Andy Reid Delivers Big Isiah Pacheco and Charles Omenihu Week 12 Injury News
Kansas City Chiefs fans received good news this week when running back Isiah Pacheco and defensive end Charles Omenihu were activated from injured reserve. Both players are returning from leg injuries, so fans questioned if they would be active on game day.
Despite that, there was some speculation that Pacheco might play on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Omenihu didn’t receive the same speculation.
Throughout the week, a close eye was kept on the injury report to see how active each player was in practice. Both Pacheco and Omenihu were limited participants on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
That was to be expected though coming off of there injuries. Unfortunately, the Chiefs have already ruled out both players following Friday’s practice.
While this was the most logical outcome for these two it’s not what many hoped for. Instead, they expected one of these two guys back against the Panthers.
As mentioned above, Pacheco was the player many figured could play. That was because if Pacheco was able to return this week, he would have been able to ease his way back in, and it wouldn’t have been a huge deal.
The Panthers aren’t a good football team, so the Chiefs should be able to handle them easily. That would have taken all the pressure off of Pacheco.
Instead, Pacheco will be reintegrated into the lineup in a more competitive game, which isn’t the best case scenario.
Although neither player will return this week, they will return in the weeks to come, probably as soon as Week 13 against the Raiders.
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Matt Nagy wants to see Chiefs’ offense ‘back on track’ against Panthers
In an effort to move past the team’s tough loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is emphasizing the importance of execution across all phases of the offense as they prepare for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
From shoring up protection along the offensive line to fostering better rhythm with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Nagy believes the team has the tools to bounce back, observing that during its final touchdown drive against Buffalo, the offense showed “a sense of urgency.”
“You saw what happened,” Nagy reminded reporters on Thursday. “We moved the ball a little bit, there was a tempo in and out. We’ve had those this year — and we’ve also had a lot of long drives where there [have been] 18-19 plays and scored touchdowns… Let’s get that rhythm going — and we’ve got the guys to do it. I think the guys have understood where we’re at. We want to get back on track.”
For the Chiefs, that starts with the offensive line. The unit has surrendered 10 sacks in their last three games after allowing just 12 in the first seven. According to Nagy, its success begins with consistent communication — especially in hostile road environments like Buffalo.
“Protection wise, I always start off with the communication part,” he noted. “Are we getting the communication part down in game? So [when] you go on the road last week in Buffalo, it’s loud. It’s always going to be that way on the road. I think our communication has been pretty good for the most part.”
Still, the pressure got to Mahomes throughout the afternoon. The Bills sacked him twice. On his first pass of the game, Buffalo’s pressure forced him to make a throw while being tackled. That led to an interception — which Nagy sees as a learning opportunity for both the offensive line and his quarterback.
“There are a lot of times when [we] drop back in practice and it’s all on time and in rhythm,” he explained. “We practice a lot of that. We still always practice off to the side working on [his] feet and making sure that [he’s] working different angles and movements.
“But [when] you get in the game, it’s always so different; it’s hard to replicate that. So it’s never perfect [and] it’s never easy. And I think that’s where Pat has really grown over his career: being able to use his feet to find different levels to throw the football.”
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