With a 0 – 2 record, the Kansas City Chiefs’ poor start cannot be blamed on one thing individually. Their defense has been inconsistent throughout the two weeks, and their offense is sorely missing any explosiveness.
Their run game has been non-existent, outside of Patrick Mahomes scrambling for yards, and this team looks like it’s lost its mojo just a bit. How can they bounce back? By taking a look at the mistakes they made and correcting them for the future.
Why the Chiefs Lost
Thomas Valentine is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus, and he released an article going over why each team won or lost in week two of the NFL season. For the Chiefs, the main reason they lost was due to their lack of explosive offense in the run game.
“The Chiefs rushed for 121 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per attempt — but the bulk of the run game was created by Mahomes, who rushed seven times for 66 yards and a touchdown. The two main backs, Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, carried the ball 18 times for 53 yards. The Chiefs’ lack of explosiveness in the run game has severely hindered their offense”, said Valentine.
There’s an argument to be made that the Chiefs have one of the worst running back rooms in the NFL, as well as the worst starting running back in the NFL. Isiah Pacheco doesn’t look like the same player coming back from an injury last season.
Kareem Hunt isn’t any better. Both of them have combined for 28 carries through two games for less than 100 rushing yards. They’re inefficient, and neither of them has scored a rushing touchdown yet. The only productivity the Chiefs achieve on the ground is through Mahomes’ legs, which isn’t sustainable and also puts their franchise quarterback at a greater risk of injury.
What To Do?
It may be crazy to say, but it may be Brashard Smith’s time to shine. The Chiefs drafted him in the seventh round due to his explosiveness, and he can give them a spark of life in the running game if they were to give him more opportunities.
He had one carry last game that went for two yards, but he’s been effective as a kickoff returner. Four attempts for 115 yards, the longest run going for 37 yards, isn’t bad. Their next game is against the New York Giants, a perfect chance to start slowly increasing his workload. If the Chiefs want to make the playoffs, they have to figure out their run game sooner rather than later.
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