Arrowhead Pride
Kansas City’s offensive coordinator says the team is forming an identity with a bigger emphasis on running the ball.
While the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense hasn’t been perfect this season, it has found some success as of late by establishing an identity that puts an emphasis on running the ball. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy highlighted this shift, noting how the Chiefs have leaned into their rushing attack to create a more balanced and adaptable offense.
“We’ve been running the ball a lot,” Nagy explained. “I feel like there’s a little bit of an identity that’s being created here as we get to the middle of the season. Sometimes that identity happens instantly a couple weeks in, sometimes it takes a little bit longer. I feel like maybe that’s the case, not just for the offense, but for the team in general of how we feel like we can win this year.
“When you protect the football, you don’t have turnovers, you don’t have penalties on offense, and you score touchdowns — like those three out of the last four drives we had last week — football can be fun on offense.”
Kansas City’s 253 rushing attempts is tied for the eighth-most by any team this season. While their efficiency can be better as they’re only averaging 3.9 yards per carry (fourth-worst in the league), the run game delivers when the team needs it most, especially in the red zone where they’ve scored 11 touchdowns on the ground.
This ground threat forces opposing defenses to respect the fact that the Chiefs are willing to run the ball, opening up opportunities in their passing game.
A prime example of this came last week in the Chiefs’ 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Running back Kareem Hunt, who’s done an amazing job stepping in for injured starter Isiah Pacheco, put in another standout performance, logging 27 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Hunt’s success on the ground kept the Bucs’ defense off balance and opened up an even bigger day for quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who finished the game with 291 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions for the first time all season.
“We went three and out with three passes, so then naturally, you kind of go ‘OK, let’s get into running the ball a little bit and see what happens with the run game,’” Nagy recalled about last week’s game. “When we came back to the run game, we were getting some chunks. Whether we were getting 4 or 8 yards, they were positive gains, which then opens up those pass plays. So, I think it was probably a little bit of that.
“It also doesn’t hurt either having those big O-lineman come over to the sideline every now and then to let you know, ‘hey man, let’s get this thing going.’ They want to put it on their shoulders. We love that too. So that happens a lot and you never want to see...
