Andy Reid’s dislike of running the football on a frequent basis has historically drawn a lot of criticism. The offense has had to adapt with three serious injuries to important offensive players: Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice, and Marquise Brown.
The team’s reunion with its third-round choice (86th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft marked the start of that process. After a five-year tour with the Cleveland Browns, Kareem Hunt was brought in to help stabilize a running back room that was severely damaged by injuries and a non-football illness (NFI).
Hunt has accumulated 414 rushing yards on 111 carries since being promoted from the practice squad. He has scored a touchdown in four of his five starts and is averaging 22 carries per game. Hunt, to be honest, had a poor start to Monday Night Football, finishing the first half with seven carries for 16 yards.
The Buccaneers took control of the game with a seven-point lead after a 10-0 run when play restarted. The Chiefs gave the keys to Hunt on the next drive after punting on their first offensive series of the third quarter.
Although Patrick Mahomes had a strong first half, the Chiefs’ offensive line struggled to hold him up when he was under a lot of pressure. When the offense got back on the field, Reid shifted and placed the ball in Hunt’s hands on three straight run plays. In order to move the Chiefs close to midfield, the eighth-year player delivered on those carries with rushes of 7, 9, and 4 yards. The game would be tied at 17 all after a goal by Kansas City.
DeAndre Hopkins, a new wide receiver, was a key member of the offense on Monday night. Not surprisingly, it seemed to open the passing game for Kansas City. Mahomes would pass for 291 yards and score three touchdowns on 34 of 44 passes. Hopkins had eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns, ranking him as the team’s second-leading wide receiver. With 14 catches for 100 yards, Travis Kelce was the top scorer.
The Chiefs converted 12 out of 18 third-downs during the game, demonstrating their proficiency in this area. Their effectiveness on early downs is somewhat to blame for it. All night long, Kansas City’s run game made third downs easier to handle.
Leaning on this new attacking identity will be crucial to increasing output as the club gets closer to the halfway mark of the season. With the return of Pacheco (expected in the next two to three weeks) and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, the offense will soon have reinforcements after Mahomes had his greatest performance of the season on Monday. In the Week 9 tilt, Reid’s defiance of convention helped the Chiefs stay undefeated. Kansas City will play the Buffalo Bills in a crucial conference game that could ultimately determine the top seed in the AFC if they defeat the Broncos on Sunday.
Hopkins’ acquisition is opening up the passing offense, but maintaining a steady run game is necessary for consistency. This is not a Chiefs offense committed by your father. Although it isn’t the Legion of Zoom, it is arguably the league’s most viciously effective force. Over the next month, this offense will develop once again and rank among the NFL’s most dependable and effective if Reid can persevere.
The NFL’s worst nightmare is a Kansas City offense that scores on every red zone drive and converts 66% of its third downs, as it did on Monday night.
The game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday will serve as a wonderful litmus test. In terms of yards, touchdowns, and running yards per attempt, the Broncos rank among the top 10 defense teams. Andy Reid’s level of discipline will be tested on Sunday at high noon in Arrowhead Stadium when the division rivals square off.