GREAT BEND – The Hays High cross country team battled the 98 degree heat Thursday at Lake Barton in Great Bend.
The Indians girls placed 3rd as a team. They were led by Landri Dotts who finished 9th and Amelia Jaeger was 14th.
The Indian boys finished 7th. Brayden Hines was the highest Indian finisher in 28th.
ABILENE – The TMP-Marian volleyball team improved to 6-4 on the season with a pair of wins in Abilene on Thursday.
The Monarchs defeated the host Cowgirls in three sets, (27-25, 18-25 and 25-23) and Smokey Valley (25-20 and 25-18). Abiline was ranked 9th in 4A.
TMP’s only loss came to Concordia in thee sets (20-25, 25-17, 17-25). The Panthers are ranked 9th in class 3A.
The Monarchs travel to Plainville on Tuesday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Jordy Mercer put the Tigers ahead with their third home run of the fourth inning, and Detroit overcame a three-run deficit in a victory for the first time this year by beating the Kansas City Royals 6-4 Thursday.
Kansas City built a 3-0 lead in the second against Matthew Boyd (8-10) when Whit Merrifield hit a two-run single and scored on Adalberto Mondesi’s double. Merrifield had four hits, one shy of his career high.
Harold Castro started the comeback with an RBI single in the third, and Detroit took a 4-3 lead in the fourth off Glenn Sparkman (3-11) when Brandon Dixon and Dawel Lugo homered on consecutive pitches with one out and Mercer went deep with two outs for the Tigers’ first three-homer inning this year.
Detroit, which stopped a four-game losing streak, is a big league-worst 41-97. Kansas City at 51-90 also is on pace for more than 100 losses.
Pinch-hitter Willi Castro had a two-run single in the sixth off Josh Staumont. Castro replaced Mercer, who left because of a bruised right wrist.
Cheslor Cuthbert had a run-scoring grounder in the eighth against Bryan Garcia.
Boyd allowed three runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings, and Joe Jimenez got three outs for his fifth save in six chances.
Sparkman gave up four runs and seven hits in four innings.
UP NEXT
Tigers: After completing a suspended game that resumes with Detroit trailing Oakland 5-3 in the seventh inning, RHP Spencer Turnbull (3-14, 4.45 ERA) starts for the Tigers on Friday and Homer Bailey (12-8, 4.96 ERA) for the Athletics. The game was suspended by rain in Detroit on May 19.
Royals: In Kansas City’s first game against the Marlins since 2016, RHP Jorge Lopez (2-7, 6.61 ERA) starts at Miami on Friday against RHP Pablo Lopez (5-7, 4.89 ERA).
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Jorge Soler extended his team record with his 40th homer, Hunter Dozier and Alex Gordon had three hits each, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Wednesday night.
The Royals are the last team in baseball history to have a player reach 40 home runs in a season. Prior to Tuesday, Mike Moustakas held the club record with 38 in 2017.
Jakob Junis (9-12) gave up four runs and seven hits over seven innings for Kansas City.
Ian Kennedy pitched the ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances. He blew his first save in 15 chances Tuesday night against Detroit, but he was perfect Wednesday.
Edwin Jackson (3-9) allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings for the Tigers.
Detroit scored three runs in the second inning on four consecutive hits. Christin Stewart led off with a single, Jeimer Candelario doubled and Harold Castro drove in both runners with a double. Castro then scored on a single by Dawel Lugo.
After threatening in the third, the Royals scored twice in the fourth. Dozier and Gordon singled leading off, and Ryan McBroom, who made his major league debut Tuesday, collected his first career RBI with a single that scored Dozier and sent Gordon to third. Gordon then scored on a wild pitch.
The Royals added two more in the fifth. Soler’s blast off the Royals Hall of Fame in left field tied it. Dozier then tripled off the base of the wall in left center and scored on Gordon’s infield hit.
Adalberto Mondesi hit a two-out single in the sixth to make it 5-3.
Miguel Cabrera’s RBI single just inside the line in the eighth cut the lead to one.
UP NEXT
Tigers LHP Matthew Boyd (7-10, 4.58 ERA) will get the ball for the final game between the two clubs this season. Boyd is 1-2 with a 6.53 in four starts against Kansas City in 2019. Royals RHP Glenn Sparkman (3-10, 5.86 ERA) has never started against the Tigers, but appeared in relief twice last season, posting a 2.84 ERA.
