Sep 7, 2014; Kansas City, MO; Chiefs inside linebacker Derrick Johnson (56) leaves the field on a cart against the Tennessee Titans in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ruptured Achilles tendons have hammered the Chiefs since the start of the regular season.
The Chiefs already placed inside linebacker Derrick Johnson and defensive end Mike DeVito on season-ending injured reserve when the pair suffered the injury in Week 1.
And Kansas City will in all likelihood do the same with running back Joe McKnight, who ruptured his Achilles during Thursday’s practice.
Coach Andy Reid indicated Saturday the Chiefs won’t do anything different from the normal routine, instead the Chiefs will defer to subject matter experts.
“PFAT,” Reid said, “they’re on top of that. That’s Professional Football Trainers Association, they’re hitting that thing hard. The NFL (Foot and) Ankle Committee, they’re knocking this thing out.”
Still, three Achilles injuries on the same team within a span of less than a month grabs attention given the rare instance.
And special teams coordinator Dave Toub, who has 14 years of NFL experience as a coach, offered an emphatic response when asked if he’s ever seen anything like it during Friday’s coordinator media sessions.
“No,” Toub said. “And three on one team, I’m not sure if that ever happened. I’m not sure.”
Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, who has 15 years of NFL experience as a coach, echoed Toub’s assessment.
“I’m not a historian on injuries,” Sutton said, “but I can’t think of any (teams) that I’ve been on.”
Meanwhile, Reid said the league-wide issue of Achilles injuries – 14 so far, according to Reid – has awareness.
“It’s out there and people are examining it to try to figure it out,” he said. “That’s how that works.”
PLENTY OF WINS
Monday night’s game features 343 combined regular-season wins and 48 playoff appearances between Chiefs coach Andy Reid (142/20) and Patriots coach Bill Belichick (201/28).
Toss in playoffs victories, where Belichick has 20 and Reid has 10, there will be a combined 373 games won on the field between the two coaches.
“I’m lucky that I’ve been around good people,” Reid explained as a formula for his success, “two good organizations and a ton of good people. I’m sure Bill would ditto this. You can’t do it alone, for sure, and I think we both understand that.”
Belichick and Reid rank in the Top 5 of most overall wins among active NFL coaches, with Belichick taking the top spot and Reid coming in fourth.
Reid has respect for the head coach on the opposite sideline Monday night, and the feeling is mutual.
“Andy’s really a good coach,” Belichick told reporters Saturday in Foxborough, Mass. “He does a great job preparing his team. I thought he always did that, did that in Philadelphia. [I’ve] competed against him many times. They do a good job of, they’re well coached, they have good fundamentals.”
Meanwhile, Reid’s record against Belichick is 0-4, which includes Super Bowl XXXIX.
CHARLES PROBABLE
The Chiefs should have running back Jamaal Charles (ankle) Monday night.
The Chiefs sat out Charles in Week 3, but he put in a limited practice for three straight days leading to the team to officially designate him as probable for Week 4.
Charles suffered the ankle injury in Week 2 early in the first after just two carries against the Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs called the injury a high ankle sprain, but Charles put in two limited practices in Week 3 to raise optimism of a fast recovery.
NOTES: Strong safety Eric Berry (ankle) is out for Monday night’s game … Rookie running back/wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas (hamstring) is listed as questionable.
