The Chiefs’ running back and defensive end rotations have changed with the return of a pair of starters, but Travis Kelce’s job isn’t getting any easier.

Nov 29, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (8) react after a play during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

It wasn’t pretty, but the Kansas City Chiefs snuck past the Las Vegas Raiders with a narrow 19-17 victory on Friday, bringing the back-to-back champions to an 11-1 record. What can be learned about the Chiefs in light of the win? As always, KC’s snap count totals can provide a bit of extra insight into how players are being utilized and where the Chiefs could go from here.

Isiah Pacheco gets solid workload in return, despite the box score

In his first game back after suffering a fractured ankle in Week 2, running back Isiah Pacheco returned to take 26 of 71 offensive snaps, good for 37% of the workload. He took one snap less than Kareem Hunt (27, 38%) while Samaje Perine (18, 25%) and Carson Steele (3, 4%) rounded out the room.

There’s no reason to take issue with Pacheco’s snap count in his return, but he was given just seven carries — tied with Hunt’s seven carries as the only two running backs to record rushes — resulting in 44 yards on the ground for Pacheco vs. 15 yards for Hunt. (Pacheco recorded one catch for five yards while Hunt caught two passes resulting in zero total yards.) With 34 of Pacheco’s yards coming on one long run, his other six carries combined to pick up just 10 more yards. Alongside Hunt’s poor production, the Chiefs’ running game never got going against Las Vegas.

Charles Omenihu impresses, Joshua Uche disappears

Friday’s other noteworthy return came from defensive end Charles Omenihu, who tore his ACL in the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game win in late January. After roughly 10 months of rest and rehab, Omenihu returned to take 34 of the Chiefs’ 68 defensive snaps (50%) against the Raiders. Omenihu played well and looked spry for a player fresh off of one of football’s most challenging recoveries and immediately provided value to KC’s struggling pass rush.

George Karlaftis still took the vast majority of defensive snaps (59, 87%) while Mike Danna took the second-most (42, 62%). With Malik Herring inactive in Omenihu’s return, the Chiefs asked for next-to-nothing from Felix Anudike-Uzomah (nine, 13%) and Joshua Uche (one, 1%).

Even with Omenihu and Danna missing significant time through the first half of the season, Anudike-Uzomah, a first-round pick in 2023, has played just under 31% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps this year, with his workload set to continue declining as Omenihu takes on a larger role. Uche, who the Chiefs traded for as a rental in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick, has now played 37 defensive snaps across his first five games as a Chief. He’s a free agent after this season, so if the Chiefs plan on getting anything out of their recent acquisition, they’ll have to let him on the field.

At age 35, tight end Travis Kelce is continuing to soldier on as the workhorse of the Chiefs’ offense. On Friday against Las Vegas, Kelce took the offensive most snaps of any Chiefs player other than Patrick Mahomes and the offensive line. Kelce took a massive workload with 64 of 71 snaps (90%) against the Raiders. The next-closest non-lineman was No. 2 tight end Noah Gray (44, 62%). Following season-ending injuries to Jared Wiley, Jody Fortson and Peyton Hendershot, tight end Anthony Firkser (seven, 10%) was the only other tight end to suit up for KC.

Kelce has now played 696 offensive snaps through 12 games in 2024. In 2023, he played 775 over the course of the entire season, missing the team’s first and last game of the regular season. His current 84% snap count share is the highest his usage number has been since the 2020 season when he took 86% of the snaps at age 31. It’s not quite accurate to say that Kelce is ageless, but Andy Reid and the offensive coaching staff certainly isn’t treating Kelce like a man who could use a breather.