Chiefs vs. Texans: How many snaps will Dontari Poe play?

One of the biggest reasons Dontari Poe is so valuable to the Kansas City Chiefs is that he he plays almost every snap. Other nose tackles are basically part-time players but Poe can play the run and the pass and doesn't take many snaps off. It's why he is a freak of nature.

However, you can expect this week to be different as Poe returns from back surgery less than two months ago. The Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton indicated they will manage Poe's snaps.

"I think we'll just work him in in any phase we need," Sutton said, "but certainly manageable number of plays because he hasn't been out there."

The Chiefs run defense has struggled in the past two years even with Poe so I would lean toward putting him in on passing downs or other situations if we're choosing between one or the other.

"I thought he looked good," Sutton said of Poe's practice time this week. "He was quick, I thought his reactions to blocks and protections were very good - that's one of the hardest things to know. Obviously Dontari has played a lot of football, but sometimes you just need some reps in there to get back in the swing of things. It's how you see things and how quick. I thought, overall, for his first day in pads yesterday, I thought he did a really good job in that area."

The Chiefs final injury report will be coming out this afternoon. Based on Poe being a full participant in practice, I expect him to be active for Sunday's game in Houston.