Kansas City Chiefs: 3 predictions vs. Chargers in Week 15

2. Kansas City Chiefs reborn running game

One quality that every great football team needs to be able to do traditionally is run the ball well. We have entered December and as the weather gets wetter and colder, picking up easy yards is essential. In recent years, the Chiefs have defied conventions and done it all without much of a running game to speak of.

Defensive schemes exposed weaknesses in the Chiefs’ arsenal opening this season. Whilst the Chiefs were punished by sloppy play and a lack of execution on the passing side of things, a lack of a rush option really hurt their ability to keep leads and effectively manage the game clock.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire has started to show the promise that saw him selected as a first-round pick in 2020, but his status as an elite option is very much in doubt especially given the interruption in playing time due to injury.

However, his absence from the team has allowed RB2 Darrell Williams to show his worth. The Chiefs currently rank 4th in rushing offensive yards per game, with an impressive 168.7 yard average over the last 3 games. Williams has shown surprising power alongside a knack for picking the right gaps in the absence of the main running back. It has allowed a more balanced game plan to emerge.

Edwards-Helaire himself has 458 yards in 8 games, averaging almost 60 yards per game. Whilst not amongst the very best of the NFL, these yards are crucial to give the pass-heavy offense room to breathe and help manage the game.

With both of these running backs playing above their previously demonstrated ability, the Chiefs finally have an answer to a question that has stumped them from the beginning of this era of highlight football.

This game’s second key prediction will be the Chiefs rushing game gaining twice the yards that the Chargers can manage.