Chiefs vs Bills injury report: Why is RB Isiah Pacheco ruled out for Week 14?

The Kansas City Chiefs are fresh off a 19-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers due to Jordan Love’s resurgence. The defending champions embraced two losses in their last three games with the first one being against the Philadelphia Eagles, whom they defeated in the Super Bowl final last season. Despite recent struggles, the team is still atop the AFC West with an 8-4 record.

Meanwhile, except for the last win against the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills had been on the losing end lately. Despite earlier being in the MVP race, QB Josh Allen couldn’t keep up the momentum for his team. The Bills and Chiefs are going to face off against each other in Week 14, and plenty of players including running back Isiah Pacheco have made entry to the injury list.

Why is RB Isiah Pacheco ruled out for Week 14?

The Kansas City Chiefs RB Isaiah Pacheco sustained a shoulder contusion during the recent clash against the Green Bay Packers, and initially missed practice on Wednesday due to it. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid expressed uncertainty about the back’s status earlier in the week while mentioning that he would undergo evaluation for the injury, per NBC Sports.

“As far as injuries go, Pacheco actually came in with a shoulder contusion and we’ll see how his condition develops. He’s going to get that examined. He is not working out today.”

The initial hope was to assess his progress, but subsequent developments painted a more definitive picture, and the Chiefs later declared the RB as ruled out for Sunday’s pivotal encounter with the Bills.

The second-year star’s absence will definitely be a significant loss for the Chiefs, especially considering his impressive performance in the recent game against the Packers. Despite sustaining the shoulder injury during the match, he showcased resilience by continuing to play, delivering an outstanding performance with 110 yards gained from 18 rushes, alongside a touchdown.

The RB currently stands as the RB10 in PPR formats, accumulating 988 total yards and seven scores throughout the season. The Chiefs HC said Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be their starter in absence of Isaiah for this weekend. Clyde recorded 140 rushing yards on 40 carries with a touchdown and caught seven passes for 44 yards this season.

Meanwhile, Jerick McKinnon, who earlier sustained a groin injury, has also showcased the possibility of playing after missing the last two games as he had been a full participant in Thursday’s practice.

Chiefs vs Bills NFL Week 14 injury report

Besides Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs offensive tackle Donovan Smith (Neck), linebacker Drue Tranquill (Concussion), and safety Bryan Cook (Ankle) were ruled out of the match against the Bills. Neither of them participated in the practice session. Drue Tranquill added 3.5 Sacks, 6.0 Tackles for Loss, 72 Tackles, 0 Interceptions, and 1 Pass Defended on the defensive line this season. Cook’s defensive stat includes 42 Tackles, 1 Interception, 2 Passes Defended.

Patrick Mahomes (Pectoral) has a full participation in the practice session, but his game status is unknown. Besides him, the Chiefs also labeled running back Jerick McKinnon (Groin), wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Hip), linebacker Darius Harris (Wrist) and linebacker Nick Bolton’s (Wrist) game status as unknown. Jerick had limited participation while the other three were full participants in practice.

Meanwhile, the Bills listed cornerback Kaiir Elam (Ankle), and tight end Dawson Knox (Wrist) as questionable, albeit both of them had full participation in practice.

Besides them, a couple of Bills players including safety Taylor Rapp (Neck), cornerback Dane Jackson (Concussion), defensive end Leonard Floyd (Wrist), linebacker Von Miller (Rest), and tight end Dalton Kincaid (Thumb) were listed as unknown. Apart from Miller, each of them was a full participant in practice.