The Kansas City Chiefs secured a close win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13, and they needed every bit of help they could get on Black Friday. That included a pair of reinforcements joining the team after missing extended time. On offense, running back Isiah Pacheco made an instant impact in his first game since suffering a fractured fibula in Week 2.
It’s the longest period of time Pacheco, a third-year veteran, has missed due to injury at the professional level. Speaking to the media following Friday’s win, he opened up about how difficult it was to sit out and rehab while everyone else prepared to play.
“It was challenging,” Pacheco said. “You’ve got days you come in and you don’t want to work. You could go as hard as you can and you could get distractions. You’ve got guys that are healthy running in and out of the facility but you as a player, you’ve got to focus on what you’ve got to come in there and do. For me, that was to get better day in and day out and eliminate distractions. I wanted to go out to the hot tub, the cold tub and do those extra things but during the moment, I had to focus in on what I had planned and then, on my own time, do the extra stuff.”
Kansas City went 9-1 in Pacheco’s absence, and their success in the backfield stemmed from a reunion with former 2017 club draft pick Kareem Hunt. Hunt, while unspectacular and lacking explosive runs, eliminated negative attempts and carried the load with his teammate out. Pacheco tipped his cap to Hunt on Friday, also expanding on how he made the most of mental reps during his time off.
“Yes, hats off to him [for] stepping up,” Pacheco said. “It’s been a tough run. He’s been awesome leading the room. Everyone’s been following the leaders. Most importantly for me, just pinpointing details in the meeting room for when I had the opportunity to get out and show my ability. Focus on the details: the chips, the check-downs, just the little things that would make my game a little bit better today.”
This return was a long time coming for Pacheco after going on the injured reserve list back in September. Prior to getting hurt, he logged 15 carries for 45 yards in Week 1 and 19 totes for 90 yards – a 4.74-yard average – in the aforementioned win over the Cincinnati Bengals. In his first game back, the former seventh-rounder finished tied for the running back lead with seven carries and amassed 44 yards on them. His 6.3 yards per carry average was heavily influenced by an impressive 34-yard chunk in the third quarter.
In all, it was a good mix of short-yardage opportunities and even one reception for Pacheco in his reintroduction. With plenty of time for him to get fully adjusted again, the Chiefs will have a good problem on their hands: balancing the workload with him and Hunt.
In the meantime, Pacheco is simply glad to be back in the lineup and dishing out violence.
“It felt awesome just having that moment to get that contact again,” Pacheco said. “I’ve been missing it. I’ve been backed up on anger, so being able to let that anger out on the field, it was a blessing.”
