The Kansas City Chiefs enter the bye week with a 5-4 record following a painful 28-21 defeat to the Buffalo Bills. Their run game, despite ranking ninth in rushing yards (126.5) coming into Sunday’s game, continues to be a problem, as they recorded a season-low 79 rushing yards in their loss.
Running backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco have struggled as the primary ball carriers, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Even with their struggles, head coach Andy Reid continues to give them the bulk of the carries over rookie running back Brashard Smith.
Heading into their game against the Bills, Smith was expected to see an increased workload with Pacheco out. However, the team opted to give Hunt the majority of the carries, while Smith finished the game with just three carries for seven rushing yards.
By refusing to incorporate Smith into the run game, Reid is displaying his lack of trust in the rookie.
Chiefs Displaying Their Lack of Trust in Brashard Smith
After appearing in 28 snaps in the team’s Week 7 win against the Las Vegas Raiders, the expectation was that the Chiefs would finally expand Smith’s role in the offense. This has not been the case for the rookie, as he's received just six carries over the last two games.
In nine games, Smith has recorded 28 carries for 82 yards, averaging just 2.9 yards per rush, and 14 receptions for 122 yards. While Smith offers great upside with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, his inability to produce on the ground has led the Chiefs to rely on Hunt and Pacheco.
Since Smith has failed to produce in his limited workload, the Chiefs have turned to practice squad running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire to give them a boost on the ground. Although Edwards-Helaire didn’t provide much production in the team’s loss, in fact, his elevation should raise concerns for Chiefs fans hoping to see more playing time for Smith.
By elevating Edwards-Helaire, it’s evident that Reid isn’t convinced that Smith can help turn things around. While he’s shown potential as an option in the pass game, he hasn’t contributed to the run. Kansas City’s inability to effectively run the football has forced it to be heavily reliant on quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s been thrust to carry the team through the air and on the ground.
With Smith failing to carve out a role thus far, Chiefs fans shouldn't be surprised to see Reid take him out of the offense entirely.
Since the Chiefs are currently out of the playoff picture, it wouldn't be surprising to see Kansas City take a swing and acquire a running back before the trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon. Two targets to keep an eye on are New York Jets running back Breece Hall and Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford.