Kansas City Chiefs: Running backs will have larger role in 2018
The Kansas City Chiefs will adjust their offense to suit quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which includes more roles for the running backs in 2018.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a plethora of running backs on the roster as they enter training camp come July 26. Given last year’s situation of running back, Spencer Ware going down with a season-ending injury during the preseason and little behind him and then rookie running back Kareem Hunt, general manager Brett Veach is vowing not to have the same problem in 2018. Instead, Veach has made it a situation of many talented running backs that can all fight to make the roster.
Ware going down and Hunt stepping in immediately as the lead back worked out well for the Chiefs in 2017 as Hunt led the NFL in rushing yards. Unfortunately, the talent behind him was a significant dropoff. Running back Charcandrick West came in mostly on passing downs as a blocker, but Kansas City struggled to find someone to split carries with Hunt and take some of the load off the rookie back.
Hunt will remain the primary back for the Chiefs, but the other running backs will have more time on the field as well. Part of transitioning the offense to a new quarterback, especially a young quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, is implementing schemes in the offense that he is comfortable with. Head coach Andy Reid does a phenomenal job of this as he transitioned around Alex Smith the last five years in what he was most comfortable with. Reid even implemented plays that Smith used when playing at Utah in college.
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The same will be for Mahomes as Reid builds his offense around a more aggressive gunslinging quarterback. One thing that will be implemented into the offense that we saw some of in the week 17 matchup against the Denver Broncos last season is two running back sets. Mahomes ran these sets in college with great success. Running backs coach Deland McCullough has also been known to deploy these type of sets.
Two running back sets gives Mahomes a different set of options in the offense. Starting with two running backs in the backfield, there are so many things that Mahomes can work with and change at the line of scrimmage. The running backs start in the backfield and scan for any additional blitz and chip the edge rushers coming around the edge if needed as they can move out into the flats for a pass. Given a young quarterback coming into the offense, it allows the running backs to provide additional blocking or drop into the flats for a pass which helps against blitz packages that teams will likely deploy early on to rattle Mahomes.
It also gives Mahomes the option of splitting a running back out wide to run a passing route. Given the versatility of the Chiefs running backs, this will often be seen most likely as we saw Kareem Hunt do it as early as week one against the New England Patriots where he took the deep pass for a touchdown. Getting running backs matched up against linebackers will provide some passing opportunities for Mahomes.
The questions will be for Kansas City, which running backs will make the roster and how many? Given that there will be more two running back sets, and they want to have depth at the position given the more significant role, I would expect the Chiefs to keep four running backs in 2018. Usually, Kansas City keeps three running backs and a fullback which still could be the case, but it would be in their best interest to keep four running backs in my opinion. Let’s take a look at the running backs on the roster that could make the team behind Hunt.