Rams vs. Chiefs: Complete Week 8 Preview for Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs return home for the first time in four weeks as they play host to the St. Louis Rams at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs, 3-3, hope to go above .500 for the first time this year and cut the gap in the AFC West between them and the San Diego Chargers, who suffered a loss on Thursday night to the Denver Broncos.
Applying pressure on quarterback Austin Davis, coming up with turnovers and utilizing the running game will be key in trying to pick up a win against the Rams.
The Chiefs hold a lot of advantages in matchups, making them the favorites going into this game.
Winning three of the last four games, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has figured out what it takes for the team to come away victorious and looks to do it again to give the team its fourth win.
Week 7 Recap
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The Chiefs gave fans a reason to feel ecstatic after they handed the Chargers their second loss of the season in a stunning 23-20 win. The Chiefs applied pressure on Philip Rivers throughout the game and ran the football 39 times on offense.
Kansas City’s running game played a big part in the victory as the team won the time-of-possession battle 39 minutes to San Diego’s 21. This kept Rivers on the sidelines, preventing him from getting many opportunities to move the ball and score.
Kansas City owned the largest lead of the game with six points as the score was close throughout the matchup. The game came down to the wire late in the fourth quarter.
Rookie kicker Cairo Santos nailed a 48-yard field goal to lift the Chiefs to victory.
News and Notes
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Jamaal Charles concussion
Jamaal Charles revealed in an exclusive interview with Dan Le Batard on ESPN Radio that he hid concussion-like symptoms from the team’s medical staff. Charles did not appear to have suffered a concussion when he collided on a helmet-to-helmet hit with former teammate and Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers last week.
According to ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, team trainer Rick Burkholder said Wednesday that Charles was put in the protocol Tuesday and passed all of the tests. Burkholder went on to say he will monitor him as he continues to practice.
Chiefs projected to make playoffs
Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm released his playoff projections on Wednesday and has three teams from the AFC West extending their season into January. And yes, one of those three teams is the Chiefs.
At the moment, the Chiefs would not make the postseason if it began today. But through 17 weeks, they are expected to squeeze into the postseason, earning the last spot.
The Chiefs have to pass Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, who are ahead of the Chiefs in the AFC for a wild-card spot. While the Chiefs own three wins, Miami, Cleveland and Houston tie with the Chiefs as they are all in the middle of the pack in the conference.
Edholm has the Chiefs clinching a playoff spot as a No. 6 seed, which seems reasonable. It is doubtful the Broncos drop the AFC West, which would force the Chiefs to enter the playoffs as a wild-card team.
Injury Report
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| Avery, Donnie | WR | Groin | Out | Out | Out | Out |
| Berry, Eric | S | Ankle | LP | LP | - | - |
| Gray, Cyrus | RB | Hand | FP | FP | - | - |
| Hemingway, Junior | WR | Hamstring | DNP | LP | - | - |
| Houston, Justin | LB | Ankle | FP | FP | - | - |
| Kelce, Travis | TE | Ribs | LP | LP | - | - |
| Owens, Chris | CB | Knee | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Smith, Sean | CB | Groin | LP | LP | - | - |
Outside linebacker Justin Houston and tight end Travis Kelce were both added to the injury report; both players have made big contributions to their side of the ball. Houston has been a full participant, while Kelce has been limited so far. If Kelce is unavailable this week, expect Anthony Fasano and Dwayne Bowe to become more important to Alex Smith this Sunday.
Injury report courtesy of KCChiefs.com
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Key Matchups and X-Factor
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WR Dwayne Bowe vs. CB Janoris Jenkins
Although rookie cornerback E.J. Gaines has an interception and played well this year, the Rams will want to put Janoris Jenkins on Bowe. On the flip side, Bowe is coming off his best game this year with five catches for 84 yards. Kansas City’s wide receivers have yet to catch a touchdown in 2014, and this game could finally snap the streak.
OLB Justin Houston vs. LT Jake Long
Former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long has already allowed four sacks this season, which puts him on pace to give up the most he has ever given up in a season. It does not help that he is going up against Houston. Keeping Houston away from Davis is a tall order for Long. Expect Houston to come away with a multi-sack game.
CB Marcus Cooper vs. WR Tavon Austin
Tavon Austin has been relentless with his speed, doing the same things he did while prepping at West Virginia. Marcus Cooper will likely be matched up against him a majority of the time in this game. Davis will look to connect with Austin a few times throughout the game. If St. Louis’ line gives Davis enough time, Austin could break through and come up with a long touchdown play.
X-Factor: QB Alex Smith
Smith has thrown only one interception in the last five games. He has a chance to come up with a big game this week against the Rams. St. Louis has a league-low four sacks with very limited playmaking abilities on defense. Despite the struggles from the wide receivers, Smith could have a field day with Bowe and the rest of the receiving corps to help lead the Chiefs to a win.
Prediction
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Davis has shown potential while filling in for Sam Bradford this year. His biggest problem has been the lack of consistency with the talent around him, which is why the Chiefs have the upper hand in this game going into Week 8.
The Chiefs should be able to control the game offensively. Smith has been very smart with his decision-making while keeping his turnovers to a minimum. Charles and the rest of the running backs will all probably be worked in with the offense at some point in the game.
Defensively, Houston and Tamba Hali continue to be the team’s biggest keys to winning. The two have combined for 11 sacks. Defensive linemen Allen Bailey and Dontari Poe have also been a big part of the team’s front seven, beating out offensive linemen to invade the pocket and drag down opposing quarterbacks. The defense has also had just four takeaways on the year but should add more to its total after this game.
Final score: Chiefs 38, Rams 17
Statistics courtesy of STATS LLC.
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