The football season opener between Fort Hays State and Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo., on Thursday night (Sept. 5) is part of the NCAA Division II Showcase. The game will be available live from multiple local television providers, and available for FREE on several social media platforms. The game will still be available for MIAA Network subscribers who have purchased season packages. See how you can catch the #11/8 ranked Tigers in their season opener on the road Thursday night at 7 pm.
Local Television Live Options
Eagle Communications: Channels 204 (SD) and 601 (HD) for customers with a digital receiver. The game will be available in the Kansas communities of: Hays, Ellis, Munjor, Russell, Victoria, WaKeeney, Abilene, Bennington, Chapman, Clay Center, Ellsworth, Enterprise, Florence, Hillsboro, Kanopolis, Lincoln, Marion, Minneapolis, Solomon, and Wakefield.
Nex-Tech: Channels 109 (SD) and 609 (HD) depending on the subscriber’s system.
**Note** Both Eagle and Nex-Tech will have the game on the YurView Kansas channel, which is the station for the channels listed above.
Statewide Television Live Options
YurView Kansas
Midco Sports Network Kansas
Other Television Options
KMOS-TV (LIVE)
Yurview Omaha (LIVE)
Spectrum Sports KC (TAPE DELAY; see replay times below)
-Monday, Sept. 9: Noon; 7 p.m. CT
-Tuesday, Sept. 10: 10:30 p.m. CT
-Wednesday, Sept. 11: 6 a.m. CT
-Thursday, Sept. 12: 2 p.m. CT
-Sunday, Sept. 15: 1 a.m. CT
YurView Oklahoma and Cox Sports Television (DELAYED; see CST replay time below)
-YurView Oklahoma Extra: 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 6.
-Cox Sports Television will air the game on tape delay on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 12 p.m. CT.
Live FREE Viewing Options on Social Media
Twitter – @NCAADII
Facebook – facebook.com/NCAADivisionII or facebook.com/fhsuathletics
MIAA Network – https://themiaanetwork.com/fhsutigers/
For those who have already purchased a subscription package to the MIAA Network, you can still view the game as normal at the link above.
— FHSU Sports Information —
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s golf team opened the 2019-20 season with a 13th-place finish in the Central Region Fall Preview Tuesday-Wednesday (September 3-4). The Tigers entered the day in 17th place but climbed four spots after a final-round 313 at Adams Pointe Golf Club, a par-72, 5,910-yard layout.
Senior Taylor DeBoer led the Tigers with a third-place finish individually thanks to a 2-under 70 in the second round. The score was tied for the best round of the week and is tied for the second-best score in program history. The score was five strokes better than her previous career-best as a Tiger. After opening the tournament with a 78, DeBoer finished the week with a 4-over 148.
Sophomore Kira Mestl finished 67th after rounds of 81 and 84 totaled a 21-over 165. Senior Madison Roether was close behind in 74th after posting rounds of 88 and 80 to total 24-over 168. Freshman Kate Peterka (90-80) and junior Katie Brungardt (87-83) tied for 83rd with a 26-over 170.
Fort Hays State posted an opening-round 334 before shaving off 21 strokes in round two. Central Missouri took the title after rounds of 303 and 299, while UCM student-athlete Rosie Klausner took the individual title with a 2-over 146 (75-71).
The Tigers will be back in action early next week (September 9-10) when they travel to Tahlequah, Okla. and Cherokee Springs Golf Course for the NSU Women’s Classic.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Jorge Soler broke the Kansas City home run record with his 39th homer of the season and Ryan O’Hearn hit a game-ending home run to lift the Royals to a 6-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
O’Hearn sent the first pitch he saw from Zac Reininger in the ninth inning over the fence in right field after a seesaw final three innings.
Tigers’ starter Daniel Norris grooved Soler a 2-2 fastball in the third inning and the Royals’ slugger didn’t miss. The three-run shot broke a tie with Mike Moustakas, who set the previous record with 38 home runs in 2017. The home run also gave Soler 100 RBIs on the season, becoming the first Royal to cross the century mark since Eric Hosmer in 2016.
