Chiefs will likely be short-handed when they play 49ers in the Super Bowl

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs could be without three key players when they play the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

After missing six games due to a hip injury, wide receiver Kadarius Toney looked to have a falling out with Chiefs management. Toney claimed on

Instagram that he wasn’t given the right injury classification for the AFC

championship game against Baltimore on January 28.

He termed his outburst a mistake, however, and admitted to targeting a New York Giants fan rather than the

Chiefs in his profanity-filled tirade on NFL Network on Monday.

 

In lieu of playing Toney on Tuesday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid left the door open for a possible healthy scratch.

 

Reid remarked, “We’ll see how that goes.” “He’s been practicing, and we’ll see whether he’s up or not.”

 

Reid was also skeptical about the participation of guard Joe Thuney and running back Jerick McKinnon.

McKinnon hasn’t practiced since going on injured reserve on December 24 due to a groin ailment.

 

“It’s unlikely that he’s out there,” Reid stated.

 

Against the Ravens, Thuney was out due to a pectoral ailment.

 

“It’s strength and making sure that he’s in a position that he doesn’t get hurt worse than what he’s got,” said Reid. “(Whether Thuney practices) We’ll see. I believe the odds are slim.”

 

PURPOSE

 

The 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, chastised his team last week for

not playing with intensity during their 34-31 NFC Championship Game victory against the Detroit Lions.

 

Tashaun Gipson concurred in safety.

“That’s something that never needs to be coached,” Gipson said. “That’s something

that never needs to be addressed. This is the National Football League. You’re here

on the biggest stage. Those plays are unacceptable. Led to two touchdowns.

 

“That film (session) was hard. Obviously, you had to see that. You had to hear some

choice words. But that’s not our brand of football. We’re a lot better football team

than that, so it’s not something I’m worried about moving forward.”

 

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said lack of effort was an issue, but there were other problems the Niners had in

trying to stop Detroit’s running attack in the first half. The Lions rushed for 148

yards in the first 30 minutes, but only 34 after that.

 

“When you play an eight-man front, it just takes one guy to out of the gap for

there to be only one (defender) left,” Shanahan said. “That’s stuff we’ve got to do a lot better at.”

 

EXPANDING CHIEFS FAN BASE

 

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was at a function about a week ago when a woman in her mid-20s approached him.

She explained that she was never a football fan, even though everyone else

in her family was a Dallas Cowboys diehard, but that as a devoted Swiftie,

she keenly followed pop superstar Taylor Swift’s every move.

 

Naturally, that means she now keenly follows the Chiefs.

 

Ever since the 14-time Grammy-winning songstress began dating Chiefs tight end

Travis Kelce last year, the franchise has seen a noticeable growth among fans in

what Hunt called “that young female demographic.” They are driving up TV

ratings for games, buying merchandise and apparel by the truckload, and

throwing their lot into a team some of them knew nothing about.

 

“There’s no doubt that her being a fan has put more intense focus on the team than we would have had otherwise, and

has opened up the fanbase to a whole new demographic that we really didn’t

have,” Hunt told a small group of reporters on Tuesday.

 

“Having Taylor as a Chiefs fan is very unique,” Hunt added. “I don’t ever do an interview without someone asking me

about it. I frequently have dads come up to me and say, `My 10-to-12-year-old

daughters never used to watch football, but now they tell me any time the Chiefs

are playing to tell them, so they can come and watch.'”

There’s little doubt that all those Swifties will be watching the Super Bowl. In order to get to Las Vegas in time for kickoff, Swift is anticipated to make a last-minute race across the Pacific from Tokyo, where she will be playing on her Eras Tour the night before.

 

ADDITIONAL WOMAN STAR POWER

 

As she attempts to break the NCAA Division I scoring record, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the current recipient of the women’s college basketball player of the year award, keeps packing arenas both at home and away.

 

Her brother was the 49ers’ second-year starter Brock Purdy’s backup quarterback at rival Iowa State. Purdy’s future wedding will have Blake Clark as the best man.

“Caitlin, I wasn´t around as much, but obviously just through Blake, we´d always watch her,” said Purdy. “What a badass she was right away. And, of course, high school. We were aware that she would change everything. I’m really happy for her, seeing her like this now, nailing it.”

 

Clark is just 66 points away from shattering Kelsey Plum, a former Washington star who is currently an All-Star for the Las Vegas Aces,’ NCAA record of 3,527.