Kansas City Chiefs: Five steps to a Super Bowl

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KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 28: Kareem Hunt #27 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs in the open field during the first half of the game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /

The Chiefs need to use Kareem Hunt more.

I should probably revise that statement to the Chiefs should use Kareem Hunt more in the big games. I certainly don’t need the Chiefs running Hunt into the ground in a late-season, double-digit win over a team like the Raiders. However, what I think we’ve seen in their two shootout loses this season is that Andy Reid gets caught up in the excitement of the moment and forgets that he has one of the best running backs in the NFL.

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Patrick Mahomes is amazing. He’s lighting the world on fire and the Chiefs offense is putting up eye-popping numbers so I’m certainly not saying that Reid should scrap what he’s doing on offense and rethink things because some blogger says so. All I’m saying is that simply using one of KC’s most talented players a little more could potentially help two of the problems that have come up in their loses this season.

Offensively, the Chiefs have basically put the entire game on the arm of young Patrick Mahomes. He has been incredible and has been better than my wildest dreams but he’s still a first-year starting quarterback. I’m not saying that using Kareem Hunt more in the Rams game would have prevented his five turnovers, but even if it prevented one of them, the Chiefs might have won that game.

In the Chiefs two losses Kareem Hunt has averaged 12 carries for 75 yards and 4 receptions for 73 yards. That’s an average of 6.25 yards per carry, 18.25 yards per reception, and 9.25 yards per touch. 16 touches per game is just not enough for a player that productive. If he was averaging three yards per carry, I can see why Reid would just keep rolling with Mahomes but for crying out loud, cut the kid some slack and let Hunt do a little of the heavy lifting.

The other problem KC has had in their two losses is their defense getting exposed. Part of that is that even when the Chiefs are putting up points they aren’t giving their defense a lot of rest. After week 11 the Chiefs were ranked 25th in the NFL in time of possession. That doesn’t help a struggling defense. This was a particularly big problem in the New England loss where the Patriots won the time of possession 36 minutes to KC’s 24. When you run the ball you eat up more clock and let your defense recharge. That will only help KC’s pass rushers like Dee Ford, Justin Houston, and Chris Jones.

If Andy Reid just can’t help himself when it comes to calling pass plays then at least get Hunt more involved in the screen game where he has been hugely successful. I love that Mahomes takes shots down the field but dropping the ball behind the pass rush is a good way to keep those blitzers from pinning their ears back on every passing play.

The bottom line here is that the Chiefs need to utilize Hunt more, especially in the big games. This will only become more important as the weather gets worse. Here’s to hoping that Andy Reid comes to the same conclusion.

Step three involves playing to their defensive strengths.

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