The Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys are both dealing with major injuries up front as their Week 13 Thanksgiving matchup comes into view. For the Chiefs, Trey Smith is dealing with multiple ankle concerns after also missing time due to back spasms in the last month. For the Cowboys, left tackle Tyler Guyton won't be taking the field with his teammates after being ruled out.
Both teams are on a short week after having played on Sunday afternoon in Week 12. The lack of a full week to rest and recuperate from the previous game is often tough on ailing players, so it's unsurprising to find both teams dealing with major losses coming into Week 13. Most franchises do their best to simply get through a short week and enjoy a longer break on the other side.
For this week, however, the Chiefs and Cowboys both need a win to stay alive for postseason contention. K.C. dropped more games than expected on the front end of the schedule, and finally climbed over .500 for the first time at 6-5 with a 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts. They're still on the outside looking in of the playoff picture and in third place in the AFC West.
Steve Spagnuolo is likely going to test Tyler Guyton's replacement early and often on Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile Dallas is 5-5-1 overall, which puts them in 10th place in the NFC. Dallas needs to claim every victory it can while requiring some additional help from other hopeful contenders. That makes Sunday's home game against Kansas City a must-win.
The sledding gets tougher without Guyton protecting. Dak Prescott's blindside. Guyton has started 10 games at left tackle so far this season, but without him, the Cowboys will turn to Nathan Thomas. The former seventh-round pick has lined up at both left and right tackle this season, with mixed results, but he looked solid in relief of Guyton against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will undoubtedly zero in on Thomas until the second-year lineman proves he's not the weakest link. That could create real opportunities for the Chiefs on the edge, but Dallas's offense is ranked first in the NFL in total yards for good reason, and a drop from Guyton to Thomas isn't going to keep the Chiefs from taking anyone lightly.