Chiefs avoid offensive line disaster ahead of pivotal Raiders matchup
The Chiefs are back in business with the return of their bookends
Sitting at 8-1, the Kansas City Chiefs will need to continue their offensive dominance if they want to claim the AFC title. Sunday has the makings of one of the top games all season as the Raiders play host in Sin City to hopefully claim the season sweep.
One thing that defines a quarterback’s success is his protection. So far, the Chiefs offensive line has been one of the league’s best in both passing sets and the run. After a scare due to COVID-19, things are trending in the Chiefs’ favor in what could be a pivotal moment in their season.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, both offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz are expected to be activated from the COIVD-19/reserve list and will be ready for Sunday. The starting bookends were placed on the list Monday, along with potential replacement Martinas Rankins.
This is a good sign: #Chiefs OTs Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz were both activated from the COVID-19 reserve list. They are good to go for Sunday.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 19, 2020
How important is the Chiefs offensive line?
Pundits always point the finger at the quarterback for a team’s success and Patrick Mahomes has earned his way into the MVP conversation. However, his offensive line has allowed only 13 sacks and a handful of pressures through their red hot start.Kansas City’s offensive line already took several hits before the season began with Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Lucas Niang both opting out.
Having back Fisher and Schwartz should only solidly the offense as Mahomes looks to keep his hand burning with a plethora of weapons. Add in the run game of Clyde Edwards-Helarie and Le’Veon Bell, perhaps this could be a look of what is to come in the future for arguably the league’s most complete roster.
The Raiders could be playing more than shorthanded as almost their defensive starting unit is going on the COVID-19 list. Sitting at 6-3 and occupying one of the three wild card spots, a win for Las Vegas would be detrimental in their race to the postseason. Without key starters to stop this high-tempo offense, Kansas City could be in for a record-setting evening.
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