Kareem Hunt needs to be RB1 for the Chiefs
For the rest of the playoffs, Andy Reid needs to go with the runner who makes the most positive plays.
I really, really like Isiah Pacheco.
I love the way he runs like he’s angry at the ground. I love the infectious energy he brings to every situation, from the locker room to the huddle to a Super Bowl parade. I love the way he will completely abandon any thought of his own safety and throw his body into the fray. From the time I first reviewed his film following the 2022 draft to watching him contribute to two consecutive Super Bowls, I’ve loved watching Pacheco play. He’s been a valuable piece of what the Chiefs have built over the last several years.
Kareem Hunt should be the Chiefs’ RB1, and see the large majority of the carries.
I don’t say that lightly. Pacheco adds “pop” (see what I did there) to the offense that Hunt does not. The days of Hunt beating anyone to the edge are long gone, as are the days of him breaking off 20+ yard runs. He was never a fast RB and has slowed down a little more as the years and hits have started to catch up to him.
Nevertheless, Hunt should be the primary guy for the Chiefs the rest of the playoffs, and the Divisional Round actually provided ample evidence as to why this is the case. Hunt’s 8 carries for 44 yards (5.5 YPC) compared to Pacheco’s 5 carries for 18 yards (3.6 YPC) alone make a compelling case to an extent. But as always, it’s the “why” behind those numbers that matter.
Let’s talk about what Hunt does well that fits specifically with what the Chiefs need for these playoffs, then juxtapose that with where Pacheco struggles (relative to Hunt) in a few areas that I think will be crucial against the Bills and (if Kansas City prevails) their Super Bowl opponent.
First things first… this is a HIGH LEVEL run from Hunt. One of the least-understood aspects of football in my experience is offensive line play. A topic related to that is running back “vision” and how they are to sort through what is in front of them and figure out where to be. It’s easy to think of things in the framework of a play drawn up for the RB to hit a specific hole, but generally speaking it’s more complex than that.
Here, look at what Hunt sees shortly after getting the ball. We won’t go through each run in such painstaking detail, but I think it’s helpful to do it in a couple of still shots so you can see just how many decisions a RB has to make on some plays in a split second while on the run.
Let’s go left to right with the blockers here. Kelce is helping Thuney briefly before he’s about to move to a secondary defender on the edge. Thuney is engaged, and we’ll come back to that. Caliendo is climbing to the next level after helping Humphrey for a moment (what I call a “combo block,” a brief double and then climbing). Smith is climbing to the second level after helping Taylor seal off his guy.
What Hunt appears to have are two options at the moment. What I’ve labeled as option 1 is to follow Caliendo. Right now that looks appealing, no? Look at all that space (there’s a defender flashing his helmet, though, an ominous sign). We’ll come back to that in a second. Option 2 is that he try to make his way around the edge and follow Kelce.
But watch how fast the picture changes here when Hunt just takes a couple of steps.
Suddenly, the defender who was merely flashing his helmet is all the way in the gap, and Thuney will have to let him go as he’s not in position to drive him.