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GettyKansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco could return in Week 12.<\/p>\nGettyKansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco could return in Week 12.<\/p>\n
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Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0running back\u00a0Isiah Pacheco\u00a0is inching his way closer and closer to retaking the field for the first time since his Week 2 injury. Will the Week 12 matchup with the\u00a0Carolina Panthers\u00a0finally be the day fans see him back in pads?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll see on both those two,\u00a0Charles [Omenihu]\u00a0and [Pacheco],\u201d Chiefs head coach\u00a0Andy Reid said on November 20, cautious with his words as usual. \u201c[We\u2019ll] kind of go through the practice, see where we\u2019re at this week and we\u2019ll go from there\u2026 Day by day type thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you listen to Reid pressers often, you\u2019re probably already aware that this response is of little note. Having said that, a follow-up question squeezed some more information out of the famously tight-lipped HC.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll find a way [to deploy both of them], both of them are good players,\u201d Reid assured after a reporter pondered how\u00a0Kareem Hunt\u00a0might be utilized once Pacheco is ready to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll find a way to get both of them in [the game], if and when that takes place,\u201d the Chiefs head coach reiterated. \u201cBut that\u2019s a good problem to have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunt has really turned back the clocks since taking over the KC backfield, winning the role from rookie\u00a0Carson Steele, veteran\u00a0Samaje Perine\u00a0and eventually, long-time staff favorite\u00a0Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Although Perine has often checked in for passing situations, Hunt has also been a workhorse on the ground \u2014\u00a0averaging\u00a019.9 rushing attempts per game for 72.7 rushing yards per game.<\/p>\n
This workload has even exceeded Pacheco\u2019s\u00a0career high\u00a0of 17.0 rushing attempts per game \u2014 for 67.5 rushing yards per game \u2014 which also came in 2024. For reference, Pacheco only averaged 14.6 rushing attempts over a full season in 2023, but the Chiefs have put more of an emphasis on running the football this year.<\/p>\n
Play<\/p>\n
Now that Reid has confirmed that Hunt will still factor into the offensive gameplan once Pacheco returns, a likely theory is becoming a reality.<\/p>\n
Hunt has been very good, but it\u2019s hard to remain effective when you\u2019re pounding the rock nearly 20 times per game at age 29. Similarly, there\u2019s no telling how productive Pacheco will be coming off surgery on his fibula.<\/p>\n
Both players could probably use a lighter workload if Kansas City wants them operating at peak performance during a playoff run, and having both available allows Reid to do that without sacrificing talent or trust.<\/p>\n
Steele has been a great story, but he\u2019s had an\u00a0issue with fumbles\u00a0early in his career. Perine also hasn\u2019t been very effective as an early-down runner and it\u2019s difficult to know\u00a0if Edwards-Helaire is in the right mental state\u00a0to be relied on in 2024.<\/p>\n
All three have flaws, while Pacheco is more of a natural fit in this offense \u2014 like Hunt. Together, the hope is that this KC rushing attack plays rejuvenated heading into the postseason.<\/p>\n
When asked about Pacheco\u2019s current level of excitement after a long and arduous recovery, Reid described him as a \u201cspark plug.\u201d<\/p>\n
To be clear, Pacheco has often been known as a source of energy throughout his career, but the Chiefs head coach appeared to be emphasizing that his return has actually amplified that character trait ahead of Week 12.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, he\u2019s a spark plug now emotionally,\u201d Reid said. \u201cHe\u2019s something that way. And he\u2019s worked his tail off to get to the point that he\u2019s at now. So, we\u2019ve got to keep an eye on him that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Chiefs HC also joked that Pacheco \u201cwould have played three weeks ago if he had his choice.\u201d He concluded that he \u201cappreciates\u201d that mentality \u2014 even when the coaching staff has been much more conservative about his timeline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GettyKansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco could return in Week 12. Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0running back\u00a0Isiah Pacheco\u00a0is inching his way closer and closer to retaking the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10488,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n