Andy Reid Explains Why He Benched Starter During Raiders Win

The Kansas City Chiefs secured a close 19-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in a Black Friday matchup. This isn't the kind of victory Kansas City was hoping for, as the Raiders entered the game with a 2-9 record.

Regardless, they pulled through, but head coach Andy Reid had to tweak the lineup during the game. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Chiefs benched left tackle Wanya Morris in favor of Joe Thuney, who usually plays guard. After the game, Reid revealed why he decided to make that decision.

Chiefs News: Andy Reid Tells Reporters Why He Benched Wanya Morris

Reid said, "Wanya. He was struggling a little bit... We made that move just to solidify things. Pat took a few hits there. We were struggling at times."

Pass protection has been a problem for the Chiefs all season long, as Patrick Mahomes has been sacked 32 times, which is currently sixth in the league.

According to PFF, Morris has a 55.6 overall grade, with 25 pressures allowed and four sacks allowed. He also committed eight penalties.

It was also telling that Reid decided to move Thuney out to tackle instead of putting rookie Kingsley Suamataia back into the fold. It highlights their lack of faith in these guys as the playoffs rapidly approach.

The Chiefs knew they needed help along the trenches, that's why they signed tackle D.J. Humphries on Nov. 22. Humphries has used this past year to recover from a torn ACL but has the skill set to step in and be effective. With Morris and Suamataia both hitting the bench, it signals that Humphries will be the guy starting at left tackle going forward.

With the next game coming on Dec. 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Humphries will have about two weeks under his belt in this new scheme so he should be ready to roll.

Morris' 2024 season has been shaky to say the least and Kansas City wanted to go in a different direction.

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