Kansas City’s running backs absolutely blew the doors off the Denver Broncos on Monday night, with Kenneth Walker leading the charge like a true revelation. The Chiefs’ dominant Week 1 win was largely fueled by these guys creating missed tackles all over the field, and Walker’s individual stats are already turning heads across the league.
Walker’s Numbers Are Legitimately Insane
Let’s just talk about Kenneth Walker for a second. The dude was unstoppable. He posted a ridiculous 60.9% tackle avoid rate in Week 1, which was second only to Bucky Irving. But get this: he also averaged an absolutely bonkers 7.78 yards after contact per rush attempt. Yeah, you read that right. That stat also ranked second in the entire league, just behind Kyle Monangai. Walker wasn’t just good, he was making defenders look silly, forcing them to miss tackles left and right, and racking up yards even when they *did* manage to get a hand on him. It’s clear he’s a game-changer right out of the gate, and watching him run against the Broncos, you knew something special was brewing.
Emmett Johnson’s Bell Cow Touch Total Has Everyone Buzzing
And then there’s Emmett Johnson. If Walker was the revelation, Johnson was the workhorse nobody saw coming, at least not to this extent. This guy racked up a stunning 26 touches in the game, even though he barely played in the fourth quarter when the Chiefs already had things locked down. That’s bell cow usage, plain and simple. Johnson might not have forced as many missed tackles or been quite as efficient as a pure rusher as Walker, but he was picking up chunks of yardage, including 44 yards on just two receptions. He made multiple Broncos defenders look foolish on those plays, proving he’s got incredible versatility. The chatter is already loud: Johnson looked like a true RB1 himself, with a real shot to challenge for that top spot if this kind of usage keeps rolling. He’s clearly the top waiver wire add for anyone not set at running back right now, and he looks perfectly suited to step into a huge role if needed. Brashard Smith, meanwhile, spent the night on the sideline and didn’t get a single touch.
What This Means For the Chiefs’ Backfield Battle
The success of these two backs highlights just how wild Week 1 was for the entire running back position. We saw six different RBs score at least 30 PPR Fantasy points, another six hit 20+, and nine more clear 13 points. It was a huge week! But for the Chiefs, what this means is they might have one of the most dynamic backfields in the league. With Walker showing elite tackle-avoiding and yards-after-contact skills, and Johnson proving he can handle a massive workload and be a receiving threat, Kansas City’s offense just got a whole lot scarier. They can beat you with power, speed, or versatility out of the backfield, and that’s a nightmare for defensive coordinators. Keep an eye on these two, because if Week 1 was any indication, the Chiefs just unleashed a pair of absolute studs.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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