The Chiefs’ explosive run game is not being talked about enough, and it\u2019s going to define this team in 2026.<\/p>\n
Not just because they want to. Because they have to.<\/p>\n
With Patrick Mahomes<\/a> coming back from injury, you can\u2019t ask him to carry the entire offense early on. That means the run game has to be more than just \u201cthere.\u201d It has to stay on schedule, and more importantly, it has to create explosive plays. A piece of the offense that has been missing for years.<\/p>\n When you go back and watch this offense the last two seasons, the issue isn\u2019t just efficiency, it\u2019s explosiveness.<\/p>\n Over 2024 and 2025, this was one of the least explosive rushing attacks in football. With around 20 explosive runs across that span, and barely any runs over 20 yards last season.<\/p>\n When you are not explosive, it changes how defenses play you.<\/p>\n Linebackers don\u2019t hesitate, and safeties stay deep. Everything tightens up, and every drive has to be perfect. That\u2019s not how you want to operate, even with a quarterback like Mahomes.<\/p>\n This is exactly why the Chiefs’ explosive run game has to improve.<\/p>\n Now here\u2019s where fans might get it wrong with Kenneth Walker III<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re expecting 25\u201330 carries a game, that\u2019s not happening. He\u2019s only rushed for over 1,000 yards twice<\/a> in his career, and he\u2019s consistently been part of a two-back system. But that\u2019s not a weakness. That\u2019s part of why this works.<\/p>\n That two-back system has helped manage Walker\u2019s wear and tear throughout his career. He\u2019s taken fewer unnecessary hits. He\u2019s stayed fresh deeper into games and later into the season. And because of that, when he gets his chances, the burst is still there.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what you\u2019re buying into, the impact, not the volume.<\/p>\n Once he gets rolling, you get into what he does best.<\/p>\n Being a big playmaker. A running back who doesn\u2019t need 25 touches to change a game. Only some space and the right look up front.<\/p>\n During this past season, he had 10 runs over 20 yards, and over his career, he\u2019s produced over 30+ runs of 20-plus yards<\/a>.\u00a0 Plus, with his two fumbles. He became a rare playmaker. A tone-setter.<\/p>\n And if this offense can get just one of those explosive runs per game, the Chiefs’ explosive run game becomes a real problem for defenses.<\/p>\n This is where Eric Bieniemy’s<\/a> coming back is so important. It isn\u2019t just about calling more runs. It\u2019s about designing them the right way and holding the standard.<\/p>\n Because let\u2019s be clear, Andy Reid<\/span><\/span> is still going to call plays. That\u2019s not changing.\u00a0 But Bieniemy\u2019s role is in the details. The install. The emphasis. Making sure what\u2019s called actually gets executed the way it\u2019s supposed to.<\/p>\n And that matters more than people think.<\/p>\n One of the biggest issues with this offense last year wasn\u2019t just scheme but consistency. Things slipped. Details weren\u2019t always there. Whether that was drops, timing, or execution, it showed up on tape. Bieniemy is going to be different.<\/p>\n He\u2019s not just bringing ideas, but accountability. Making sure guys aren\u2019t just lining up, but doing their job the right way every time. That\u2019s how you turn a good play call into an explosive one. And he\u2019s seen what that looks like when it works.<\/p>\n Look at what the Chicago Bears<\/span><\/span> did in 2025. They jumped to 67 runs of 10+ yards<\/a> and became one of the more explosive rushing teams in the league.<\/p>\n That didn\u2019t just come from calling runs. That came from commitment, from details, and from putting backs in position to get downhill, reach the second level, and create chunk plays.<\/p>\n Now you bring that mindset back into a system with Andy Reid<\/a>, and it starts to make sense.<\/p>\n Running the football is not just the running back’s job. It\u2019s how you build around him.<\/p>\n Looking all over the league, you see teams getting into these looks:<\/p>\n Why? It creates better angles in the run game and forces defenses to declare their intentions.<\/p>\n With Xavier Worthy<\/a>, Rashee Rice<\/a>, and Travis Kelce<\/a> on the field, defenses can\u2019t just stack the box. Now they\u2019re in conflict.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where the run game starts to breathe, and where the Chiefs’ explosive run game can finally take shape.<\/p>\n Walker doesn\u2019t need to be the workhorse, nor should he be.<\/p>\n He\u2019s at his best in a rotation. But this is where Emmett Johnson comes in.<\/p>\n Johnson is coming off a season with over 1,400 rushing yards and nearly 400 receiving yards. He can handle touches, he can catch the ball, and he can keep the offense on schedule. He also had is share of explosive plays, even with a 70-yard run against Iowa<\/a>.<\/p>\nPound the Rock: Why the Chiefs’ Explosive Run Game Has to Change<\/h2>\n
The Real Problem: No Explosive Runs<\/h3>\n
Kenneth Walker Isn\u2019t a Workhorse, and That\u2019s a Good Thing<\/h3>\n
Where Eric Bieniemy Changes Everything<\/h3>\n
How the Scheme Helps the Run Game (Not Just the Back)<\/h3>\n
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Now This Is Where It Gets Interesting: Enter Emmett Johnson<\/a><\/h3>\n