The Kansas City Chiefs offense will be without its only 2023 first-team All-Pro for Super Bowl LVIII. The team officially declared two-time Pro Bowl left guard Joe Thuney OUT for Sunday's decisive showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.
The #Chiefs officially ruled out All-Pro guard Joe Thuney (pectoral) for Super Bowl LVIII, while RB Jerick McKinnon (groin), who remains on IR, is questionable.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 9, 2024
DT Chris Jones, RB Isiah Pacheco and WR Rashee Rice are all off the report and good to go.
Thuney injured his pec in the Chiefs' 27-24 win over Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round and missed their 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship. He was one of the lone bright spots on a Chiefs offense that fell well short of its lofty standards in 2023: their 21.8 points per game (15th in the league) and 28 total turnovers (23rd in the league) this regular season were both easily the worst marks since quarterback Patrick Mahomes took over as starter in 2018.
The Chiefs survived the AFC Championship game without Thuney, but their offense showed real signs of trouble in the win: they failed to score a point in the second half, averaged 4.39 yards per play, and allowed their first two sacks of the postseason. If not for a disastrous showing by the Ravens offense, the Chiefs could have been in trouble.
Luckily for the Chiefs, they've made a habit of making their opponents look inept. They finished the regular season second in points allowed with 17.3 per game, and they've stepped it up considerably in the postseason: they've held opponents to a minuscule 41 total points through three games, only three of which have been in the second half.
Still, the 49ers are not your typical offense: they led the league in yards per play (6.6) and points per drive (2.70) this past season, and they've scored an incredible 44 total points in the second halves of their two playoff wins. Thuney's absence could loom large if the Chiefs find themselves in a shootout.
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