KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Seven weeks ago, Nick Allegretti got called upon to start at right guard against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football with Trey Smith injured.
He more than held his own.
Allegretti has developed a reputation as a hard-nosed and physical interior linemen in four seasons with the Chiefs, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2019 from Illinois.
“He’s played a lot of big games for us,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
But rarely has Allegretti faced the kind of test that awaited Sunday when he stepped into the Chiefs’ starting lineup at left guard with Joe Thuney sidelined by an ankle injury, against the Los Angeles Rams and All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
“Aaron’s a pretty good player, so that’s a nice challenge,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “But he did a nice job.”
During Kansas City’s opening drive, Donald had a solo tackle, an assisted tackle and hit Mahomes on an incomplete pass.
He had one tackle the rest of the game, and his only other hit against Mahomes was erased when he grabbed the Chiefs QB’s facemask in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 26-10 win.
“It was good to get Allegretti in there and playing,” Reid said. “I thought he did a nice job, as did the offensive line.”
The Rams entered Sunday allowing 312 yards per game, which ranked ninth in the NFL.
Kansas City roughed up Los Angeles to the tune of 437 yards, including 320 yards passing and 117 yards rushing.
Allegretti’s steady performance was a big reason for the offense’s success.
“They did a great job, man,” Mahomes said. “They stayed with it. Those guys are going to fight to the very end. They’re competitive.”
Allegretti started nine games in 2020 for the Chiefs after injuries forced the offensive line to reshuffle. He also started three playoff games that season.
Kansas City is 11-0 during the regular season when Allegretti starts. Super Bowl LV at Tampa Bay is the only time the Chiefs have lost with Allegretti in the starting lineup.
