Steve Spagnuolo details plan with Chiefs LB Nick Bolton's injury | KCSN Daily 10.26

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Oct 26, 2023

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without star LB Nick Bolton for some time. He had successful surgery on his wrist on Tuesday, and they’re expected to be without him for upward of two months.

How exactly will the Chiefs manage without their leader in the middle of the field? Thankfully, they’ve already been without him for three games this season and are prepared to handle an extended absence with Drue Tranquill filling in.

“The point you’re making about the fact that we’ve played a couple of games – I want to say it was three total without Nick (Bolton) – Drue (Tranquill) has been in there, and the guys have felt Drue in front of the huddle all week long obviously,” Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo explained. “I think there’s a comfort level with the other 10 (players) with Drue in there now having done it. I think they felt that way when Nick went down the first time. It’s nice to know we have a guy that can fit in there and not skip a beat. I said this before, I never felt like we had to cut things back when Drue took over in those three games. Nick was gone and I feel the same way now, so hopefully we can keep tracking upward.”

Which player will be the backup MIKE linebacker with Drue Tranquill now serving as a starter? You’d think that Willie Gay Jr. might be the guy, but it’s actually second-year LB Jack Cochrane who is in line to wear the backup green dot on game days.

“Well, Cole (Christiansen) is not on the 53 (-man roster) now, if you’re thinking Cole Christiansen, but Jack (Cochrane) certainly,” Spagnuolo said. “We have a lot of faith in Jack. When Nick (Bolton) was out before Jack was in a rotation of a package. We’ve got no problem doing the same thing – all those guys have played good enough football to this point where they all merit some playing time, so we will see how the game goes, what the situations are and whether that happens or not.”

There’s also a linebacker on the practice squad in former NC State LB Isaiah Moore, who could be elevated to the 53-man roster come Sunday.

Nick Bolton leaves a HOLE in Chiefs Roster — What do they do?

How many plays do the Chiefs have for TE Travis Kelce?

No player on offense has been here longer than Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. So how much of the playbook is dedicated to plays for No. 87? It might seem like a lot, especially a week after he has a dozen catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown. The truth is, that the percentage of plays for Kelce, and what those plays are meant to accomplish, all change on a weekly basis.

“It probably changes slightly every week,” Chiefs OC Matt Nagy said. “I don’t know if I know an exact percent. I can just say, it’s a lot. That hasn’t changed this year, that’s been forever that it’s a lot and then it’s just a matter of how much of a lot does he (Travis Kelce) get in that game versus – for instance, you have certain games where he has not a lot of catches but a lot of touchdowns or he has a couple catches for a lot of yards. One thing he has done is he catches footballs every game, and that’s a part of who we are, we know that. There’s that trust that those two have together that gets better and better every week, every game.”

Nagy cautioned that while they want Kelce and Patrick Mahomes to execute at a high level within the system, they also want to give them the freedom to do what they do best. Sometimes their best plays aren’t the ones that are drawn up and designed a specific way.

Outside The Trenches - 2023 NFL Trade Deadline — Do Chiefs NEED to Make a MOVE?

As the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline approaches, Brien Hanley and Tucker Franklin take a look at some of the names that could be on the move and if the Kansas City Chiefs will make another move before time is up. Later, they round out with Blind Nil!

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Quick Hits:

Snow in the forecast? That’s no problem says Patrick Mahomes & Trey Smith.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes referred to rookie WR Rashee Rice as “Texas Tough.”
Sports Illustrated’s Zack Eisen identifies the Chiefs’ unsung hero on defense.
Travis Kelce thinks Patrick Mahomes can catch Tom Brady in career accolades.

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Steve Spagnuolo loves to utilize his six-defensive back dime defense. It’s where we see some of his most innovative coverage calls and exotic blitzes. The Kansas City Chiefs are at their best when they can get into advantageous down and distances to where they can easily get into the dime. The numbers back up that statement, as the Chiefs dime defense is allowing 3.8 yards per snap — just over a yard per play less than any other grouping that the team regularly utilizes.

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