The Kansas City Chiefs were handed their first loss of the season in Week 11 by the Buffalo Bills. While their offense has performed below expectations all season, they’ve been able to pile up wins. They’ve been poor because of injuries, specifically to Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice. Rice is out for the season but there was some hope that Pacheco could return in Week 12 against the Panthers. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Isiah Pacheco will not return from injury yet.
“Chiefs HC Andy Reid said RB Isiah Pacheco will be out Sunday versus the Panthers,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted.
Pacheco has been out since Week 2 when he fractured his fibula against the Bengals. While the Chiefs have won almost every game in his absence, the running game went through trials and tribulations. After Carson Steele’s fumbling problem took center stage, they reached out to a past back to fill the role.
The Chiefs have rolled with Kareem Hunt as their top back for the better part of a month and had decent success. He is averaging 19.9 rushing attempts per game and 72.7 rushing yards per game. He has not popped many big runs but has steadied the run game and kept the offense moving.
Chiefs dealing with multiple injuries
The Chiefs also reported that defensive end Charles Omenihu is out for the game against the Panthers. He has not played a game this season while recovering from an ACL injury. Their defense has been great this season but faltered in the game against the Bills. With things trending down for that group, getting Omenihu back for big games would be huge.
Both players are expected to return this regular season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport added that Pacheco is healthy enough to play but is not because of the matchup against the Panthers and a short week. Their running game needs the help but they likely won’t need the extra points to beat a poor Carolina team.
The Chiefs are 9-1 even without these players for most of the season. While the playoffs are a near-guarantee, they do need to round into form to win their third straight title. As Xavier Worthy goes through growing pains and Travis Kelce continues to show their age, Pacheco will be an important piece of that.
After the Panthers, the Chiefs play the Raiders in the second-ever Black Friday game. A home Sunday night game against the Chargers opens up December with a bang and they will hope to be healthy for that matchup.
