The Chiefs Have A Four-Headed Monster On Offense
The Kansas City Chiefs have a deep running back room. Each back brings a unique skill set to the offense and helps in a different aspect of the game. Let’s see what they each bring to the table.
Andy Reid isn’t really known to run the ball all that often, especially when he has Patrick Mahomes under center. However, this year it is possible that the offense is going to play out a bit differently than we’ve seen in the last few seasons. The NFL should see a more balanced attack from this Kansas City offense. After the team’s roster cuts are now finalized, it’s official that the Chiefs are going to keep four running backs on their roster. The team has a four-headed monster in the running back room and they each bring something a little different to the table.
The Four Chiefs Running Backs All Bring Something Different
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
There are a lot of people out there that are ready to move on from Edwards-Helaire, ever since he was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was supposed to be a great receiving threat out of the backfield. He has shown flashes but he isn’t consistent while hampered with injuries. He has played 23 regular season games in two years along with appearing in four playoff games. Can he stay healthy this year to hopefully build upon that promising rookie year we saw two years ago?
Edwards-Helaire’s rookie year saw him gain a total of 803 rushing yards and 297 receiving yards. 1,100 scrimmage yards for a rookie is nothing to scoff at especially in just thirteen games. He touched the ball (rushing attempts & receptions) a total of 217 times which averages out to 5.1 yards a touch. In contrast, Titans running back Derrick Henry’s career yards a touch is 5.1. The following season Clyde’s yards per touch went down to 4.7 in ten games.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire can't stop, won't stoppic.twitter.com/Omwz1hQ7FF — PFF (@PFF) September 29, 2020
You can tell that “CEH” put in work over the offseason and he looks ready to be that featured back. I think with the departure of Tyreek Hill on the offense, Reid is going to be spreading the ball out more. That gives Edwards-Helaire more opportunities to catch out of the backfield. Also, another year of our offensive line working together will add to more confidence in run blocking. Do teams want to keep playing the Chiefs in a two-high safety look? We have Clyde that can break those tackles and get some hard-earned yards.
Jerick McKinnon
I see a lot of the same tools in McKinnon as I do for Edwards-Helaire. They both are shifty and are good at snagging balls out of the backfield. McKinnon didn’t do too much for the Chiefs in the regular season last year. However, he put in some work in the playoffs which I think got most Chiefs fans excited about this year. In the three playoff games last year McKinnon rushed for 150 yards and caught 14 passes for 165 yards with a touchdown.
Chiefs 53-Man Preview: A Case For Jerick McKinnon
It is also worth mentioning that McKinnon is very careful with the ball. He has only fumbled it three times on 755 touches. The Chiefs love ball security so it’s good to know McKinnon can take care of the rock, especially if he gets more looks out of the backfield this year. There is a case to be made for Jerick McKinnon being the number one back now that we know he’s made the 53-man roster.
Ronald Jones
There was speculation in the Chiefs Kingdom that Ronald Jones was an odd man out and that he probably wasn’t going to make the roster cuts. Well, he survived them and I think for good reason. He is a different type of back than the aforementioned Edwards-Helaire and McKinnon. He will punish defenses between the tackles and give the offense that goal-line up the middle run. That will save the Chiefs from using Blake Bell to do a quarterback sneak to get that one yard the team needs.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach all but confirms that RB Ronald Jones won his spot on the 53-man roster with his nine-touch, 47-yard preseason game 3 against the Packers. pic.twitter.com/6F3wKwi1fm — Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 31, 2022
The problem with Jones is that he has fumbled seven times in his career on 564 touches. He has fumbled every 80 touches or so. They are unpredictable and he may not fumble for a year or two. However, it has been an issue in his past. There is a lot to be optimistic about though. Jones’s best year came in 2020 when he ran for 978 yards while catching the ball 28 times for 165 yards. He scored a total of eight touchdowns that year. I’m sure the Chiefs saw that too. He is just 25 years old and there is definitely time for him to improve some aspects of his game while building upon the good.
Isiah Pacheco
There is a lot of hype going on around team circles about rookie Isiah Pacheco. We have all seen the flashes in camp and pre-season. Pacheco has great balance when running the ball. He also has a great combination of speed and power. He is a good mix of all three aforementioned running backs. The only questions that have come up now are his vision and how it will develop in the NFL.
I hate to be that guy… but this appears to be a very BAD run by Pacheco in the redzone. Mahomes was visibly frustrated. Just watch the clip. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/8aXLfDrOtW — how bout those CHIEFS (@hbtCHIEFS) August 21, 2022
Final Thoughts
As I stated in the opening paragraph, I think the Chiefs will run the ball more. The team has the offensive line for it and it will definitely open up passing lanes for the different types of wideouts we have this year. It will make the offense that much harder to defend and not so reliant on just two weapons, as in the past. Edwards-Helaire will likely get most of the reps early in the season with the others sprinkled in. Near the end of the season, rookie Isiah Pacheco takes over the bulk of the duties. We will however see all of the backs put in some work depending on the match-up and situation.
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