Everyone Expected Aggression from the Chiefs — But What Happened Behind Closed Doors Tells a Different Story.QQ
Earlier in the NFL season, there was serious concern surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs, who got off to a 0-2 start and then struggled to beat the then-hapless New York Giants in Week 3. While their defense was mostly playing well, their offense looked terrible, and many were wondering if it was the end of the road in Kansas City.
Well, since then, the Chiefs have flipped the script, now sitting at 4-3 and re-emerging as genuine Super Bowl contenders thanks to a Patrick Mahomes resurgence. It helps that Kansas City’s receiving corps is healthy, too, and the Chiefs were last seen hammering the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 31-0.
That being said, Kansas City could still use some depth in its backfield. Isiah Pacheco has rushed for just 271 yards and a touchdown while averaging 4.1 yards per carry thus far, with Mahomes actually being the more efficient rusher at 260 yards and four scores on six yards per attempt.
Due to the Chiefs’ issues on the ground, the general consensus was that the Chiefs would be targeting a running back before the trade deadline, but Bleacher Report’s James Palmer has dropped an intriguing update on Kansas City’s deadline plans.
“It has a feel around the league that there’s fewer teams interested in running back help that there were maybe to what we thought two weeks ago,” Palmer said. “And we’re going, ‘Well the Chargers are really looking for backs, and the Chiefs are really looking for a running back.’ I don’t get the sense Kansas City is looking for a running back anymore.”
Perhaps the Chiefs were a bit more desperate for offensive assistance a few weeks ago, but now that Rice has returned and the passing game is humming just like old times, the front office has backed off on the idea of adding a halfback.
It’s important to remember that Kansas City has never really relied on its rushing attack throughout the Mahomes era. The Chiefs have primarily leaned on their aerial attack, and with a wide receiver room that now includes Rice, Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown, not to mention tight end Travis Kelce, Kansas City may be content with where its offense currently stands.
Does that necessarily guarantee that the Chiefs won’t make some sort of move to address their backfield before Nov. 4? No. They could still use another back, but both Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have shown significant signs of life in recent weeks, so it no longer appears to be a priority for Brett Veach and Andy Reid.
