The Kansas City Chiefs‘ 19-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday saw Isiah Pacheco in action for the first time since Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, and Andy Reid was satisfied with his performance.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the Chiefs head coach made it clear that he liked what he saw from the third-year running back, who spent time on the sidelines with a fractured fibula.
“Yeah, that was great. I thought that was a positive,” Reid said, via ChiefsWire. “It was good to get (Isiah) Pacheco some reps in there. I thought he did a nice job when we had an opportunity to run.”
Despite being out for months, the Chiefs gave Pacheco significant workload on Friday. The 25-year-old had as many carries (7) as Kareem Hunt, who took over during his absence, though he posted more rushing yards (44), mostly thanks to a 34-yard run.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) is introduced before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
Reid not so happy with Chiefs’ running game vs Raiders
Kansas City didn’t run the ball that much against the Raiders though, as the team only used Hunt and Pacheco for a combined 14 running plays in Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season. Reid later explained he felt more comfortable with calling for passes.
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“We weren’t doing too good with it. I felt – the way they were playing, they were bringing an extra guy. I felt like we were better off with a short passing game, which was working; we were going up and down the field,” Reid said. “We just weren’t doing very good in the red zone – we were struggling with the runs early, so that was a decision I made.”
Isiah Pacheco thanks Hunt, Reid after first game since injury
Needless to say, the 25-year-old was happy to be back on the field at Arrowhead. During his postgame press conference, Pacheco sent a clear message to Hunt and Reid now that he’s back.
“Yes, hats off to him [for] stepping up,” Pacheco said of Hunt. “It’s been a tough run. He’s been awesome leading the room. Everyone’s been following the leaders. Most importantly for me, just pinpointing details in the meeting room for when I had the opportunity to get out and show my ability. Focus on the details: the chips, the check-downs, just the little things that would make my game a little bit better today.”
Of course, the player also took a moment to share his feelings on being fully recovered: “It felt awesome just having that moment to get that contact again. I’ve been missing it. I’ve been backed up on anger, so being able to let that anger out on the field, it was a blessing.”
