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UPDATE: Chiefs beat Ravens 17-10 to earn trip to Super Bowl
Kansas City, MO. – His hands balled into fists and his biceps flexed, Isiah Pacheco sprinted along the Kansas City Chiefs sideline, his message clear from his demonstrative voice.
,Ay, bring that f—— energy!Pacheco shouted at his attacking teammates, many of whom nodded in agreement. ,Bring that–! Bring that–!,
A few minutes later, the Chiefs began the second half of their divisional-round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, the first time Pacheco had played in a road elimination game in his young, two-year career. After the Chiefs trailed by four points, Pacheco helped them score touchdowns on back-to-back drives that made him one of the NFL’s most distinctive players: whenever he touched the ball, he would rage, Run with intensity and ferocity.
Pacheco’s running style played a key role in the Chiefs advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth consecutive season. He led all players with 97 rushing yards on 15 attempts, with a large amount of those yards coming after the first defender contacted him.
Sixty percent of Pacheco’s carries ended with more than his expected yardage, the highest percentage of any qualified running back in the divisional round, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
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When Pacheco entered the end zone on his 4-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, which turned out to be the game-winning score, he sent another message to left tackle Donovan Smith and tight end Travis Kelce.
,They can’t mess with us!Pacheco said. When he reached the shore he continued to encourage his companions and said, “You got everything! You got everything!,
“Today we will calm it down!”
10 Was on the mic for our divisional dub 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/bZOtjEYBz6
– Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) 24 January 2024
In the Chiefs’ two postseason wins over the Bills and Miami Dolphins, Pacheco has backed up his words with impressive performances.
His teammates have also raised their game. The Chiefs’ rushing attack, a part of an offense that was inconsistent at times during the regular season, has been exceptional in the playoffs. The offensive linemen – Smith, left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith, right tackle Jawan Taylor and backup guard Nick Allegretti – have been the better group in the trenches. And the Chiefs’ three tight ends – Kelce, Noah Gray and Blake Bell – have improved their blocking.
“I’m proud of how resilient people are,” Humphrey said. “We went through a bit of a slump, but people kept pushing and we’ve improved, which is really good to see.”
Entering the playoffs, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and quarterback Patrick Mahomes acknowledged that the Chiefs offense would need a more simplistic approach in the postseason to limit mistakes. The easiest way for coach Andy Reid and Nagy to accomplish this was to give Pacheco a larger role in the offense by increasing his workload. Pacheco’s 39 attempts in the playoffs are the most he has attempted during a two-game stretch this season. He’s been effective with those touchdowns, too, racking up 186 yards and two touchdowns — and eight rushes of 8 yards or more.
“I thought we did OK with the (regular season) opportunities, but (offensive line coach) Andy Heck has done a great job designing runs and guys executing them,” Reed said. “The offensive line takes a lot of pride in doing what it does. They know it starts with them and they’ve been very precise with their blocking.”
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Even in the fourth coldest game in NFL history, when the temperature was minus 4 degrees at kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium against the Dolphins, Pacheco still rushed through multiple defenders with relentless aggression, including his 3-yard touchdown run. Ran the ball. His performance prompted many fans on social media to make exaggerated comparisons of his performance.
Before Wednesday’s practice, Pacheco shared his favorite.
“I thought, the funniest thing was when they say I run like I cut people,” Pacheco said, smiling and laughing. “I’m no zombie. Like, that was crazy. I think that’s a very good opinion. For me, it’s just being determined and understanding that I have a goal to achieve.”
Happy @isiah_pachecoRB Are you aware of the memes being made about his running style? pic.twitter.com/LgA8WeN1bV
– NFL (@NFL) 24 January 2024
Exactly a month earlier, Pacheco missed two games because he suffered another right shoulder injury, the same shoulder he injured during the Chiefs’ postseason run last year. Before returning to the lineup on Christmas Day, Reed had what he described as “clean-up” surgery, an arthroscopic procedure.
Since then, Pacheco has changed his routine after practice, making sure he gets as much treatment as possible from the team’s medical staff.
“Last year was the longest season of my career, so understanding that it’s another year, there was no offseason for me,” Pacheco said. “I had surgery, so it’s been an ongoing (process). I stayed in the building for a long time, was one of the last people to leave.”
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Pacheco did not participate in Wednesday’s practice because of a sprained toe, a decision Reed made as a precaution. Pacheco expects to play Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens and understands he might have 20 carries against the NFL’s top-ranked defense, which has allowed just 16.3 points per game.
“Protecting the ball is very important,” said Pacheco, who has only one fumble in five postseason games. “That’s the greatest part of the game, knowing that the team knows you’re going to run it.”
This Touchdown is 10/10 pic.twitter.com/IErEnUKWkp
– Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) 22 January 2024
Pacheco knows the ideal situation for him and the offensive linemen for Sunday’s game: a final drive in the fourth quarter where the mission is to get a first down that will ensure the win and send the Chiefs to Super Bowl LVIII.
After Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying 44-yard field goal after the two-minute warning on Sunday, the Chiefs still needed to gain another first down to eliminate all of their opponent’s timeouts. Pacheco outwitted two defenders to gain 8 yards on first down. The Chiefs won the game’s final first down on the next play, with Pacheco scoring on a 3-yard run up the middle.
“That’s what you want to do in that situation, let the coaches be able to put it on our shoulders,” Humphrey said of the offensive line. “I’m really proud of how the guys executed those two plays. Pop running really hard was also amazing to watch.”
Pacheco’s last two rushing attempts looked like his previous 13 attempts in the game, full of determination, toughness and hostility.
Before Pacheco left the stage on Wednesday, a reporter asked a question he’d heard before: Are you In fact Are you angry when you are running with the ball?
“Absolutely!” Pacheco responded immediately. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
(Photo: Katherine Riley/Getty Images)
