Isiah Pacheco poised for big game against the Cincinnati Bengals

The Kansas City Chiefs will look to move to 2-0 on the season this Sunday when the Cincinnati Bengals come to town. The Bengals are coming off an ugly 16-10 loss at home to the New England Patriots. In that loss, Cincinnati struggled mightily to stop the run. That could be a sign of big things to come for Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco as we look ahead to this week's matchup.

How much did the Bengals struggle against the run last week? Well, the Patriots rushed for 170 yards on 39 attempts (4.4 yards per carry) with one touchdown. New England was led by Rhamondre Stevenson who rushed for 120 yards on 25 carries (4.8 yards per carry) and a score. While that might not seem like an especially huge day, you have to also factor in that the Patriots didn't have much of a passing game to keep the defense honest.

The Patriots only passed for 120 yards last week. Stevenson and receiver K.J. Osborn were tied for the team lead in receptions with 3 each and tight end Austin Hooper led the team in receiving yards with 31. So the Bengals knew the Patriots were going to run the ball, didn't have to account for much of a passing game at all, and still couldn't shut down the Pats' backfield.

This isn't a new development for the Bengals either. Last season they ranked 26th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and were 30th in yards per carry allowed with 4.7 ypc. So the Bengals struggled to stop the run last year and started off the season struggling again this year. To make matters worse for Cincinnati, the Patriots weren't even a particularly good running team last season. They ranked 26th in rushing yards per game last year with 95.7 and 25th in yards per carry with 3.9. Perhaps the Patriots will have an improved run game this season, but this isn't a good sign for Zac Taylor's team.

Can the Chiefs and Isiah Pacheco exploit the Bengals run defense?

The Chiefs were in the middle of the pack last season when it came to rushing the football. They ranked 19th in rushing yards per game last season with 104.9 and 13th in yards per carry with 4.3. While this isn't elite production, it is noticeably better than the Patriots were last season. Isiah Pacheco also had better individual production than Stevenson last season, averaging more yards per game (66.8 vs 51.6) and more yards per carry (4.6 vs 4.0).

The Chiefs also have an advantage on the offensive line, especially on the interior. While the trio of Michael Jordan, David Andrews, and Layden Robinson may have had a solid game last weekend for New England, they are not on the level of Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith. If the Patriots could control the Bengals' defense on the ground with their trio, Kansas City has a chance to make a statement up front in this one.

Despite everything we've looked at so far pointing toward the Chiefs being able to run the football head-to-head against the Bengals, we still haven't even touched on the biggest reason the Chiefs should have a much bigger advantage running the ball vs the Bengals than the Patriots did. That reason is Patrick Mahomes and the KC passing attack.

The Bengals are going to have to put way more time and energy this week into coming up with a plan to stop (or at least slow down) the Chiefs' passing attack. The difference between Andy Reid calling passing plays for Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy and Alex Van Pelt calling plays for Jacoby Brissett, K.J. Osborn, Ja'lynn Polk, and Hunter Henry is about as big of a gap as you can find in the NFL.

If the Bengals struggled to stop the run with little to no concern about the pass, then what is going to happen to them when they have to go against an even better offensive line while worrying about Mahomes and one of the top passing attacks in the NFL? The simple answer is that it should be a huge day for Pacheco and the Chiefs' running game. It's hard to tell just how big of a role Pacheco will have in this offense after a single game against the Ravens, but on Sunday, the Chiefs would be well advised to get him heavily involved.

Just last New Year's Eve, Pacheco put up 130 rushing yards on 18 carries (7.2 yards per carry) against the Bengals. It certainly feels like he could be looking at an equally productive game (if not an even bigger one) this Sunday when these two teams meet. Could a day like that be the floor for Pacheco this time around?

Plus, if the Bengals' offense struggles to put up points, the Chiefs may be able to get a lead and run the ball to milk some clock, which would lead to an even bigger role for Pacheco. While the Bengals have had a good offense in years past, Joe Burrow is coming off an injury, Ja'Marr Chase is coming off a long contract holdout, and Tee Higgins is unlikely to play with an injury. I just wrote on Monday that Mahomes and KC's offense are about to go scorched earth on the NFL this season. So it's certainly possible that the Bengals will struggle to keep pace with KC's offense in this one.

When you factor all of these things in, the signs certainly point towards Isiah Pacheco having a monster day on the ground this Sunday. So what do you think Chiefs fans? Do you believe Pacheco and the Chiefs running game will have a huge day vs the Bengals? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments below.