It’s been a while since a Kansas City Chiefs player put up these kinds of stats
A more effective rushing offense was an objective for the Chiefs entering this season, but after two games the results weren’t there.
There was plenty of offense, but in the usual Patrick Mahomes-to-Travis Kelce-or-Tyreek Hill sort of way.
Now, in their previous two games, the Chiefs are looking, well, well-balanced.
Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has topped 100 yards in consecutive games, a first for a Chiefs running back since Kareem Hunt in 2017. The Chiefs rushed for 200 yards as a team in last weekend’s 42-30 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, their most since going for 245 at Buffalo in Week 6 last year.
Edwards-Helaire averaged 7.3 yards per carry against Philadelphia, a career best for the second-year pro. He added his second receiving touchdown of the season, too, on a short pass from Mahomes on a play dubbed “Tom & Jerry.”
“The more yards you can put on the ground — this is a former running back talking now — the more pressure you can apply to the defense,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Thursday. “It’s been good watching these guys doing what they do.
“More importantly it’s been fun watching the O-line open those seams up front. These guys are developing a chemistry together. ... It’s helping Clyde to grow with his confidence.”
An offensive line with five new starters helped the Chiefs score touchdowns on six possessions against the Eagles. Darrel Williams had the team’s lone rushing touchdown, and he added 42 rushing yards.
Third-team running back Jerick McKinnon doesn’t have a carry yet this year, but he contributed to last week’s victory in a big way by recovering Byron Pringle’s fumble on a kickoff return. He was selected as the Chiefs’ special teams player of the week.
Now, the Chiefs confront the Buffalo Bills and the league’s top-rated defense on Sunday Night Football.
Buffalo leads the NFL in total defense, surrendering just 216 yards per game, and its 11 takeaways are tops in the league.
“This defense is very good,” Bieniemy said of Buffalo. “I’m not shocked nor surprised at the numbers that they’ve put up. Those guys are great defensive-minded coaches.
“Our job is to make sure we go out on Sunday and execute our scheme better than they execute their scheme.”
This story was originally published October 7, 2021 at 2:14 PM.