Copyright Newsweek
The Kansas City Chiefs will be in action in Week 9 when they travel to take on the Buffalo Bills in a huge game in the AFC playoff race. The Chiefs enter the game winning five of their last six games, and the offense led by Patrick Mahomes is clicking like it hasn't in a couple years. The rushing attack has also been playing much better as of late, but the group was dealt a blow when Isiah Pacheco suffered a sprained MCL in the Monday Night Football win against the Washington Commanders. Pacheco is expected to be out week-to-week with the injury, and Reid announced that he is out on Sunday. That leaves just Kareem Hunt and Brashard Smith as the active running backs, and the Chiefs made the decision to activate Clyde Edwards-Helaire from the practice squad. Edwards-Helaire played his college football at LSU where he was a huge part of the 2019 national championship team with Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow. During that final season, he rushed for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns. He entered the 2020 NFL Draft after his junior year, and he was drafted by the Chiefs with the No. 32 pick. He had an impressive rookie season, as he finished with 1,100 total yards of offense and scored five touchdowns. He spent the first four seasons in the NFL in Kansas CIty, before spending last year in New Orleans. Edwards-Helaire signed with the Chiefs practice squad on August 28, and will be on the sidelines Sunday. Early in the season, the Chiefs were really struggling when it came to running the ball. Mahomes was by far leading the team rushing the ball and they couldn't extend drives. However, things have changed the last few weeks. Hunt may not be the big threat he was early in his career, but he has shown an uncanny ability to extend a drive on third or fourth and shorts. The Chiefs have become one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL, as they have converted a league-high 14 fourth downs. Smith, a seventh-round pick out of SMU has also become more involved in the offensive game-plan. He was a receiver for much of his career in college, but switched to a running back and has become very dynamic in the screen game. While it is hard to imagine Edwards-Helaire has a huge role in the game on Sunday, he is very familiar with the playbook and provides much needed depth.