Mike Montgomery was solid once again, allowing one run on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Montgomery has now allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last five starts and has a 2.10 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 30 innings over that span.
Whit Merrifield had three hits, upping his season total to 176, just one back of Boston’s Rafael Devers for the MLB lead.
The Tigers scored four runs from the seventh inning on to twice rally from deficits. Brandon Dixon put Detroit up 4-3 in the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly to score Jeimer Candelario, then tied the game in the ninth on Ronny Rodriguez’s single, but Alex Gordon threw out Willi Castro at home to end the inning.
Gordon tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, legging out an infield single and Soler put the Royals up 5-4, racing home on a wild pitch.
Ian Kennedy (2-2) blew his fourth save of the season, but got the win thanks to O’Hearn.
Soler’s home run was the only blemish on Norris, who threw just three innings because of pitching limits set by Detroit pitching coach Rick Anderson. Norris has thrown exactly three innings in five consecutive starts now.
Playing in his first major league game since June 13, Grayson Greiner was at the center of the Tigers’ offense from the No. 9 hole in the lineup. He laced an RBI single in the third inning to put Detroit up 1-0, then scored on Victor Reyes’ RBI double in the seventh inning to bring Detroit with in one, 3-2.
Greiner finished with three hits and Reyes had a career-high had four hits, including two doubles, for his fifth straight multi-hit game. Reyes is hitting .591 (13 for 22) in those games.
REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE
Both teams recalled a number of players prior to Tuesday’s game. The Royals brought up 1B Ryan McBroom, who was acquired Saturday from the New York Yankees, INF/OF Erick Mejia and LHP Gabe Speier. Kansas City also activated RHP Jesse Hahn from the 60-day injured list, who had Tommy John surgery in August 2018. He hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2017.
The Tigers recalled LHP Tyler Alexander, INF Jeimer Candelario, C Grayson Greiner, RHP Zac Reininger, OF Christian Stewart and LHP Daniel Stumpf.
“It’s good to get some reinforcements up, especially some pitching,” Gardenhire said. “That’s going to help us out and give us a little better chance of getting the right people in there. It’s fun for them. They’re excited to be back here. We’ve got a full clubhouse.”
BIG LEAGUE DEBUTS
McBroom made his major league debut Tuesday, getting the start at first base. McBroom was one of the most dangerous hitters in the International League this season, hitting .315 with 26 home runs in 117 games for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre and led the league with 87 runs scored and a .976 OPS
The 27-year-old McBroom singled to right-center in his first plate appearance and finished the game 1 for 3.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (8-12) will make his fourth start of the season against Detroit on Wednesday. Junis has found plenty of success in his career against the Tigers with a 7-1 record, 3.18 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 11 appearances, 10 starts, his most wins and strikeouts against any team.
Tigers: Edwin Jackson (3-8) will start for Detroit, looking to snap a 3-game losing streak. Jackson lasted just 2 1/3 innings in his last outing Friday against Minnesota, when he allowed eight runs on seven hits and walked three.
HAYS – The Hays High girls’ golf team finishes third at their own invitational yesterday at Smoky Hill Country Club. Garden City wins it with a 194, Salina South second at 2016 and the Indians third at 219. TMP came in sixth with a 243. Sophia Garrison led the Indians with a 46 which was good enough for second. Taleia McCrae finishes fourth with a 51.
Team Results
1. Garden City – 194
2. Salina South – 216
3. Hays High – 219
4. Great Bend – 226
5. Dodge City – 237
6. TMP Marian – 243
7. Salina Central – 250
8. Liberal – 254
Top 10 Medalists
1. Alyssa McMillen – Garden City – 40
2. Sophia Garrison – Hays High – 46
3. Ryan Warren – Garden City – 49
4. Taleia McCrae – Hays High – 51
5. Grace YI – Garden City – 51
6. Nina Frees – Salina South – 51
7. Cailee McMullen – Great Bend – 51
8. Zoe Norton – Salina South – 54
9. Emma Kells – Garden City – 54
10. Rian Linenberger – Garden City – 54
HAYS – The TMP-Marian volleyball team went 2-0 at their home opening triangular Tuesday at Al Billinger Fieldhouse. The Monarchs beat Stockton (25-12, 24-14) and Ellis (25-14, 25-13) to move to 4-3 on the season.
