Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and outside linebacker Justin Houston will be game-time decisions for Saturday’s Divisional Playoff game at the New England Patriots.
Neither player took part in team drills Thursday, with Maclin testing his sprained ankle during the stretch period and Houston resting his sore knee.
“They did okay for what they did. And then we took them in and look at the next day,” Reid said.
Outside linebacker Tamba Hali also sat out practice with swelling in his knee, as did center Mitch Morse, who is going through the league’s concussion protocol and has yet to be cleared for contact.
Having Hali and Houston available and as close to full strength is critical for the Chiefs, who need to be able to apply consistent pressure on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
“They do a nice job with the pass rush as far as chip-and-goes or ball-out-quick,” Reid said of New England’s offensive line. “And notoriously, that’s what they’ve done over the years.
There will be a chess match on the other side of the ball with Patriots defensive-minded coach Bill Belichick.
Bill’s always going to give you something different,” Reid said. “We’ve prepped for a little bit of two-deep zone, that’s where his roots are – you go back to the New York Giants – so they do a nice job with that. And they play a little bit of man coverage, that’s how they roll. We’ll be ready for all of the above.”