The Thanksgiving matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys isn’t just another game. It’s a historic opportunity for head coach Andy Reid. Kansas City hasn’t played on Thanksgiving since 2006, and this is Reid’s shot at adding another milestone to his resume. But just as anticipation peaks, trouble hits. Certain setbacks have emerged, and the coach will have to deal with them.

“Trey Smith, Noah Gray, and Chris Roland-Wallace are out for Thursday’s game against the Cowboys,” shared the Chiefs’ official X account.

Right guard Trey Smith had suffered a twofold injury against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12. During a second-quarter run, Smith got rolled over and suffered a high and low ankle sprain and did not practise this week. Mike Caliendo had taken over his duties in Week 12, and he could be expected to take the same role against the Cowboys. If not, the Chiefs can also have Jaylon Moore shoring up the O-line.

In the same contest, tight end Noah Gray suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter and had to leave. While making a spectacular leaping catch, Gray was driven down on the turf by Colts cornerback Kenny Moore. For a while, it looked like he had lost consciousness, but then he got up and walked off the field.

Now, as he navigates the concussion protocol, we can expect Travis Kelce to shoulder a greater burden.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, nickel corner Chris Roland-Wallace also suffered an unexpected setback. He was a full participant at practice on Monday, despite suffering a lower back injury against the Colts. But since then, he had been downgraded to a limited participant on Tuesday and didn’t practice at all on Wednesday.

It will be interesting to see who steps up in his place against Dallas.

Plus, it was not clear until recently if running back Isiah Pacheco will see much time on the field.  After all, he had not received any injury designation yet. Pacheco is reportedly dealing with an MCL sprain. But Reid’s latest update has been positive about the player.

Even WRs Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, DE George Karlaftis, QB Patrick Mahomes, and T Jawaan Taylor are mentioned on the injury report, but their game status is not yet mentioned.

It’s not all bad news, though.

While two major offensive pieces have been taken out for an unforeseeable time from Andy Reid’s playbook, the overall offense has hummed back to life in a major way. And Chiefs’ franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes couldn’t have asked for better weapons by his side for a bit of Thanksgiving glory.

Big boost for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes on Thursday

While several players are banged up, the Chiefs are excited. After all, Thursday marks the first time the Chiefs go up against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving since 1995.

Plus, there is good news. Reid confirmed on Tuesday that RB Pacheco is scheduled to return to the lineup against Dallas. “We’ll get him in there,” Reid said. “How much? I can’t tell you that right now. We’ll see how it goes.”

That’s great because the 26-year-old has been out since October 27. He sustained a knee injury against the Washington Commanders.

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When he was out, the team relied on Kareem Hunt, a nine-year veteran. The player recorded season highs in rushing attempts (30) and yards (104), with a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.

Before his injury, Pacheco was averaging 4.2 rushing yards per attempt. And though he did practice in three practices last week, Reid wanted to be careful with him. He didn’t want the player to get exhausted playing two games in a span of five days. And considering Week 12 against the Colts wasn’t pretty, it was a wise decision.

Regardless, the Chiefs will soon face a team with a great offense and a defense that hasn’t impressed many. Yet, with Dallas’ defense slowly improving, it will make the Chiefs-Cowboys showdown quite interesting. What do you think?