The Kansas City Chiefs have begun preparation on the Indianapolis Colts, and this matchup is huge as the Chiefs are 5-5 on the season. As they take the practice field, they got some good news regarding running back Isiah Pacheco, as Pete Sweeney reported that Pacheco will return to practice on Wednesday.
Though Pacheco isn't perfect, him getting back into the flow of things could help this offense start to figure out its ground game issues.
Isiah Pacheco Is Back at Practice for Chiefs on Wednesday
Kansas City's rushing attack has been lackluster over the last two weeks in his absence. During this two-game losing streak, the Chiefs haven't recorded more than 79 rushing yards in either game. Kareem Hunt was the leading ball carrier in both matchups, but getting him back into a reserve role could be better for this offense.
Using Hunt as a short-line, red zone ball carrier is a better use of his skillset currently, while Pacheco could bring more juice to the run game. At the very least, both being suited up makes it harder for opponents to sell out against the pass.
The lack of a running threat has allowed defenses to force more on the passing game, which is struggling in ways fans haven't seen from a Patrick Mahomes-led unit. Mahomes has gone 44-of-79 (55.6%) for 526 passing yards with one passing touchdown and two interceptions while Pacheco's been sidelined, as opponents focus almost all of their energy on neutralizing the air attack.
Pacheco had 50-plus rushing yards from Weeks 6-8 and seemed to be getting into a rhythm. He's not without his faults, but there's no denying KC is better off with him healthy and leading the backfield.
With Pacheco back, it's also easier to start implementing much-needed changes to improve the ground game since the offense has its RB1 to plan around again. It's obvious Andy Reid needs to switch things up with his approach to running the ball, but that was more difficult to adjust when forced to rely on backups. A full stable at RB opens up possibilities and ways to keep defenses on their toes now.
The Chiefs' RBs still need to give opponents a reason to fear them, but getting a rested Pacheco back could certainly help as the offense looks to strike a better run-pass balance down the stretch.