Chiefs shorthanded against Packers for SNF

Want to see a really good NFL team? Take a look at the Kansas City Chiefs injury report.

Going into their Sunday night tilt with the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City is down multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl-caliber players. Among the walking wounded are quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee), defensive tackle Chris Jones (groin), defensive end Frank Clark (neck), left tackle Eric Fisher (groin), left guard Andrew Wylie (ankle) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (thumb). All have been declared out for the primetime showdown against Aaron Rodgers and Co.

The result? A team almost never slated as an underdog at Arrowhead Stadium is getting four points against Green Bay.

Then again, the line does make a few points without saying a word.

The Chiefs are missing ample talent including their 24-year-old, All-Pro, defending MVP quarterback. Shouldn’t that be enough to make the 6-1 Packers a prohibitive favorite, even on the road? Apparently not. Why? For starters, Matt Moore is a decent backup. In his long career, the 35-year-old has led a team down the stretch to the playoffs — and not that long ago, doing so with the Miami Dolphins in 2016. Moore has thrown for 46 touchdowns against 36 interceptions, completing 59.4 percent of his throws.

Great numbers? No. Decent numbers for a backup? Certainly.

Additionally, Moore will be playing with Kansas City’s full compliment of weapons. After years of playing on overmatched teams in Miami and Carolina, he now looks around and sees wide receivers Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman, tight end Travis Kelce and running back LeSean McCoy. He also has head coach Andy Reid on the sideline, perhaps the best offensive mind in the game today.

Vegas’ line suggests while the Chiefs should be seen as underdogs, they’re a live one. It’s not the worst idea, even with the gross discrepancy at quarterback between the two teams. Kansas City has the home crowd along with the edge of nobody believing it can win.

Again, smart money says the Chiefs don’t win. Smart money says Moore either makes a few mistakes or Rodgers makes none, and the Packers find a way to win on the road. Still, four points is a meager line considering the amount talent watching from the sideline in red on Sunday night.

Should the Chiefs win, it will be one of the best wins for any team this season. It would also be a hell of a victory for anybody brave enough to lay cash on them.