Upon Further Review: The Chiefs’ Jumbo Commitment To Run Game Pays Dividends

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) — The Kansas City Chiefs had already gone 3-for-3 in short-yardage situations Monday night. But when they needed a yard on a fourth-and-1 early in the second half at their 40-yard line, they went to the sideline for not just two extra offensive linemen, but new nose tackle Khyiris Tonga as well. Chiefs coach Andy Reid didn’t hesitate, calling for his jumbo package and adding 950-plus pounds of blocking from the sideline as they held a 14-7 lead over the Denver Broncos. They needed a yard from running back Kenneth Walker III, and on a night where he exceeded all expectations in his Kansas City debut, he gave them 60, running to the end zone for the signature moment in a resounding, welcome-back 31-10 victory. “The moment he got the edge, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it in practice. I saw it all last year in the playoffs. Once he gets the edge, he’s gone,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of his new teammate, signed from the Seattle Seahawks after earning Super Bowl MVP honors. “That’s what I’m talking about, be able to run physical like that but still be able to bounce it whenever it’s necessary and get going.” Walker finished with 173 rushing yards, not only a career high but the most yards a Chiefs player has rushed for in the Mahomes era, since Jamaal Charles went for 226 in a 2012 game. Kansas City made it clear from the start they wanted to assert their offense on the ground, giving Walker seven carries on the opening drive to introduce him to the home fans and the rest of the NFL. “I knew they were going to crash in, so when they crashed in, I just bounced it out,” Walker said. “I was one-on-one with the corner, I outran him and it was off to the races from there. “[The big role] means a lot. It means they trust me. It’s good to feel that way. When we first came out, we got the fourth down and we still ran the ball – they trust the run game and trust what we can do, we just want to keep stacking on that.” One of those bonus linemen on the 60-yard touchdown was Josh Ezeudu, acquired from the Giants at the end of preseason for a 2028 seventh-round pick, and he’s quickly learned how much his new team values owning the line of scrimmage. “I’ve only been here about three weeks now, but something that’s emphasized here is being physical,” Ezeudu told me. “We’re going to run that motherf—ing ball. I’m sorry, but it’s something we take pride in.” The headline Monday night was Mahomes’ triumphant return after missing the end of last season with a knee injury, but the news was the Chiefs’ run game and what it could do to cement their return to the NFL’s top tier of playoff contenders. Tonga was signed away from the New England Patriots, where he enjoyed cameos on offense last season, playing 18 offensive plays as an imposing fullback. One of them was a fourth-and-1 in the AFC Championship Game against those same Broncos, helping Drake Maye move the chains. “I’m just there whenever they call my number. I’m ready whenever,” Tonga told me. “I enjoy it. I’m just glad I’m on the field any time they have success.” Backup tackle Jaylon Moore, also part of the jumbo package, said those plays are where the Chiefs can establish their identity with toughness and physicality, and even if it only yields a single yard, it’s always in high-leverage situations. “We can assert ourselves and get a yard when we need it,” Moore told me. “It’s cool. We’re adding a thousand, a million, I don’t even know how many pounds that is.” Even with just a regular line blocking for him, Walker was a real spark for the Chiefs against Denver. Locked in a 7-7 stalemate just before halftime and facing a third-and-10, Mahomes connected with Walker for an 11-yard conversion, and Walker followed with a 28-yard run to set up the go-ahead touchdown. Could he be a difference maker for the Chiefs? They haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Mahomes’ rookie year in 2017, and they haven’t had a back go over 100 yards in any of their last 16 playoff games, dating back to their Super Bowl victory in the 2019 season. Mahomes has seen the newfound offensive balance as a potential missing piece since Walker arrived. “I told you all, literally, like first press conference. Y’all were asking, what’s the difference with our offense? And I said, K9 (Walker),” he said. “Like, it’s just that simple. It’s the way he’s able to run the ball, catch the ball … it’s just a special ability to run the ball tough between the tackles and then when he does bounce it, he has the speed to go all the way and so we’ll utilize him.” Walker, in just one game with the Chiefs, can also appreciate being able to run the ball against a defense that wants to stop him but must also account for the threat of a former MVP like Mahomes. He finished the game with 191 yards of total offense; the Broncos finished with 176 as a team. “Definitely. They have to key in on Pat,” Walker said. “He’s the best quarterback in the league, so you can’t just get on the run game or he’ll throw the ball over your head. And he can run. He’s just a threat either way, so he makes the run game a lot easier.” As NFL dads go, Jeremiah Trotter Sr. might be as proud as they come. Trotter was in the car on the way to Philadelphia to see his son Jeremiah Jr. make his season debut with the Eagles on Sunday when he was watching his younger son Josiah’s NFL debut on his iPad, which was punctuated by an interception returned for a touchdown for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Cincinnati Bengals. “If I tried to explain it, I couldn’t put into words how proud I am of them boys,” Trotter, himself an NFL linebacker who made four Pro Bowls in 11 seasons from 1998-2009, told me. “I’ve been there throughout the whole process, all the work and sacrifices they’ve made, and to see them doing what they love to do, to get to this level, a lot of things have to fall into place. They’re carrying on a legacy and it makes me super-proud when they make a play and drop the axe, showing homage to me. That’s the utmost respect and it means the world to me.” Josiah Trotter became the first player in NFL history to get both a pick-six and a sack in his NFL debut, adding a game-high 10 tackles and two tackles for loss. Jeremiah, a third-year linebacker who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles as a rookie, had two tackles on special teams in the Eagles’ win Sunday. Their dad can now pick a game every weekend to cheer for his sons in person. When the Eagles are home, it’s a half-hour drive from their home in New Jersey. But this coming week, the eldest Trotter will fly to Tampa to see Josiah’s home debut with the Bucs, where Jeremiah Sr. played a single season in 2007. “I see how serious he takes the game, how professional he is, doing things the right way,” his father told me. “You don’t skip any steps, and you’re not going to find anybody that works harder than him. I’m proud to know that all those conversations stuck with him.” Much like Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and his father Antoine Sr., the Trotters talk constantly. “Every day, all day,” Trotter Sr. told me, saying his conversations with his sons take place before practice, between meetings, and constantly talking about football and playing linebacker at the highest level. Josiah’s position coach, Mike Caldwell, played linebacker with Jeremiah Sr. for their first four years together in Philadelphia, and Dad is also glad his son has a veteran next to him in Alex Anzalone, remembering both his days with a mentor and as one as well. “I’ve been the young guy and I’ve been the old guy,” Trotter Sr. told me. “It means a lot to Josiah, too.” Early in his days in Philadelphia, he remembers William Thomas telling him if he got a certain look and faked like he was dropping to the left, Drew Bledsoe would throw the ball directly to him, and sure enough, “by George, he threw the thing right to me.” For now, the only question for father is which son he’s able to go see each week — in theory, Josiah and Jeremiah Jr. could meet up in the playoffs, and the Bucs and Eagles are scheduled to play in Philadelphia in 2027. You’ve heard by now about Week 1 outliers, like the Las Vegas Raiders beating the New England Patriots and J.J. McCarthy outdueling Caleb Williams in Chicago last year. In each of the last four years, at least one team making the conference championship game lost in Week 1, including the 2022 San Francisco 49ers (13-4) losing to the Bears (3-14). It’s certainly true, but Week 2 games are early enough to also produce strange outcomes. Last year, four teams that would go on to win division titles — including the Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars — lost to non-playoff teams in Week 2, more than any other week in the 2025 season.