The Kansas City Chiefs, who are 1-2, have had a rocky beginning to the season. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes continues to generate headlines with his dual-threat skills, but his passing game has not been up to par. If it were somebody else, his rushing stats might be forgivable, but considering the player, it is not by far so comforting. The Chiefs’ bigger issue this season is a lack of high-level talent on offense and defense, which further burdened the team earlier in the season.

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The team escaped a three-game losing skid in Week 3 against the

New York Giants. The Kansas City squad was penalized eight times in the game, and penalties seemed only to delay their action. Wide receiver Rashee Rice, with a six-game suspension, is still not in commission, putting more pressure on the Chiefs’ offense depth. All this is affecting the team’s overall performance.

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On the injury side, some of the major contributors to the team are missing. Cornerback

Kristian Fulton and defensive end Mike Danna are not playing, creating gaps on both offense and defense. But most likely to be asked about is the availability of wide receiver Xavier Worthy, whose situation has been up and down after Week 1.

​Xavier Worthy’s return is uncertain

​Xavier Worthy

sprained a completely torn labrum in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers after a collision with tight end Travis Kelce. He exited early in that contest and was then officially ruled out for Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles and Week 3 against the Giants. Worthy had started practicing on a limited basis with five straight limited practices since the week leading up to the Giants game.

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Even with the progress he has made, Worthy will have a harness on, so he is a long way from 100% himself. There is still a tremendous risk of him re-aggravating the injury, so his possible contributions are a gamble for head coach Andy Reid to make. Until Rice and Worthy’s return, Marquise Brown will remain the Chiefs’ No. 1 receiver, with Tyquan Thornton at No. 2.

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His return, if handled well, might be the ignition that the Chiefs can use to reverse a season so far that has challenged their depth and determination.

Andy Reid’s good news from the Chiefs locker room

As concern grew over injuries, some good news arrived after the Week 3 game: no injuries were reported. Andy Reid had optimistically expressed a positive sentiment following the game, stating that although errors and penalties appeared to be overwhelming the team, the roster did not contribute to its rising tally of injured players.

While no injuries definitely eased the Chiefs’ locker room. But there were issues with them. Despite jumping out ahead 6-0 early, the Chiefs were not able to capitalize when their defense produced its first turnover. Giants quarterback Russell Wilson saw his pass intercepted by safety Chris Roland-Wallace, which put the ball on the 47-yard line in New York.

But the drive stalled quickly: running back Brashard Smith fumbled a pass, Kelce’s reception cost 2 yards, and Mahomes threw an incomplete pass. Kicker Harrison Butker later missed a 40-yard attempt at a field goal and left Kansas City with points left on the field.

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And the mishap didn’t stop here, the heated exchange between head coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce on the Chiefs’ bench midway through the second quarter. Reid shoved Kelce with his left shoulder.

“I love Travis’ passion, man,” Reid would recall later, while addressing the media. The play contributed to the stakes and feelings running high, even as Kansas City tried to maintain control of the game.

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