Patrick Mahomes injury could ironically start revival of Chiefs offense for one reason

This weekend would seem to be setting up to be a rough one for the Kansas City Chiefs offense. The two-time defending champs were struggling to move the ball even before QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a mild high ankle sprain against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday, and while the team is letting Mahomes suit up, he almost certainly won't be at 100 percent. Add in a ferocious Houston Texans defense (one that brings a reputation for violent, sometimes even dirty, hits), and you could have a recipe for disaster.

But while it remains to be seen just how effective Mahomes can be, Saturday's game brings more cause for optimism than the Chiefs offense has had all season long — or at least since Rashee Rice went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Hollywood Brown's return could finally unlock this Chiefs offense

According to several reports, Kansas City is set to active WR Hollywood Brown, who will finally make his season debut on Saturday against Houston. Brown was one of the team's biggest additions over the offseason, but a shoulder injury suffered in his first preseason game immediately scuttled those plans.

The ripple effects of Brown's injury have been felt all season long, as Mahomes and the Chiefs offense struggled mightily to push the ball downfield even before Rice's injury. The problem only got worse with Rice on the shelf, and while DeAndre Hopkins has been a reliable veteran presence since coming over at the trade deadline, the 32-year-old simply is not a field-stretcher at this point in his career.

It remains to be seen just how healthy Brown is, and he'll almost certainly need a little bit of time to knock the rust off and get up to speed with a new quarterback and new system. But if he's at anything close to 100 percent, he immediately gives the Chiefs the sort of player they desperately lack among their pass-catchers, one that should give Hopkins, Travis Kelce and the gang more room to operate underneath and over the middle of the field.

While it's undoubtedly a risk to roll Mahomes back out there less than a week after suffering a significant injury (one that will surely impact his mobility in the pocket), you can understand why head coach Andy Reid would want to give his QB as much time as possible to build chemistry with his new No. 1 target. It might not click right away, especially given Mahomes' injury, but in a few weeks time we could look back at this as the moment the tide turned for Kansas City's offense.