Chiefs lose CB Jaylen Watson, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster yet just keep winning as injuries pile up

Updated Oct. 21, 2024 3:44 p.m. ET

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs just keep winning, even as the injuries continue to pile up.

The latest came Sunday, when the two-time defending Super Bowl champions lost cornerback Jaylen Watson to a season-ending ankle injury and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a hamstring injury in their 28-18 victory over the 49ers. It was their 12th straight win going back to last season, and a whole bunch have come despite injuries to some of their best players.

“It starts with your locker room, your coaches, and just how do the guys like each other,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday when asked about overcoming the adversity. "And that whole trust thing that they develop with each other is important.

“Everything isn't going to be roses when you're playing,” Reid said. “You're going to have ups and downs in games. Very few teams win every game during a season. You literally take it game by game. Make sure you're taking care of business this week. But I think the locker room has a big part of that. The coaches' attitudes have a big part of that.”

Watson had been a rising start in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's defense, helping Kansas City shut down some of the NFL's best offenses through the first six games of the season. Nazeeh Johnson, who has made a comeback from a torn knee ligament, would be next in line to replace him heading into Sunday's game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

Just as concerning is the injury to Smith-Schuster, given what already has transpired in the Chiefs' wide receiver room. Rashee Rice had knee surgery and Marquise Brown had shoulder surgery, and both are done for the season.

Reid said Monday that Smith-Schuster would miss at least one game. And given his injury history, and how many games remain this season, the Chiefs almost certainly will explore the market for reinforcements ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

The Chiefs also have Nikko Remigio, Montrell Washington and Justyn Ross available on their practice squad.

“Really all those guys on the practice squad we’ve got a lot of trust in, and feel good about,” Reid said. “We’ve talked about it a little bit. We’ll go through everything. But I just came out of an offensive meeting and had a chance to talk to those guys and see what their thoughts were. We’ll just see.”

What’s working

The Chiefs ran for a season-best 184 yards, even though they continue to play without starter Isiah Pacheco because of a broken bone in his leg. Kareem Hunt has been a revelation, with 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns against the 49ers, while Mecole Hardman took two jet sweeps for 38 yards and another score.

What needs help

The Chiefs have struggled most of the season to cover tight ends, and George Kittle was the latest to cause them problems. While they were busy shutting down a San Francisco wide receiver group thinned by injuries, Kittle was providing the team's only sustained offense, catching six passes for 92 yards.

Stock up

Tight end Noah Gray, who signed a contract extension earlier this season, had a team-best four catches for 66 yards against San Francisco. As teams blanket Travis Kelce, and with so many injuries to the Kansas City wide receiver corps, the ability for Gray to take advantage of his one-on-one matchups will be crucial going forward.

Stock down

Perhaps for the first time in his career, the arrow on Patrick Mahomes has been trending downward. He threw two picks against the 49ers and did not throw a TD pass for the second straight game. But the body of work, which includes just six TD passes and eight interceptions this season, must be viewed through the lens of the injuries to his supporting cast.