Chiefs Focused On Rest and Health Heading Into Bye Week

Kansas City will use its bye to get healthy and gear up for the 2022 season's stretch run.

The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 7 win over the San Francisco 49ers wasn't pretty at first but once things got rolling, the road team escaped with a 19-point blowout victory. It's an outcome, after all, that will have to hold the team over until its next game on Nov. 6.

With over 500 net yards on offense and five total sacks and multiple turnovers forced on defense, the Chiefs were firing on both sides of the ball against a formidable 49ers opponent playing on their home turf. It was a flashy win for a team that has had a couple of similar outings this year mixed in with some ugly triumphs and some heartbreaking defeats. Through seven weeks, though, a 5-2 record and a first-place ranking in the AFC West isn't a bad place to be.

The Chiefs are on a bye in Week 8 and given the state of the team's injury situation, having a week off is far from the worst thing in the world. Head coach Andy Reid emphasized that after Sunday's win, saying that the timing of his team's bye this year is good and that his players will use their downtime to recharge a bit. 

"I think it's a good time," Reid said. "You know, 5-2 looks a lot better than 4-3. I think it comes where we can afford to get a little bit healthier at some spots, particularly the corner spot. As long as the guys are out there and being safe, that's kind of my primary concern, that they get back on time. That's always important. But I think this leads them into a nice, positive week where they can have some recovery time."

The Chiefs have been mostly successful this season despite missing key contributors such as kicker Harrison Butker and cornerback Trent McDuffie for extended periods of time. Recently, defensive end Mike Danna and cornerback Rashad Fenton have also dealt with injuries that caused them to miss time. From strictly an availability standpoint, getting some players healthy after the bye is a big deal. With that in mind, Reid said that there's a good chance of McDuffie, Danna and Fenton returning in Week 9.

Another thing to consider is the Chiefs' brutal schedule to this point in the year. In addition to playing a pair of competitive AFC West games, Kansas City has faced tough opponents such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and, on Sunday, the 49ers. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes hasn't taken that slate of games for granted, and he's happy to be walking away with five wins although he and his team lost a couple of very winnable outings along the way. Mahomes is ready to recharge as well, but he also has his eyes set on the bigger picture of the 2022 campaign. 

"I mean, we have a tough schedule," Mahomes said. "But we knew that going into the season. Obviously, we lost a couple of games that we wanted to win but when you look back on it and you're 5-2 and you're first in the AFC West, you can't ask to be in a better position. So now we kind of have to recalibrate, get off our feet, get our bodies back and then learn because when we come back for this next stretch, we're going to be ready to go and try to make a push to get to the playoffs and then try to get to the Super Bowl." 

Health is never a guarantee in the NFL, and neither is restoring it simply due to having a nice week off in the middle of the season. On the other hand, any amount of time to rest remains insanely valuable. Star defensive tackle Chris Jones is aware of that and while he echoes the same sentiments as Mahomes in regard to the Chiefs' overall standing right now, he's also excited to potentially get some of his teammates on the defensive side of the ball back soon. The trio of Reid, Mahomes and Jones is very clearly placing an emphasis on rest and health at this juncture. Those are their top priorities in the grand scheme of things.

"We're 5-2 right now," Jones said. "We're in a good spot. Most importantly, we're missing a lot of key pieces within this team. A lot of guys are still hurt and banged up. We've got one of our starting cornerbacks out [and] one of our starting defensive linemen. We can get a lot of guys healthy. Everybody can get a little rest, get off their feet, take care of their body and we can come back and make a stride."

Read More: Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 44-23 Win Over the 49ers