Where Could Chiefs Attack Eagles With Run Game?

Embed from Getty Images
The Kansas City Chiefs are not a team that relies on the run game to be their difference maker on offense. Andy Reid has notoriously designed his teams to throw the ball all around the yard, ever since he became a head coach. That has not changed in Kansas City. But at the same time, the Chiefs may have found the most balance and success with that running game this season.

It was not always consistent or the most productive. However, the Chiefs appear to have found the right mix of players to make their running game flow smoothly. Rookie seventh round pick Isiah Pacheco is a perfect complement to the passing attack, due to his blend of power and quickness. Elsewhere, Jerick McKinnon may be the best style of runner when Kansas City is looking to win with speed in the open field.

This Chiefs rushing attack did not have the most impactful performance in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. How can they make a bigger difference in Super Bowl LVII? Plus, what do the Philadelphia Eagles present as an opposing run defense? Let’s kick it off.

Weak Link?

If there is any weak link of the Eagles defense, it may very well be the run defense. Philadelphia finished the regular season ranked in the middle of the pack in rushing yards allowed (16th) and rushing touchdowns allowed (17th). Furthermore, the Eagles were in the bottom ten of the league in yards per carry allowed (24th). If you include their two postseason games, Philadelphia has actually allowed an average of 119.3 rushing yards per game.

Overall, the Eagles are incredibly fast and physical all throughout their defense. The occasional issues with their run defense appear to be fairly simple. For instance, the Eagles have been susceptible to missed tackles out in space. We saw just that in the NFC Championship Game during Christian McCaffrey‘s electrifying touchdown run. Other items like filling gaps, taking proper angles and deconstructing blocks have been up and down for this Philadelphia run defense. Perhaps, the Chiefs look to attack that a bit more often than most imagine.

Meeting Their Match

Embed from Getty Images
Due to those issues on run defense, the physicality and speed of the Eagles can possibly be met by Kansas City. Pacheco takes pride in running through weak tackle attempts. Meanwhile, the rookie from Rutgers has improved throughout the season, in terms of reading and feeling out blocks. That could lead to him exposing Philadelphia defenders on off-tackle runs.

On the other hand, McKinnon is just as dangerous in between the tackles, as he is in the open field. His long speed and burst speak for themselves when he can spring free. Though, it is impressive to see how smooth McKinnon can be in short areas. He can sneak in behind blockers to pick up tough yards up the middle. Or, McKinnon will look to bounce and change directions, allowing him to pick his poison while defenders have to adjust in space on the fly.

New Faces May Emerge

Embed from Getty Images
Largely, much of the running game will likely run through the aforementioned duo of Pacheco and McKinnon. Coach Reid seems to have plenty of trust in that pairing entering the biggest game of the year. Yet, it would not be surprising to see the Chiefs throw in some sporadic wrinkles with other faces. That is especially true, when you consider what all Coach Reid may dial up. You could see some new faces emerge in the run game for the first time. Additionally, there is a possibility of an older face reemerging, to boot.

Veteran running back Ronald Jones was not used much this year. We did see him sprinkled into the offense late in the season, however. We know how dangerous Jones can be for tacklers to corral, if he gets rolling. We could also see some touches for a returning Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Kansas City activated him off of the injured reserve list yesterday. Perhaps, the Chiefs give him a few opportunities. Most of all, the options could be endless for the gadget weapon that is Kadarius Toney. It would not be shocking to see him get some carries against the inconsistent Eagles run defense, either.

Living On The Edge

So, where could the Chiefs ultimately do the most damage when attacking the Eagles with the running game? Kansas City may be most lethal when looking to stretch things to the outside edges. As mentioned above, the Chiefs were unable to find their footing as a rushing attack in the AFC Championship Game against Cincinnati. Kansas City managed just 42 rushing yards against the Bengals, good enough for just 2.1 yards per carry on 20 carries.

Credit goes to the Bengals, as they worked downhill efficiently against the run game. Nevertheless, Kansas City was still pretty vanilla with their run play calls. That does not mean that the Chiefs should totally change their rushing attack against Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII.

Some changes you could see include more outside zone stretch runs to the outer edges of the offensive tackles. Moreover, we may see Kansas City utilize some jet sweeps, tosses and counters. Despite not being the main focus of the offensive attack, the Chiefs run game could be a major benefit to Kansas City’s odds. That is especially true, with a determined running back room and offensive line against the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs Super Bowl LVII articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.