Stockton beat Ellis in the other match.
TMP-Marian plays at a quad in Abilene Thursday.
D2Football.com released its Preseason Top 25 Media Poll and Preseason All-America Teams for the 2019 season on Monday (Sept. 2). Fort Hays State starts the season at No. 8 in the poll. The Tigers are No. 11 in the AFCA Preseason Top 25. FHSU opens the 2019 season at 7 pm on Thursday night (Sept. 5) at Central Missouri.
Fort Hays State is one of two MIAA teams ranked in the Top 10 of the poll. Northwest Missouri State received a ranking of No. 6. Pittsburg State also represents the MIAA in the Top 25 at No. 24.
Senior kicker Dante Brown was named to the D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team. Brown was an All-America selection by D2Football.com and two other organizations following his tremendous 2018 season as the Tigers’ placekicker and punter.
Brown was the National Special Teams Player of the Year by the Don Hansen Football Committee last year, which joined the D2CCA in bestowing All-America First Team honors on Brown as a kicker. D2Football.com named Brown an All-America Second Team selection following the 2018 season. He receives a first-team selection to the D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team entering the 2019 season.
Brown led all NCAA levels for field goals made per game in 2018 (2.33). He converted 28-of-33 field goal attempts in 2018, breaking the FHSU and MIAA records for field goals in a season. He was just two shy of the NCAA Division II single-season record, but his 28 was second-most for a season in Division II history. Brown finished the season with 123 kicking points, adding 39 PATs to his 28 field goals. He also served as the team’s punter and averaged 41.4 yards per punt. Brown was the MIAA Special Teams player of the Year in 2018, earning all-conference first team honors as both a kicker and punter.
Below is the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll and Preseason All-America Team for 2019.
| Team | Record | Previous | |
| 1 | Valdosta State | 14-0 | – |
| 2 | Ferris State | 15-1 | – |
| 3 | Minnesota State | 13-1 | – |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist | 12-1 | – |
| 5 | Tarleton State | 12-1 | – |
| 6 | Northwest Missouri | 10-3 | – |
| 7 | CSU-Pueblo | 11-2 | – |
| 8 | Fort Hays | 9-3 | – |
| 9 | Minnesota Duluth | 11-1 | – |
| 10 | Grand Valley | 10-2 | – |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 13-1 | – |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 10-2 | – |
| 13 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 10-3 | – |
| 14 | West Georgia | 10-2 | – |
| 15 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 12-2 | – |
| 16 | Harding | 9-3 | – |
| 17 | Colorado School of Mines | 10-2 | – |
| 18 | Midwestern State | 8-2 | – |
| 19 | West Chester | 10-1 | – |
| 20 | Ashland | 6-4 | – |
| 21 | Hillsdale | 10-3 | – |
| 22 | Slippery Rock | 11-3 | – |
| 23 | Wingate | 9-4 | – |
| 24 | Pittsburg State | 8-3 | – |
| 25 | West Alabama | 8-4 | – |
QB Rogan Wells 6-3, 220, Jr. Valdosta State
RB Gabriel Watson 6-1, 221, Sr. Sioux Falls
RB Jaleel McLaughlin 5-9, 173, So. Notre Dame
WR Craig Rucker 5-7, 165, Sr. Hars Hill
WR Shane Zylstra 6-5, 220, Sr. Minnesota State
TE Erik Henneman 6-3, 228, Sr. Lindenwood
OL Even Heim 6-4, 305, Sr. Minnesota State
OL Donald Boone 6-5, 310, Sr. Chowan
OL Jake Lacina 6-4, 300, Sr. Augustana
OL Jason Poe 6-2, 250, Jr. Lenoir-Rhyne
OL Brandon Kemp 6-6, 300, Sr. Valdosta State
DL Treshawn Wharton 6-4, 255, Sr. Missouri S&T
DL Austin Edwards 6-5, 275, Sr. Ferris State
DL Chris Garrett 6-4, 230, Jr. Concordia-St. Paul
DL Sam Roberts 6-5, 286, Sr. Northwest Missouri
LB Austin Stephens 5-11, 210, Sr. Miles
LB Dominic Cizauskas 6-2, 260, Sr. Glenville State
LB Chris Hoad 6-0, 228, Sr. UT-Permian Basin
