Forget the talk about defense or luck. The Kansas City Chiefs are 4-0 because they finally figured out how to run the football. For years, fans watched Patrick Mahomes carry a broken line on his back. Now, the numbers show a team built to win the ground game first. This isn’t a fluke. It is a complete system change that advanced metrics are just starting to catch up with.
The Run Game Is The Engine
Everyone expected a passing team. Instead, the Chiefs are running the ball with a purpose that feels new. Arrowhead Pride reports Kansas City holds the second spot in expected points added per run play with a value of 0.14. The only team ahead is the Buffalo Bills, who get help from Josh Allen running for himself. Kenneth Walker III is the reason for this shift. No running back surpasses his 10.9 cumulative expected points added total. His 537 total running yards easily lead the league. That is a massive gap over the next closest players. Bijan Robinson trails Walker by 43 yards. Even with a bad game, Robinson might not catch him yet. Walker’s presence forces defenses to respect the run, which opens everything else up.
Mahomes And The Play-Action Boom
The rushing attack has changed how Patrick Mahomes plays the game. He is not just scrambling anymore. He is using play-action more than he ever has in his career. Roughly 40% of the Chiefs’ offensive plays originate from under center. That is up from about 18% just last season. This shift elevated Mahomes’ play-action percentage on passing plays to a career-best 33%. The only other time he exceeded 30% was in 2018 with Kareem Hunt. His EPA per dropback sits at 0.17, which is up from 0.11 in the past two seasons. He is throwing deeper too. Recent seasons pale in comparison to his current 7.1 air yards per attempt. The offense looks different because the run game works. It is that simple.
Staying Focused On The Work
Some people are talking about records and MVPs. Walker does not care about that noise. He wants to win. Walker attributed his season-long even-keeled approach to “Really just ignoring the outside noise.” He knows the team needs to stay sharp during the bye week. “We’re gonna need them this season,” said Walker when talking about Mahomes and Travis Kelce, according to RG.org. The 37-year-old tight end is still playing at a high level with 16 catches for 246 yards. Walker praised Kelce’s conditioning and called him a great competitor. The team has the pieces to keep this going. They just need to keep doing the work. The stats prove the system works. Now they have to prove it lasts.
