NFL Playoffs 2019: One X-factor for each team in Conference Championships
By Randy Gurzi
Kansas City Chiefs: Damien Williams, Running Back
Yes, this game is all about the past and future meeting up as Patrick Mahomes meets up with Tom Brady. The young Mahomes has taken the league by storm this season with his highlight-reel passes and love for ketchup whereas Brady continues to be a dominant force just rolling out the wins.
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As much of a storyline as that will be, the Chiefs X-Factor won’t be the quarterback who will be asked to out-duel Brady, but instead the guy they’re going to need to keep the offense going is Damien Williams. The talented running back has been playing well and his task this weekend will be to keep the Chiefs from becoming one dimensional.
Despite the Patriots not being a dominant defense, head coach Bill Belichick has a history of taking away what you do best. In this case, he’s not going to shut down Mahomes, but he may know how to limit him. If that happens, Williams needs to be ready to step up his game and force New England to focus on him.
Since taking over for Kareem Hunt, Williams has done a fantastic job and in their last playoff game he was electric. He rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown as he made his way through the Indianapolis Colts defense with ease. Should he have similar success against the Patriots, the Chiefs offense as a whole will thrive.