KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs offense has been inconsistent, but the unit appears set to receive a boost before Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.
Tight end Anthony Fasano, who hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury in Week Two, could return this week.
Sep 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Anthony Fasano (80) runs the ball during the second half of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m pretty confident if I don’t have any setbacks,” Fasano said during Wednesday’s locker room media session. “It was a frustrating injury that I’m going to have to continue to deal with. I feel like it’s time to try to play with it.”
His teammate, tight end Sean McGrath, is happy for that scenario.
“Oh yeah, it’s awesome,” McGrath said with a large smile. “To have him out there as a veteran is great. It just gives us that more confidence.”
The Chiefs have struggled with converting on third downs where they currently rank 27th in the league at 32.6 percent.
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McGrath said the obvious fix is to convert and it boils down to execution of the play.
“Whether it’s third-and-short or third-and-long, you got to make the block and you got to get the yards,” he said. “Whether it’s a run or you got to run the right route and catch the ball. It’s as simple as execution.”
Having Fasano’s blocking and pass-catching abilities on the field should assist in addressing the deficiency and ensuring any play has the desired result.
“He’s on cue with everything that he has to do,” McGrath said of Fasano. “As a fellow tight end, it just strengthens my confidence out there and having the extra support with him out there.”
Prior to suffering his injury, Fasano had four catches for 34 yards.
While the eight-year pro admits to dealing with the frustrations over the lost time, he’s happy to have an opportunity to rejoin his teammates on the field.
“I’m going to try and help this team, try to help the offense,” Fasano said.
