And then there were four.
It's hard to imagine how this weekend's action can top last weekend's wild Divisional Round. Bengals vs. Chiefs will kick off the two-game slate on Sunday and the NFL Conference Championships.
The Chiefs, who finished 12-5 during the regular season and advanced to the AFC Championship after defeating the Steelers and Bills, will have home-field advantage for this contest. The Bengals finished 10-7 during the regular season and advanced to the AFC Championship after defeating the Raiders and Titans.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Sunshine and temperatures in the mid 40s are predicted with gentle five mph winds.
The final injury report of the week was released on Friday and was much of the same: Six players were listed on the Bengals' side while 11 players were listed on the Chiefs' end.
Bengals vs. Chiefs Injury Report
Not sure what the above abbreviations mean? Click here to skip to our glossary below.
Latest on Bengals-Chiefs Injuries
Friday Update
The Friday injury report for the Bengals featured no new additions from the previous two days. The lone status change of the day was wide receiver Stanley Morgan (hamstring), who was downgraded from limited to a non-participant and is listed as doubtful to play. Defensive end Cam Sample (groin) was a non-participant for the third day in a row and is doubtful as well. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou (knee) was limited for the third time this week and is listed as questionable. Quarterback Joe Burrow (knee), wide receiver Tee Higgins (thumb) and linebacker Keandre Jones (thumb) were all full participants all week and are expected to play.
The Friday injury report for the Chiefs listed the same 11 players as the two previous iterations. Running back Darrel Williams (toe) was — once again — the only player to not practice in full. Williams was limited with a toe injury and is questionable to play. Safety Tyrann Mathieu (concussion) is also questionable, but practiced in full for the second day. Mathieu was injured early in the first quarter last week against the Bills. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder), cornerbacks Rashad Fenton (back), L'Jarius Sneed (knee) and Charvarius Ward (neck), right tackle Andrew Wylie (elbow), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (back), defensive tackle Chris Jones (groin) and wide receivers Tyreek Hill (heel) and Mecole Hardman (hip) were full participants all week.
Thursday Update
The Thursday injury report for the Bengals featured zero new additions or status changes. Defensive end Cam Sample (groin) remained the team's lone non-participant for the second day in a row. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou (knee) and wide receiver Stanley Morgan (hamstring) remained limited while quarterback Joe Burrow (knee), wide receiver Tee Higgins (thumb) and linebacker Keandre Jones (thumb) all practiced in full.
The Thursday injury report for the Chiefs featured zero new additions as well. The most significant change of the report is regarding safety Tyrann Mathieu (concussion), who was upgraded from a DNP to a full participant today. Mathieu was the lone Chief to not practice in full yesterday while still in the concussion protocol. He was injured early in the first quarter last week against the Bills, but looks to be trending in the right direction towards playing this week.
Running back Darrel Williams (toe) was the only Kansas City player downgraded on the report. He practiced in full yesterday but was knocked down to limited today due to a toe injury that held him out of the divisional round and most of the wild-card round. His status should be monitored closely this week.
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder), wide receivers Tyreek Hill (heel) and Mecole Hardman (hip), right tackle Andrew Wylie (elbow), cornerbacks Rashad Fenton (back), Charvarius Ward (neck) and L'Jarius Sneed (knee), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (back) and defensive tackle Chris Jones (groin) were all full participants for the second straight day. Fenton missed last week due to a back injury and appears to be trending in a positive direction towards returning this week.
Wednesday Update
The Wednesday injury report for the Bengals listed six players total: Three offensive players and three defensive players.
Headlining the report is quarterback Joe Burrow (knee), who wasn't on last week's report at all, but has been dealing with a knee issue since Week 17. Burrow was a full participant, which doesn't warrant concern yet, but it is something to monitor throughout the week.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins (thumb) also reappeared on the injury report this week with a thumb injury. He, too, was a full participant. Wide receiver Stanley Morgan (hamstring) was the only other offensive player listed. He has been dealing with a hamstring injury for multiple weeks and was limited today.
The Cincinnati defensive players listed were defensive end Cam Sample (groin), defensive tackle Josh Tupou (knee) and linebacker Keandre Jones (thumb). Sample was the team's lone non-participant of the day while dealing with a groin injury. He had been battling a hamstring injury prior to that and could be in jeopardy of missing this week's game. Tupou was limited with a knee injury that held him to five snaps last week against Tennessee. Jones was a full participant listed with a thumb injury.
The Wednesday injury report for the Chiefs was a bit heavier than the Bengals' in terms of volume and listed 11 players total: Five offensive players and six defensive players.
The Kansas City offensive players listed were right tackle Andrew Wylie (elbow), running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) and Darrel Williams (toe) and wide receivers Tyreek Hill (heel) and Mecole Hardman (hip). All five were full participants, including Williams, who missed the divisional round due to a toe injury and was held to one carry in the wild-card round. Edwards-Helaire returned to action after a three-game absence last week due to a shoulder injury and saw seven rushes for 60 yards.
The Kansas City defensive players listed were defensive tackle Chris Jones (groin), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (back), safety Tyrann Mathieu (concussion), and cornerbacks Rashad Fenton (back), L'Jarius Sneed (knee) and Charvarius Ward (neck).
Mathieu was a non-participant and was the lone Chief to not practice in full today. He was injured early in the first quarter last week against the Bills and remains in the concussion protocol. Head coach Andy Reid indicated there is a chance he will play this week.
The other five players — Jones, Hitchens, Fenton, Sneed and Ward — all practiced in full. Fenton missed last week due to a back injury, so his upgraded status could mean he is trending in the right direction toward playing this week.
NFL Injury Report Glossary
For Daily Practice Statuses
- DNP: Acronym for "did not participate" in practice that day.
- LP: Acronym for "limited participation" in practice that day.
- FP: Acronym for "full participation" in practice that day.
- (-): Not listed.
For Game Statuses
- Out: Will not play this week.
- Doubtful: Unlikely to play this week.
- Questionable: Not certain to play this week.
- (-): Not listed (in most cases means "active").
