Any week that Isiah Pacheco wants to return to the field for the Kansas City Chiefs is going to be a good week. The team has missed the talent and depth he provides in the backfield, to be sure. But if he wanted to pick a truly ideal return date, he might want to aim for this coming Sunday.
When speaking with reporters on Monday following the team's most recent win over the Denver Broncos, head coach Andy Reid gave an injury update on a few players aiming for a return from injury. When referencing three in particular—Pacheco, Charles Omenihu, and JuJu Smith-Schuster—Reid had some very good (yet non-specific) news.
Coach Reid says JuJu Smith-Schuster, Isiah Pacheco and Charles Omenihu are all "very close" to returning.
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) November 11, 2024
The Chiefs are scheduled to visit Orchard Park, New York to take on the Buffalo Bills in what is the biggest game remaining on the team's regular season schedule. The Bills are 8-2 and serve as the greatest challenge remaining for AFC supremacy. The winner of this midseason battle might very well secure home-field advantage for itself through the entire postseason.
If Isiah Pacheco wanted to make sure he's back at an ideal time, Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills would be it.
But the reason for Pacheco's return in particular has more to do than just the hurdle provided by a team of Buffalo's stature. Rather, it's hinged on Buffalo's weakness.
The Bills have a solid defense, and a quick look at the numbers shows that no one is really running roughshod all over them. They're 5th in the NFL in rushing scores allowed and 15th overall in rushing yards. Given their total defensive ranking of 9th in points allowed, it'd be easy to assume the Bills had a solid defense front to back. They do and they don't.
The truth is the Bills are pitiful against the run this year. They rank No. 30 overall in yards per attempt, but the issue for most teams is that they have to lean on the passing game more because the Bills score so often that the running game is quickly abandoned by many opponents. Hence the reason why some of the rushing totals against them aren't all that impressive.
But go back to the team's loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, when the Bills allowed Lamar Jackson and company to run for 271 yards en route to getting steamrolled 35-10 on the road. Derrick Henry had 199 of those yards and Jackson accounted for most of the rest with Justice Hill getting a few. It was the perfect game plan against Buffalo in '24.
The Bills are used to keeping teams from gashing them between the tackles because they're often up over their opponents and their defense is opportunistic. The Bills almost always win the turnover battle week to week, so it's hard for teams to isolate their weakness and focus on it for any length of time because most franchises are playing catch-up for much of the game.
The Bills recently added Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson up front in an attempt to reverse their fortunes, so Buffalo has some hope for better performances going forward. However, Ed Oliver is having a down year, and DeWayne Carter and Dawuane Smoot are on injured reserve. The Bills also live in the nickel defensively, so that automatically means lighter boxes abound.
The Chiefs have already switched their offensive mindset this season to a more efficient unit and that includes a greater commitment to the ground game. Kareem Hunt has been the centerpiece there, but he's looked a bit tired and banged up despite his effectiveness in the past week. The potential arrival, then, of Pacheco couldn't come at a better time.
Imagine if the Chiefs could employ a tandem of Pacheco and Hunt at this stage of the season against a team that truly struggles to slow the run like Buffalo. Carson Steele could provide some healthy legs on occasion while Samaje Perine gives options as a receiver. The Chiefs could really alter their looks offensively and make up for losses at wide receiver and tight end.
Pacheco will be a welcomed sight at any point in the season's second half, but the Bills game is a major test in Week 11 and it could mean a chance for a first-round bye as other teams are struggling to stay healthy. Who knows if Pacheco could make it but this Sunday would be an ideal time to return.