Chiefs running backs proved pivotal in previous Super Bowl and need to do it again
It was the Chiefs running backs who saved the day in last year’s Super Bowl win and hopefully this year is a similar story.
Damien Williams had been very up and down for the Kansas City Chiefs throughout the 2019 regular season. When it came time for the playoffs, however, Williams stepped it up and was tremendous in the biggest games of the season.
Williams picked the best time to shine the brightest though, tallying 17 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown while also snagging four catches for 29 yards and another touchdown through the air. Williams showed up big for Super Bowl LV after the Chiefs’ run game hadn’t been all that effective during the course of the regular season. Could this year’s team see a similar storyline play out?
Once again, the Chiefs’ run game wasn’t great during the regular season, as they finished the year ranked No. 21 in average rushing yards per game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was supposed to come in and improve things, but the run game just never got going this season. They had a few big games here and there, but the Chiefs’ rushing attack wasn’t anything special.
The Chiefs running backs could be the unexpected heroes in the Super Bowl once again.
While Damien Williams opted out of the 2020 season, the Chiefs have another running back with the last name Williams — Darrel Williams, who was undrafted out of LSU in 2018. He actually spent time with Edwards-Helaire in college before entering the NFL.
Darrel Williams has been a nice player throughout the postseason, collecting 78 yards rushing against the Browns and 52 yards rushing vs Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game. He scored a touchdown against the Bills and has also totaled 25 yards receiving in the two games combined.
While the Chiefs were hoping that Edwards-Helaire would be the playmaker in the run game at this point in the season, Williams has been a nice surprise late in the season and could be this team’s secret weapon in the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers have been very good at stopping the run, but the 49ers had that same reputation heading into Super Bowl LIV and that didn’t stop Damien Williams from popping off big runs when it mattered the most.
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While the Chiefs are predominantly a passing team, they weren’t getting the job done in last year’s Super Bowl. It was the Chiefs running backs who came to the rescue and while we obviously want to see Patrick Mahomes put on a clinic against the Bucs, having an effective run game to lean on would make this offense even scarier.