The Kansas City Chiefs’ run game against the New York Jets wasn’t just good, it was clinical. Those backs absolutely gashed the Jets for 155 yards on 27 carries, averaging a sweet 5.7 yards per carry, and punched in two touchdowns. What’s wild is their longest run of the entire day was only 13 yards. Think about that: no huge breakaway plays, just consistent, surgical efficiency with a 55% success rate. That kind of ground attack transforms an offense, man.
The Trenches Dominated, Period
Let’s get real, you don’t put up those numbers without the big boys up front doing work, and the Chiefs’ offensive line was straight up impressive. Look at center Creed Humphrey, creating serious displacement on the 1-technique, getting that push and stopping him from collapsing inside. That’s textbook stuff. Then you got left tackle Kahlil Benson and left guard Kingsley Suamataia on the backside of a run, just fantastic. Suamataia delivers a solid punch, and Benson drives his hips into the defender’s outside shoulder, taking him right into the linebacker. Boom! That opens up a huge cutback lane for Kenneth Walker. It was a masterclass in run-blocking and scheme. On another play, they ran weakside zone, and Humphrey again created horizontal movement on the nose. Benson, man, he was dominant, cutting off the backside by getting around the three-technique, which is never an easy block. This kind of backside dominance is absolutely critical in a zone run scheme.
Kenneth Walker: The Game Changer in the Backfield
The value of having a player as dynamic as Kenneth Walker in the backfield is huge, and he proved it against the Jets. There was a shortside toss where Jets outside linebacker David Bailey was all over it. That play should have been a one- or two-yard gain at most, maybe even a loss. But Walker, with his incredible ability to get all the way backside and make multiple defenders miss, turned it into something way more. That’s rare, folks. He puts an insane amount of pressure on a defense horizontally. You’re not always going to get the perfect run call against the defense, but having a back who can mitigate those moments, who can create something out of nothing, has completely transformed that offense.
The Chiefs have clearly rediscovered their under-center run game this year, and they used it brilliantly. On one outside zone play from 13 personnel, Benson actually got stonewalled by the frontside defensive end at the start. He did a good job sustaining his block, but there was no frontside gap. Then BAM! A massive gap opened up on the backside because right tackle Jaylon Moore and right guard Trey Smith absolutely annihilated the three-technique, driving him vertically. That created an easy cutback for Walker to hit. Being able to run both directions, frontside or backside in zone blocking, is an underrated part of a great run game, and Kansas City’s offensive line, with guys like Moore and Benson, shows they can do it.
This Chiefs’ run game isn’t just a complement to their offense, it’s a weapon. When you’re racking up 155 yards and two scores without a single run longer than 13 yards, you know they’re doing something right. That kind of relentless, surgical ground attack keeps defenses guessing and sets the tone. This is the kind of consistency that makes a team dangerous deep into the season. You can bet other teams are watching that film and knowing they’ve got to bring their A-game against these guys.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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