Tyrann Mathieu's return boosts Chiefs, already healthiest team in NFL playoffs

By Dr. Matt Provencher
FOX Sports Injury & Performance Analyst

The NFL playoffs have moved to the conference championship round, with only four teams left to battle it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. And of course, health issues will continue to be important in these matchups.

Knowing this, it can be helpful to quantify player and team health. We've worked hard to do that with our "Banged Up Score" — or "BUS" — which utilizes a wealth of proprietary data to produce a number that does just that. 

What is the BUS? Here is a brief explainer:

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When you take a look at the last four teams remaining, one team stands far above the rest: the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, who are hosting the AFC Championship Game for the fourth straight season, have a BUS of 84.0, well ahead of the Los Angeles Rams, who are at 78.3. 

Since the Chiefs possess both a recent pedigree of success and one of the league's top quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes, it shouldn't be surprising that K.C. is the clear favorite to win the Super Bowl (+125 on FOX Bet).

On top of this, the Chiefs are in great shape when it comes to health, creating an even tougher challenge for the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Here are the health rankings for the four remaining playoff teams, with a bit of info on each.

1. Kansas City Chiefs — 84.0 BUS

This week: vs. Bengals (BUS of 70.6)

Injury report: RB Darrel Williams (toe)

Note: The Chiefs have consistently been among the healthiest teams in each round of the playoffs, so their success should not shock anyone. Even better? Star safety Tyrann Mathieu, who had been in concussion protocol all week, was cleared to play Sunday, providing a huge boost against the Bengals' high-powered offense.

2. Los Angeles Rams — 78.3 BUS

This week: vs. 49ers (BUS of 70.4)

Injury report: DOUBTFUL: T Joseph Noteboom (chest); QUESTIONABLE: WR Van Jefferson (knee), S Taylor Rapp (concussion)

Note: We detailed in this week's injury report that even if Noteboom can play, his injury will make it tough for him to be in top form. The return of Andrew Whitworth should help, however, as Noteboom was his backup. The Rams also receive a boost from the return of linebacker Ernest Jones from IR. If Jefferson can't go, that will mean more playing time for Ben Skowronek.

3. Cincinnati Bengals — 70.6 BUS

This week: at Chiefs (BUS of 84.0)

Injury report: DOUBTFUL: DE Cameron Sample (groin), WR Stanley Morgan (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: DT Josh Tupou (knee)

Note: The Bengals' health woes reside almost entirely on defense; their offensive BUS is the best of any team left in the playoffs (87.8), while their defensive BUS is the worst (61.4). There might be some help coming, however, because while Tupou is questionable, he did see limited practice time all week. And with that offense, they might not need to dominate the Chiefs defensively anyway.

4. San Francisco 49ers — 70.4 BUS

This week: at Rams (BUS of 78.3) 

Injury report: QUESTIONABLE: LT Trent Williams (ankle), RB Jeff Wilson (ankle)

Note: Williams is the star tackle protecting Jimmy Garoppolo's blind side, so it would be a huge loss if he can't play. The 49ers kept him off the field all week, but because he's listed as questionable, it seems that coach Kyle Shanahan might simply be saving him for the game. Williams missed only one snap against the Packers last week, and he managed to do things like this …

Renowned orthopedist Dr. Matt Provencher and his company, Proven Performance Technology (PPT), deliver data-driven injury insights to football fans. In this first-of-a-kind role as Athlete Injury and Performance Analyst for FOX Sports’ digital platforms, Provencher provides important predictive player health and recovery information about post-injury performance, the impact of weather, field conditions and more.