The Kansas City Chiefs are using this bye week to rest up and get ready for the second half of the regular season. Running back Isiah Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain in Week 8 against the Washington Commanders but is expected to return after the bye week, according to
Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports.
The Chiefs were rumored to be interested in making a move at running back, but decided to stand pat, which was great news for Pacheco. And now despite being off in Week 10, Pacheco continues to pile up the wins.
He's expected to be back before Week 12, and that matchup will be against a newly shorthanded Indianapolis Colts team.
Chiefs Won’t Have to Face Off Against DeForest Buckner in Week 12
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Colts are placing defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on injured reserve, forcing him to miss a minimum of four games. That will include a massive Colts-Cheifs Sunday-afternoon matchup in Week 12.
That's a gut punch to a Colts team that is 7-2, but it helps out Pacheco. Kansas City travels to play the Denver Broncos in Week 11, and Pacheco should be back for that game. The Broncos have a tough defense, and KC will likely ease Pacheco back into the flow.
The following week, not having Buckner to deal with along the interior will be massive. This season, he has 42 total tackles, nine TFLs, and four sacks.
Not having him inside could be a nice boost of success for the Chiefs at home. Especially since the Colts traded for All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner and could have Charvarius Ward back from his IR stint. With an elite secondary over in Indy, Pacheco may be in line for a big day.
Pacheco is in the final year of his rookie deal, but Kansas City clearly believes in his skill set since they didn't add another running back. Pacheco leads the team in rushing yards (329) and rushing yards per game (41.1).
It hasn't been the season Kansas City wanted on the ground, but they've seen success from Pacheco in that area. At one point this season, it looked like Breece Hall was going to be acquired by the Chiefs, which would have told everyone how they feel about the backfield.
Instead, Pacheco will be a featured tailback and gets a chance to show management that he can be the RB1 for the remainder of the season. The Chiefs will need to get the ground game going to make a run in the second half of the season, and the Rutgers product will play a big role in that for Kansas City.