KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the second straight week, the Kansas City Chiefs will be without running back Isiah Pacheco and left tackle Donovan Smith.
But the New England Patriots aren’t at full strength on offense either, including the absence of a key player who swapped teams after last season’s Super Bowl LVII championship run: wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The former Pittsburgh and Kansas City receiver was limited this week in practice with an ankle injury.
The Patriots previously ruled out running back Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) as well, while left tackle Trent Brown (ankle/hand/illness) officially is inactive after missing two practices this week.
Smith-Schuster finished second on the Chiefs last season with 78 catches for 933 yards in his only season with Kansas City.
Pacheco, who popped up on the injury report two weeks ago after a 100-yard effort during a loss at Green Bay, had surgery to “clean up” the shoulder and is expected to return next week.
The Chiefs will lean on Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon in Pacheco’s absence at noon Sunday against New England, while rookie third-round pick Wanya Morris will get his second consecutive start protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside.
Deneric Prince also was elevated from the practice squad for the third straight week as insurance with injuries piling up in the running-back room.
Both Pacheco and Smith missed last week’s loss against Buffalo as well.
They are inactive along with cornerback Joshua Williams (illness), who was a late addition to Kansas City’s injury report.
Defensive tackle Matt Dickerson, who had emerged as a key rotational player in recent weeks, is inactive after the elevation of defensive tackle Mike Pennel from the practice squad.
Pennel, a run-stuffer who has helped solidify the Chiefs’ interior in past seasons, will be asked to help control the Patriots’ power running game.
The other inactives — defensive ends B.J. Thompson and Malik Herring and defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. — have been fairly standard this season.
There was some good news on the injury front as linebacker Drue Tranquill returns this week. He had been starting at middle linebacker in place of Nick Bolton before suffering a concussion in the loss to the Packers and missing the Bills game.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, Bolton returned from surgery to repair a dislocated wrist last week and now the linebacking corps is back to full strength.
Safety Deon Bush, who was elevated from the practice last week with Bryan Cook landing on injured reserve, had to be signed to the active roster and will play. He’s also a key special-teams player.
Wide receiver Justyn Ross, who rejoined the Chiefs after a six-week suspension following his arrest for a domestic-violence incident, has yet to rejoin the active roster.
New England’s other inactives are cornerback Shaun Wade, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and defensive end Sam Roberts.
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