In a Week 8 divisional matchup that will prove so crucial, the Kansas City Chiefs will be searching for answers on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary. Rookie sixth-overall pick Mansoor Delane was ruled out with a shoulder injury that just doesn't seem to be going away.
But perhaps even more troubling was a surprise trip to IR for veteran L'Jarius Sneed. The former two-time Super Bowl champion is set to miss at least the next four games with a knee ailment. At nearly 30 years old and with knee issues that began before the Chiefs traded him away in 2023, Sneed hasn't been right for a long time.
It was apparent that as this season went along, Sneed was a lesser player than his past self, and certainly was not capable of playing 60-plus snaps every week. He had been manning the nickel/slot CB spot for Steve Spagnuolo, a position that has been tough for the Chiefs to nail down a consistent starter.
With Delane out against the Denver Broncos, Kristian Fulton will be the first man off the bench, as he has been all year, and will start opposite Nohl Williams. As for Sneed's replacement, Spags has a number of options and, knowing him, will probably try his hand at every one of them on Sunday.
Who can Kansas City turn to in the absence of two majorly important defenders?
The overwhelming expectation is that Chris Roland-Wallace will receive the bulk of Sneed's snaps in the slot. He has played very well this year in limited work, playing in just 26% of the Chiefs' defensive snaps. CRW may not be the best cover man you've ever seen, but he is a typical Spagnuolo corner.
He is fearless when it comes to tackling, has a nose for the football, and is an excellent blitzer, particularly from the line of scrimmage. I would expect to see a lot of Roland-Wallace this week and, frankly, for the rest of the season.
A couple more options to spell CRW when he needs a rest are to finally deploy fourth-round rookie Jadon Canady. He's done much of his rookie work from the sidelines this year, learning from the background. But with two major injuries to the secondary, Canady could be in line for a handful of opportunities.
Lastly, and Chiefs fans will not like to hear this, but Chamarri Conner remains a very real possibility for Spags to turn to if Roland-Wallace starts performing poorly. Conner is highly trusted among the coaching staff.
And despite his complete lack of ability to cover anybody out of the slot, as seen in years past, I wouldn't put anything past this being another Chiefs performance where you are left somewhat head-scratchingly speechless.
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