It appears that the Kansas City Chiefs are going to be without both of their starting offensive tackles in a must-win game on Sunday Night Football. Per A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman, head coach Andy Reid made sure to highlight that Wanya Morris and Jaylon Moore would be starting on the left and right side this weekend. Jawaan Taylor's (triceps) status is up in the air, while rookie Josh Simmons (wrist) joined the injured reserve on Wednesday. This all paints a bleak picture considering who the Chiefs are set to face in Week 14.
The defense of the Houston Texans is built around a ferocious pass rush that is tied for the sixth leading sack numbers with 34 on the season. Houston has given up the fourth fewest yards in the league as well, while having the league's best rating. All of this paints a picture of why you don't want backup tackle Morris stepping into the starting lineup, even if it's necessary.
That alone makes Taylor's return more necessary than ever.
Wanya Morris Could Be a Chiefs Nightmare in Week 14
Morris was noted for his inability to stop making key mistakes that would eventually result in whiffs in pass protection or run blocking. He didn't display the ability to shake off a penalty or forget a bad play and move on. The veteran tackle clearly had issues executing, and now is going to likely be leaned on in a game against one of the league's best pass rushes in what equates to a playoff game for the Chiefs.
Although he has a respectable 84.7 run block grade, per Pro Football Focus, Morris has been putrid in pass protection, much like he was last year. He's given up three pressures on just 28 passing downs, which equates to a rate of 10.7%. As absurd as it sounds, that's even worse than his 2024 performance (35 pressures on 427 snaps, 8.2%). It's just hard to like the idea that Morris will probably let a defender get at Mahomes on one of every 10 snaps, which will add up over the course of a game.
Drop this game, and the Chiefs will have lost the tiebreaks to the Texans, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. These are four of the teams they're actively fighting with for the final playoff spots. It isn't hyperbolic to consider this an elimination game for Kansas City, one that Morris is now going to be playing in an incredibly important role.
This understandably should scare Chiefs fans who already have voiced their offensive concerns this season. The fact that they're worried about being without Taylor, a player who has often frustrated fans, speaks to the level of desperation the team has reached heading into Week 14.
For Morris, it is a chance to rebuild a bit of value and prove that last season's struggles were an outlier and not define him as the draft bust he appears to be. At the same time, little about what he's done this season suggests that he's ready to thrive in a starting job, potentially setting the Chiefs up for failure in a must-win game.