The Kansas City Chiefs are sitting pretty at 3-0 after beating the Miami Dolphins, making them one of just five NFL teams yet to drop a game this season. But for all the national media hype ranking them high, there’s a growing whisper about the man carrying their offense and what happens if he hits a wall.
Mahomes Is Back, But Walker Is Carrying the Load
Patrick Mahomes is tied for second in the league with seven passing touchdowns, and The Athletic says he looks as scary as ever, especially with Kenneth Walker III in the backfield. Mahomes is even using play action at his highest rate ever, at 32.1 percent. He went 20-of-24 for 246 yards against those surprisingly plucky Dolphins, keeping them at bay. NFL.com thinks the Chiefs didn’t even need to fully exert themselves, calling it a “professional win” against an “undermanned” Dolphins squad, and noted they even decreased Walker’s touches for the game. Pro Football Talk thinks the Chiefs are just “playing with their food before winning easily.” CBS Sports is already calling for those who “buried them” to admit they were wrong. Yeah, they’re feeling good, rising from 4th-6th up to 2nd or 3rd across various power rankings.
K-Walk’s Electric Start And The High-Stakes Worry
Kenneth Walker III is absolutely exploding out of the gate. He’s got the second-most total fantasy points among running backs this season, piling up 442 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns in just three weeks. ESPN research points out he’s the first player in franchise history to have two games with a rushing and receiving touchdown within the first three weeks. The dude leads the entire league in rushing with 360 yards, averaging a ridiculous 120 rushing yards per game! Remember his impressive postseason run helping the Seahawks win the Super Bowl? Well, he’s showing that same fire, and then some. USA Today says he’s unlocked the AFC’s top-ranked offense. But here’s the kicker, and Yahoo! Sports called it out: what happens if Walker, who’s currently “carrying the offense,” wears down? He’s shouldering the biggest workload of his career right now, and if he misses time, there “isn’t much else around him” for Mahomes to work with, especially with Xavier Worthy being surprisingly quiet, only managing 18, 25, and 20 yards in three games. That hope for Worthy to break out? It’s dwindling.
The Chiefs roll into Las Vegas next for a huge one against the unbeaten Raiders, a battle for first place in the AFC West. While they are riding high, that Walker workload is definitely something to watch. Meanwhile, back here in the Emerald City, our Seahawks battled hard but ultimately fell short, losing 33-31 to the Washington Commanders. What a heartbreaker, Hawks! We gotta get back on track.
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.
Leave a Reply