DB Lamont McPhatter II 5-11, 190, Sr. Cal U
DB Prince Robinson 6-0, 190, Sr. Tarleton State
DB O’Shay Harris 6-1, 190, Sr. Central Oklahoma
DB Kyle Dugger 6-2, 215, Sr. Lenoir-Rhyne
K Dante Brown 5-10, 185, Sr. Fort Hays State
P Isaac Parks 6-0, 210, So. UNC-Pembroke
AP Lawrence Woods 5-9, 171, Jr. Truman State
Second Team
QB Jayru Campbell 6-5, 215, Jr. Ferris State
RB Cameron Mayberry 5-11, 215, Sr. Colorado Mines
RB Nate Gunn 6-2, 220, Sr. Minnesota State
WR Peter Anderson 5-10, 155, Sr. Colorado Mesa
WR Zimari Manning 6-2, 200, Sr. Tarleton State
TE Jalen Jackson 6-0, 215, Jr. Lock Haven
OL Hayden Eatinger 6-3, 280, Sr. Missouri Western
OL Andrew Dickinson 6-3, 312, Sr. Findlay
OL Kyle Hinton 6-3, 310, Sr. Washburn
OL Jimmy Burchett 6-4, 305, Jr. Notre Dame
OL Hunter Toppel 6-4, 300, Jr. Minnesota State
DL Sha’haun Williams 6-3, 260, Sr. Notre Dame
DL Simanu’a Thomas 6-0, 278, Sr. Pittsburg State
DL Heath Williams 6-2, 291, Sr. Saginaw Valley
DL Chad Price 6-3, 247, Sr. West Georgia
LB Sam Keybooer 6-5, 240, Jr. Ferris State
LB Korie Rogers 6-2, 231, Sr. West Georgia
LB Tyler Thomsen 6-1, 225, Sr. Wayne State (Neb)
DB Delon Stephenson 5-11, 205, Sr. Ferris State
DB Hakeem Johnson 6-3, 189, Jr. Sioux Falls
DB Jarey Elder 5-11, 170, Sr. West Chester
DB Sterling Hammond 6-1, 210, Sr. Virginia Union
K Jefferson Souza 6-1, 185, Jr. Virginia Union
P Max Peets 6-0, 200, Sr. Fort Lewis
AP LaPerion Perry 5-6, 155, So. West Georgia
— FHSU Sports Information —
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Adalberto Mondesi matched a career high with four hits and stole three bases in his return from the injured list, leading the Kansas City Royals past the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Sunday.
Meibrys Viloria drove in the go-ahead run for the Royals with a two-out single in the seventh inning. Kansas City took two of three in a series between struggling teams.
Mondesi, who spent 41 games on the IL, led off the seventh with his third hit and stole second. With two outs, Alex Gordon drove him in with a tying double, and Gordon scored on Viloria’s single to make it 5-4.
Whit Merrifield added a solo homer in the eighth.
Kevin McCarthy (3-2) tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win. Ian Kennedy pitched a perfect ninth for his 25th save in 28 chances.
Paul Fry (1-7) took the loss.
Royals starter Danny Duffy was solid in his return from the injured list. He gave up four runs (three earned) and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Baltimore scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Renato Nunez.
Kansas City came right back with three runs in the bottom half. Hunter Dozier drove in Mondesi and Jorge Soler with an opposite-field double. Dozier scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s single.
The Orioles tied it with four straight hits in the third. Richie Martin and Hanser Alberto scored on Trey Mancini’s single.
Baltimore regained the lead in the sixth when Jonathan Villar’s speed helped manufacture a run, with the aid of a throwing error by Viloria behind the plate.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Shawn Armstrong was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. He had been out since Aug. 22 with a right forearm strain. … OF Mark Trumbo is expected to be activated Monday before Baltimore plays at Tampa Bay.
Royals: Duffy, Mondesi and catcher Cam Gallagher were activated from the 10-day IL. Duffy had been sidelined since Aug. 4 with a left hamstring strain. Mondesi had been out since July 17 with a left shoulder injury, and Gallagher had been on the IL since Aug. 5 with a left oblique strain. Gallagher is not expected to play against this season, except in an emergency. “I’m not playing him,” manager Ned Yost said.
