Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday was a refreshing and nostalgic sight. After a season last year that saw the Chiefs have success winning 15 regular season games and advance to their third straight Super Bowl, there was some concern in the air prior to kickoff Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs had not looked like themselves in the first three games of the season, and going back to that contest in New Orleans in February.
Against the Ravens, Patrick Mahomes and the offense resembled what Chiefs fans had grown accustomed to. By the 4th quarter Mahomes had produced four passing touchdowns, the first time he had accomplished that feat since October 2023, and all of Chiefs Kingdom was buzzing as Kansas City improved to 2-2.
One of the big reasons was the return of potential breakout star Xavier Worthy who was injured on the opening drive of the season in Brazil. Worthy made his mark, leading the team in both rushing and receiving on the day, while opening up the field to allow three of his fellow receivers to catch touchdown passes.
While the wide receivers look to be turning the corner, with more help on the way once Rashee Rice completes his suspension, the run game is still stuck in the mud in Kansas City. Through four games Patrick Mahomes leads the Chiefs in rushing, something the Chiefs and their fans do not want to see continue over the course of the season. Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have both provided power running and electric plays in previous seasons, but at the time being, have not shown it this year.
One player who could provide a spark in the backfield is 7th round rookie running back, Brashard Smith. The former SMU Mustang was first team all-ACC last season. Smith has experience catching the ball out of the backfield and running between the tackles. In the victory over Baltimore, Smith saw his biggest workload thus far in his NFL career. The rookie tallied 7 touches on 4 carries and 3 receptions for a total of 36 yards. Post game, I asked Smith about his growing contributions.
While those numbers may look inconspicuous, after asking Andy Reid about his opportunities, I believe Smith could become a key part of the Chiefs offense and quickly.
The Chiefs will be in Jacksonville Monday night and I will be interested to see if #24 can keep stacking solid performances on the field.