10-1 Chiefs could get major boost for stretch run

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is set to return to the field for Friday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. His return could not come soon enough for the defending champions.

According to ESPN’s Adam Teicher, the Chiefs will activate Pacheco off the injured reserve list in time for Friday’s game. Head coach Andy Reid said that if the former seventh-round pick looked OK in practice, he would be set to play the Raiders. 

Pacheco was placed on IR after suffering a fractured  fibula in the Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Since then, the Chiefs have only lost once and have won six one-score games, showcasing their penchant for tight victories. Overall, the Chiefs are 8-0 in one-score games this season, and they’ll need Pacheco to perform at a high level if they find themselves in more tight games. 

Through two games, Pacheco rushed for 135 yards and scored one touchdown. These aren’t eye-popping stats, but the injury the former Rutgers star suffered got in the way of the chance for him to build on his breakout 2023 season, when he rushed for 935 yards and seven touchdowns en route to the Super Bowl. 

Down the stretch of 2023, Pacheco became a reliable, tough runner who could extend drives. The Chiefs’ identity wasn’t smashmouth football, but an effective ground game gave Reid a wide range of options when calling plays. 

In Pacheco’s absence, the Chiefs have turned to running back Kareem Hunt, who has done an efficient job. The No. 2 running back on the depth chart, Hunt has rushed for 577 yards and five touchdowns this season. ESPN has him projected to rush for 1,226 yards by season’s end if he were to continue his current pace. Of course, with Pacheco’s return, Hunt’s role will change, but a running back-by-committee approach should interest the Chiefs. 

“He’s going to be Pop, man,” Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said in a news conference, referencing Pacheco’s nickname. “We’re going to have to work him back to when he’s ready and then, when he gets on the field, not trying to overdo it.”

Mahomes has also expressed his hope the Chiefs don’t have to win every game by one score, and Pacheco can contribute to that by giving their offense more opportunities to extend drives. 

The Chiefs are heading to the playoffs, barring an unprecedented collapse, but elevating their offense to keep them even more competitive in January is important to establish now. Pacheco’s return could be just the spark they need to make a run for another Super Bowl title.