For the Kansas City Chiefs offense, this week’s matchup against the Washington Commanders defense is a classic case of an irresistible force meeting a very movable object.
Simply put, the Commanders haven’t been very good at stopping anyone lately. They’ve been especially bad against the run, and for most opponents that would mean it’s time for the offense’s best running back to have a big day.
That may or may not happen with the Chiefs, however. Kansas City typically uses running back Isiah Pacheco as a change-of-pace back, and given coach Andy Reid’s love for the short passing game, he may stick with what’s been working, which is using explosive receivers like Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice to make plays.
Still, the opportunities to run the ball will be there. Washington's defense ranks 28th in scoring and 29th in total yardage, and coach Dan Quinn has talked about better tackling being the answer to that particular problem.
Quinn won’t be making lineup changes, though. The goal, he said in an ESPN piece written by John Keim and other contributors, is to get the defense to play faster.
"It's a good process to go through but the result has to be on the field," Quinn said. He added that the goal is less hesitation, "which increases speed, which increases the ability to go run and hit. That's the objective."
It’s a laudable goal, but playing fast against the Chiefs offense is a high-risk venture. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been spreading the wealth to his impressive group of receivers, and it’s anyone’s guess who will get the most touchdown opportunities this week.
As for Pacheco, he may get more opportunities than usual. Running back Kareem Hunt has been banged up with an ankle injury, so he may be spotted in this game if things go well for Kansas City.
The one thing the Chiefs can’t do, however, is let up. They found out what can happen a couple of weeks ago when they did that against an inferior opponent and let the Jacksonville Jaguars hang around, which led to a painful road loss.
Another thing working in Kansas City’s favor is the presence of backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. The goal will be to keep him contained in the pocket and force him to make longer throws, which has been Mariota’s big weakness throughout his career.
This game is at home, too, where the Chiefs are traditionally tough. They obviously need to take care of business, and assuming Kansas City comes out focused, the Washington defense has enough weaknesses to make this one a potentially easy win.