ROSTER MOVES
With rosters expanding, the Orioles recalled OF Dwight Smith Jr., RHP Branden Kline and LHP Tanner Scott from the minors. Kansas City recalled RHP Heath Fillmyer from Triple-A Omaha.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Asher Wojciechowski (2-7, 5.12 ERA) starts Monday afternoon when Baltimore begins a three-game series at Tampa Bay. With Hurricane Dorian bearing down on Florida, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games have been rescheduled as part of a single-admission doubleheader Tuesday.
Royals: LHP Mike Montgomery (3-7, 4.66) pitches Tuesday at home against Detroit.
Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps last week’s season opening win at Jacksonville and gives a preview of Sunday’s game against the rival Oakland Raiders.
The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX (96.9-FM), at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — LeSean McCoy is going from a rebuilding franchise in Buffalo to a Super Bowl contender in Kansas City, and he’s reuniting with his close friend and former coach Andy Reid, too.
The Chiefs and the two-time All-Pro running back have agreed to a $4 million, 1-year deal, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because McCoy must still pass a physical, which could be completed as early as Sunday.
That would allow him the week to prepare for the Chiefs’ opener in Jacksonville next Sunday.
McCoy would become the top backup to Damien Williams, likely siphoning carries from rookie Darwin Thompson and backup Darrell Williams. The Chiefs traded the other veteran running back that was expected to earn carries, Carlos Hyde, after he failed to impress during training camp and the preseason.
The 31-year-old McCoy spent his first six seasons in Philadelphia, four of them under Reid, before spending the past four seasons with the Bills. The six-time Pro Bowl selection was released on Saturday, when general manager Brandon Beane cited the emergence of rookie Devin Singletary likely leading to a diminished role for a running back who for years has been a “bell-cow back.”
“Difficult as it was, we always have to make what we think is the best decision for our team, and we just felt it was the right time to make this move,” Beane said. “We did this being a running back-by-committee with whatever group we kept, and that would be a different role for LeSean.”
Over the course of 10 seasons, McCoy has run for more than 10,600 yards, placing him 25th on the career list and fourth among active players. Some of his best seasons came under Reid, including the 2011 season in which he ran for 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns while earning his first All-Pro nod.
McCoy had kept Father Time at bay the past few years, too. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Buffalo before a drop-off last season, when he totaled just 514 yards and three touchdowns.
A few weeks ago, McCoy acknowledged seeing speculation that he may be traded or released, but he also expressed confidence that he would finish out his five-year contract with the Bills.
“I know who I am. I know how to play. And my teammates know that,” McCoy said. “I’m the guy. I feel like that. That’s what I’ve been told. And that’s my everyday approach.”
Damien Williams emerged as the Chiefs’ lead running back late last season, when Kareem Hunt was released following a series of off-the-field issues. But despite showing a dynamic ability in both the run game and the pass game, Williams has been hampered by injuries, including a hamstring issue in camp.
That left the Chiefs with Thompson, an untested rookie out of Utah State, and journeyman Darrell Williams in the backfield. And when Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was asked about McCoy specifically on Saturday, he admitted that the club was likely to inquire about him.
“As a step-back, broad-view type of perspective, listen, we play a lot of common opponents and got to see him on tape, and he’s still a talented player and does a lot of great things in the passing game,” Veach said. “I’m sure that he is a guy that we will take a peek at.”
Veach also alluded to McCoy’s relationship with Reid, saying: “We kind of have a rapport with him.”
McCoy should have some familiarity with the terminology of Reid’s offense, but it has also undergone major changes since the running back was last carrying the ball for him in Philadelphia. The Chiefs have embraced a more wide-open style under MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and that means McCoy will have a steep learning curve if he expects to be active against the Jaguars next weekend.
That’s unlikely to bring him down.
Despite his affinity for Buffalo, McCoy is going from a franchise that has made just one playoff appearance since 1999 and won six games a year ago to an organization that has won three consecutive AFC West titles and came within an overtime coin-flip of possibly going to the Super Bowl last season.
