KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and his team took a few days off last week to rest up for this week's Divisional Round game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, and the time away appears to have the club in its best physical shape of the season.
“Really there are no injuries right now, so everybody will practice from the last time we met,” Reid said Monday as the team started its normal work week in preparing to face the Houston Texans.
Reid didn't elaborate on the status of any specific players, but two players did not practice leading up to the club's last game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Cornerback Morris Claiborne (shoulder) and offensive lineman Cam Erving (illness) missed practice time in Week 17, but expect to be ready when the team hits the field on Wednesday.
Left guard Andrew Wylie (ankle) was limited in practice in Week 17 and did not play against the Chargers. Neither did defensive tackle Xavier Williams, who practiced in full that week but was listed as questionable in his return from injured reserve.
The Chiefs have a roster move to make, however, leading up to Sunday's playoff game. Safety Juan Thornhill remains on the active roster, but expects to head to injured reserve this week after suffering a torn ACL against the Chargers. The Chiefs will likely make a promotion from the team's practice squad prior to this weekend's game.
The loss of Thornhill likely means a larger role for second-year safety Armani Watts. The former fourth-round pick played just 74 defensive snaps this season, but he's emerged as a core special teams player with 280 snaps on teams this season. Reid said that work has helped prep Watts for opportunities that may come his way in the postseason.
“What you see with the guys, particularly linebackers and safeties that play on special teams when they're young and then you see them develop, are angles and speed of the game, angles to the ball,” Reid said. “They get accustomed to the speed of the game and playing in space. I would tell you that's what he's learned through his teams play.”
