Chiefs' Andy Reid reveals key to Isiah Pacheco form hit

Adam Schultz

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Chiefs' Andy Reid reveals key to Isiah Pacheco form hit image

© Nathan Ray Seebeck

The Kansas City Chiefs might have lost 31-28 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it wasn't all bad news for Andy Reid's team.

The run game has been the subject of much criticism this season and rightly so, but against the Jaguars, there were signs of life that something might be cooking with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.

Pacheco rushed for 36 yards on just seven carries as he averaged a crisp 5.1 yards per clip, while Kareem Hunt rushed for 49 yards and two touchdowns on his seven carries, averaging 7.0 yards per attempt.

While Patrick Mahomes was again the leading rusher (still not ideal), the play calling was largely favoring the pass with Mahomes having 41 attempts, but Pacheco and Hunt were picking up yards at will on the ground.

From the outside, it feels like Pacheco might be getting himself back into a little bit of form, but does Reid think of No. 10?

“I thought he did a good job, not only running but catching the ball, blocking when he was asked to,” Reid said. “So, he got a little bit more play time, which I think is good. Kind of get him into the swing of things, and that helped. At the same time, Kareem had a good day.”

More: Chiefs predicted to trade for All-Pro RB amid Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt struggles

Do Chiefs need to lean into the run game more?

Given that you have Mahomes, that likely wouldn't be an ideal scenario, but Pacheco and Hunt both picked up chunk yards at will against the Jaguars, something that they haven't done regularly this season.

Granted, taking the ball out of 15's hand is unfathomable, but Pacheco and Hunt having just 14 rushing attempts between them surely isn't enough.

Yes, there have been calls for the Chiefs to trade for a running back, but if it is only going to be in a small capacity, then what is the point? Hunt and Pacheco showed against the Jaguars that maybe something is beginning to click in the run game.

Is it time to lean a little more into that? It's certainly worth a conversation.

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Adam Schultz

Adam Schultz is a freelance writer at The Sporting News. An Australian journalist with years of experience covering the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL, Adam has interviewed several high-profile athletes in Australia for various sites and brings a unique view on the NFL.