Brashard Smith might pull the ultimate plot twist on Chiefs fans
To say that the Kansas City Chiefs' run game has been disappointing so far this season would be an understatement. Fans knew that entering the season with a beat-up Isiah Pacheco and aging Kareem Hunt probably wasn't the best approach to having a legit rushing attack but alas, that's what Brett Veach and the Chiefs opted to do.
In the Chiefs' first two games of the season, Pacheco and Hunt have combined for a measly 28 carries for 94 yards and zero touchdowns. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes has stepped up his running game, tallying 123 yards and two touchdowns with his legs. While everyone loves a good quarterback run, every time Mahomes takes off and run with the football, he's opening things up for injury and that'd be the worst case scenario for this team.
The Chiefs need someone to help their run game that isn't the quarterback. While some might think the best course of action would be for K.C. to find help on the open market or trade, what if the answer is already on their roster?
Kansas City spent a seventh-round pick on Brashard Smith in this year's draft and he hasn't been given many opportunities to do much of anything in his first two games with the team. He had one carry for two yards in the loss to the Eagles but that's been it for Smith. Obviously the team drafted him and kept him on the roster for a reason and with Hunt and Pacheco not being productive, why not give the rookie a shot to show what he can do?
Brashard Smith deserves a chance to spark Chiefs run game
Smith had an excellent senior season at SMU in 2024, rushing for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns and averaging 5.7 yards a carry. Not only was he fantastic in the run game but Smith made a difference as a pass-catcher too, tallying 39 receptions for 327 yards and four scores. He was a playmaker for the Mustangs and Andy Reid should give him a chance to replicate that production at the pro level.
It's been unfortunate to see the Chiefs not running the ball well in their first two games but it's also not all that surprising given the lack of effort they put into the running back position this offseason. Pacheco hasn't been the same since his injury and Hunt is 30 years old and declining. The writing was on the wall here.
It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, however. Give Smith a shot and see what the rookie can bring to this offense. Maybe he ends up struggling but he also could end up giving the rushing attack the spark it needs for this offense to be more creative and productive.
Sam LaPorta Confident Lions Can Mount Comeback vs. Baltimore
The Detroit Lions remember their last trip to M&T Bank Stadium well.
In that game, which occurred during the 2023 season, they were beaten soundly over the course of four quarters. The Ravens pounced early while the Lions' offense sputtered, with Lamar Jackson leading four touchdown drives to open the game.
Before the Lions got a first down, they were in a 28-0 hole. Ultimately, the Lions were trailed 35-0 after three quarters and lost 38-6.
This isn't something that's easily forgotten, and tight end Sam LaPorta is eager to avoid such a disastrous start when they travel to Baltimore for Monday Night Football.
“Reflecting back on the 2023 loss with the Ravens, yes, I felt like we were outperformed. We were out (performed physically), we definitely didn’t play complimentary football," LaPorta said. "We had two three-and-outs on offense to start the game on offense, so we’d touched the ball six times on offense. We looked up and we were down 21-0. So definitely not complimentary football at the end of the day.”
A better start is undoubtedly key for the Lions' offense, which has had two very different performances in their first two games this season.
Along with a fast start, LaPorta wants the team to weather the storm should they encounter a flurry of early points from Lamar Jackson and the explosive Ravens offense.
The Buffalo Bills proved that a comeback is possible even late in the game, as evidenced by their late rally to beat the Ravens in Week 1 of this season. As a result, LaPorta is confident that the team could do a similar maneuver if they in fact find themselves in an early drought.
“We have to start faster. And I don’t want to say we hit the panic button too early, but we definitely were a little frantic. We know that we’re a great team. We were a good team back then too," LaPorta said. "A 21-point deficit isn’t the end of the world. You saw the Bills come back with, what was it, like 15 points in 10 minutes against them? It can be done against great teams, and we know that we can do that if we find ourselves in that position, which we definitely won’t.”
Selfless culture
The Lions' offense exploded for 52 points last week in a performance that has been somewhat of a norm over the last three seasons. Several skill players had big days, but the overall improvement of their pass protection was also a major factor.
LaPorta caught three passes for 26 yards, but also had some impressive pass protection moments that allowed him to make a strong impact even when not being featured in the passing game.
This mindset of embracing doing the dirty work as a run-blocker is shared throughout Detroit's receiver and tight end room, with the Iowa product praising the selflessness of the group. He cited a big block from wide receiver Kalif Raymond as a key example from Sunday's game.
“Absolutely, there’s a lot of selfless individuals on this team. I say this frequently, but there’s a lot of mouths to feed. You see a lot of wideouts getting involved in the run game," LaPorta said. "Kalif Raymond, coach Campbell reflected on the game the other day, and on the trap block that Jahmyr ran down our sideline for like 40 yards, Kalif had a fantastic block that you’d probably never hear about unless you sat down and really watched the tape and reflected on it with the entire team. So yeah, we expect everybody to block that’s out there touching the field.”
In addition to the performance of the skill players in the run game, LaPorta credited the improvements made by the offensive line. Additionally, he spoke highly of tight end Brock Wright's performance as a pass protector.
“I think a lot of guys took a great jump from Week 1 to Week 2, starting with the offensive line," LaPorta explained. "They played outstanding last week. You saw 180 yards on the ground, protecting the quarterback the entire game. Again, Brock and I were involved in with protection a lot. We thought we did a great job, too.”
