Inside Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury, outlook for AFC title game

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Matt Provencher

Athlete injury and performance analyst

Which two teams will face off in the Super Bowl on February 12 in Arizona? We’re just days away from finding out, with a couple of conference championship games looming.

One of the biggest stories ahead of Sunday’s games is the health of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a high ankle sprain in last week’s win over the Jaguars. In the first quarter, Mahomes suffered a defensive roll on his ankle, and after X-rays came back negative for a fracture, he returned to the game in obvious pain and with limited mobility. But he was still able to do enough to help Kansas City advance.

In the days since the injury, both Mahomes and Chiefs head coach Any Reid have said the MVP candidate is improving, even adding that he would practice all week. Sure enough, Mahomes had a full practice Wednesday and has come out and said he will be “ready” to go to the AFC Championship game against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

So what does the injury mean for Muhammad’s ability to perform at a high level?

Read more: The fate of the Bengals, Chiefs, hinges on Patrick Mahomes’ injured ankle

High ankle sprains are not a small injury. As we saw earlier this year with Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams and Colts running back Jonathan Taylor or last year with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, it’s an injury that can sideline players for several weeks, if at all. bad enough

Chances are, if this was the regular season, Mahomes would be out 1-2 games to make sure he rested and healed the injury for the rest of the season. This is the playoffs, though, and he won’t be watching from the sidelines if he has the option. That said, make no mistake, Mahomes will be limited in his mobility. Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy will have to plan for that, and the offensive line will have to withstand the Bengals’ pass rush if Kansas City wants to punch a ticket to the Super Bowl.

For Mahomes, this will be a week of round-the-clock treatment, from modalities to reduce swelling and pain to strengthening exercises and extra ankle support during practice and for the game itself. The medical staff will constantly make sure you have the best possible care to get you to match day so you can compete at the highest possible level.

“It can be a bit limited”

Dr. Matt Provencher updates on Patrick Mahomes’ ankle injury suffered in the Chiefs game against the Jaguars.

As we approach championship weekend, here are last week’s Banged Up Score (BUS) rankings for the remaining four teams, including on the other side of the bracket, where the Eagles host the 49ers in the NFC Championship (3 p.m. ET on FOX). ).

AFC
Kansas City Chiefs – BUS: 84.7
Cincinnati Bengals – BUS: 73.2

NFC
Philadelphia Eagles – BUS: 79.2
San Francisco 49ers – BUS: 75.5

The team with the health advantage in three of the four divisional round games as measured by ThePredictors.com The BUS rankings made it to the conference championship, with only Cincinnati overcoming its health deficit to advance. Health matters, and in the playoffs it matters more because the talent levels are even and small changes in team dynamics and coaching strategies can have a bigger impact on results. Team health can alter both of these factors and affect the game significantly.

For the Bengals, they could be competing with the same offensive line as last week as both Jonah Williams and Alex Cappa recorded a DNP on Wednesday, but only time will tell if they can participate on a limited basis this week. For the Eagles, both Avonte Maddox and Lane Johnson were able to participate on a limited basis Wednesday, which is a good sign as they stay healthy for their matchup against the 49ers. San Francisco will be without Jimmy Garoppolo again this week, but could have a decision to make on whether he’s possibly ready for the Super Bowl, if they make it that far. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was able to practice Wednesday despite some ankle soreness, and the 49ers should have most of their same starters ready even though some guys are day-to-day.

Be sure to check Twitter Sunday morning at @SportsDocMatt i @NFLonFOX yen ThePredictors.com for updated BUS rankings and injury news.

The renowned orthopedist Dr. Matt Provencher and Company, ThePredictors.com, provides data-driven injury information to soccer fans. In this unique role as an athlete performance and injury analyst for FOX Sports’ digital platforms, Provencher provides important predictive information on player health and recovery regarding post-injury performance, the impact of weather, field conditions and more.

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