The Kansas City Chiefs are clinging to first place in the AFC West and the playoff spot that goes with it. Getting Matt Cassel back would help them get on solid ground.
The Chiefs hope to have their top quarterback under center when they match playoff aspirations with the surprising St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday.
Cassel underwent an emergency appendectomy on Dec. 8 and was not able to play in last week’s key division game against San Diego. While he sat and watched, backup Brodie Croyle and the Kansas City offense managed a total of 67 yards, the fewest the franchise has seen since 1963, in a 31-0 embarrassment.
Cassel has returned to practice this week but has yet to be announced as the starter, leaving the offense in limbo for the moment.
One of the reasons Cassel has had success this season has been because the Chiefs owned one of the league’s most potent ground attacks, led by the dual threat of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones. But not even the two of them could get anything going against the Chargers, finishing with 41 combined yards - 40 by Charles.
The setback leaves Kansas City (8-5) just one game up on fast-approaching San Diego, with the Chargers currently holding the tiebreaker with a better conference record.
The other part of the offense that needs to pick up is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who has a grand total of one catch for three yards over the last two games. One of the leading receivers in the league during the first half of the season, Bowe had a three-game stretch before his recent slump in which he caught 32 passes for 465 yards and seven scores.
The Rams (6-7), who went 1-15 last season, are amazingly in their own playoff fight in the lowly NFC West, where a 7-9 finish could get them to first place. At this point St. Louis controls its own destiny for a playoff spot, with its last two games against divisional opponents San Francisco and Seattle.
The quick turnaround for the team this year has been due to the sharp learning curve of rookie quarterback Sam Bradford, who has taken every snap for the team and is averaging 221.8 yards per game with 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The No. 1 overall draft pick had a tough game last week, though, throwing a pair of interceptions in a 31-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Bradford has benefited from a strong running back in Stephen Jackson and a much-improved defense that will have its hands full Sunday with Charles and Jones. The Rams rank 12th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, surrendering 105.7 yards per game on the ground.