Facing the possibility of having to win out just to make the playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs will be pulling all of the levers they can against the Houston Texans on Sunday night. The Texans are one of the teams the Chiefs are chasing as they enter Sunday night in 10th place in the AFC standings, and their job got even more difficult as they sort through their issues along the offensive line.
Left tackle Josh Simmons was placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a wrist injury, with fellow starters Trey Smith (ankle) and Jawaan Taylor (triceps/knee) listed as doubtful on Friday’s final injury report, making it likely the Chiefs’ offensive line will be less than full strength as they go into a must-win game.
With all of that in mind, Andy Reid is trying to figure out what works best, and he may have an outside-the-box idea when he suggested that reserves Wanya Morris and Jaylon Moore could switch places if both have to start against the Texans.
“They’ve actually worked both sides,” Reid said via The Athletic’s Jesse Newell. “So we’ll make that decision when we get there, doggone it.”
Chiefs’ O-Line Crisis Could Have Jaylon Moore and Wanya Morris Switching Positions
“Doggone it” sounds like the perfect phrase to describe the Chiefs’ offensive line situation on Sunday night. Simmons’s rookie year has had its fair share of ups and downs, and his extended absence due to a personal matter put him right back on the sidelines as he’ll miss at least the next four games with his wrist injury.
Smith missed the Thanksgiving loss to the Dallas Cowboys after suffering high and low ankle sprains during a Week 12 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs’ offensive line got even more battered while Smith was on the sideline as Taylor suffered his tricep injury and an ankle sprain in the loss to Dallas.
With so many pieces missing, the Chiefs may have to get creative to protect Patrick Mahomes and clear the way for the running game. This means swapping Morris and Moore may be the best strategy, but one that doesn’t come without its share of risk.
Morris has played just 65 offensive snaps in a reserve role this season, but has seen most of his action at right tackle. Morris saw more extensive action on the blindside last season, before ultimately giving way to D.J. Humphries and eventually Joe Thuney as the Chiefs came down the stretch.
But while Morris has some experience at left tackle, Moore is where the risk comes in. Moore was almost exclusively a left tackle before coming to Kansas City in free agency this spring, and his last snaps at right tackle came during his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers, according to Pro Football Focus.
Moore’s lone start at right tackle came in Week 11 of the 2021 season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he was able to post a 56.7 overall grade per PFF, he struggled in pass protection with a pair of pressures and a sack allowed on 14 pass-blocking snaps.
It’s not ideal for the Chiefs heading into Sunday night. But at this point, they need to make due with what they have. If Smith and Taylor can’t make a quick recovery, it will likely be a new plan that goes into motion as the Chiefs make their last-minute playoff push.
