Arrowhead Pride
Kansas City’s veteran running back will finally play for an AFC Championship with the team that drafted him.
On a choppy day for the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense in their 23-14 Divisional Round playoff win over the Houston Texans on Saturday, the team’s first touchdown finally came with just over four minutes remaining in the first half. The way that touchdown was scored once seemed unthinkable.
Running back Kareem Hunt — the team’s third-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft — punched in the one-yard touchdown. Saturday marked Hunt’s first playoff action as a Chief since January 6, 2018. Less than a year after that Divisional Round loss to the Tennessee Titans, an off-field incident saw him released just as Kansas City was morphing into the NFL’s juggernaut.
Speaking after the game, Hunt left no doubt of the emotions the game brought.
“The emotions definitely are high,” he confirmed. “I feel blessed. It feels like a dream come true again, and I feel like I left I left a lot unsolved before. So, now I’m excited to be able to write the rest of the story.”
The Chiefs put Hunt in a position to write the rest of his story with sparing use and rest down the stretch of the regular season. The veteran knows the time off has benefited his body.
“I felt fresh, definitely,” he stated. “Not taking as many hits and being able to practice, move around, [and] get my conditioning felt great.”
Hunt’s touchdown was the first time either team found the end zone, and the Chiefs mostly felt in control of the game afterward. Hunt credited the effort upfront, both from the offensive line and tight end Travis Kelce.
“Honestly, it was blocked pretty well,” he observed. “A little jab step — [I] just followed Travis through the little crease and had to run through an arm tackle. Great blocking.”
Hunt finished the day with eight carries for 44 yards and the touchdown. Most of his work (six carries for 39 yards) actually came in the fourth quarter. He described how much of his day was spent as the Chiefs seemingly waited to use him as a closer in the final frame.
“I stayed by the heater and just kept my mind in the game,” Hunt recalled, “waiting for that opportunity to get my number called and just be ready to go out there and make the most of each opportunity.”
One opportunity he made the most of came on the fourth quarter’s first snap. The Chiefs faced fourth-and-1 at the Houston 37-yard line. Hunt burst through for a three-yard gain to move the chains. Five plays later, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce would combine for a highlight reel touchdown to put Houston firmly on the ropes.
“I saw a good D-line rush and one-on-one in the hole,” Hunt said of the fourth-down rush, “and I’ve got to find a way to get it a yard or two — and I like my odds every...
