into their Week 15 showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers already limping - and things only got worse as the game wore on.
In a brutal stretch that had Chiefs fans holding their breath, four defensive starters - Chris Jones, Nick Bolton, Jaylen Watson, and Kevin Knowles - all went down with injuries on the same drive. Yes, you read that right.
Four injuries. Five plays.
That’s the kind of sequence that can derail a season if things don’t break the right way.
Fortunately for Kansas City, three of those players didn’t stay sidelined for long. Jones, Bolton, and Watson all returned to action before the drive was over.
Jones did take a detour through the medical tent for a quick leg check, but he was back on the field soon after, showing no signs of lingering issues. For a team that's already been walking a tightrope with injuries, that was a much-needed sigh of relief.
Watson, in particular, was in the middle of a standout performance before his brief exit. He had already racked up four tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hit - the kind of stat line that jumps off the page for a cornerback. His ability to make plays in space and pressure the quarterback gave the Chiefs’ defense a noticeable edge early on.
But not everyone bounced back. Kevin Knowles didn’t return to the game after his injury, and neither did offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, who had been filling in for the already-injured Josh Simmons. Moore went down with a knee issue and was ruled questionable to return, leaving the Chiefs in a precarious spot up front.
That’s not great news for a Kansas City team that was already missing three starting offensive linemen, wide receiver Hollywood Brown, standout corner Trent McDuffie, and safety Deon Bush. The attrition is piling up fast, and while the Chiefs have managed to weather the storm so far, the margin for error is getting thinner by the week.
As it stands, Knowles and Moore are the only two players who didn’t make it back onto the field after their injuries. Losing Moore is especially concerning given the already depleted state of the offensive line. The Chiefs still have depth at safety if Knowles can’t go moving forward, but protecting Patrick Mahomes becomes a lot tougher with each lineman that goes down.
Bottom line: the Chiefs came into this game shorthanded and left it even more battered. The good news?
Key defensive pieces like Jones, Bolton, and Watson are still upright. The bad news?
The offensive line is hanging on by a thread. December football is all about survival, and right now, Kansas City is doing everything it can to stay in the fight.