5. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Little is being made about the impact that Clyde Edwards-Helaire could have on the offense in his anticipated return. While Darrell “The Barrel” Williams and Derrick Gore have filled in admirably in his absence, the offense has been somewhat stagnant with the exception of the Raiders game last week. There has been somewhat of a correlation between Edwards-Helaire’s absence and the slowing of the offense.
The Chiefs’ offense was, until the game against the Tennessee Titans, one of the most productive offenses in the NFL. Despite turning the ball over at a higher rate than any other team in the league, the Chiefs moved the football with ease. Edwards-Helaire accounted for some of the plays that moved the sticks on long drives. Until his injury, he was averaging 4.7 yards/carry.
Now, with the Chiefs adjusting their offense to take on Cover-2 looks, they seem willing to throw to running backs at a higher rate than ever before. Edwards-Helaire was known for having this strength in college and has yet to truly showcase it in the NFL. Now, the Chiefs’ offense has evolved to his strength and his return might put the offense even further over the top.