Chiefs' run game hits stride vs. Bills in Week 6
Mike Florio and Peter King react to the Chiefs' big day on the ground in Buffalo, even before Le'Veon Bell's first snap.
Video Transcript
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MIKE FLORIO: "PFT" on Yahoo Sports, Peter King, Mike Florio, some of the biggest stories in the NFL and one of the best teams in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs, finding a running game, committing to that running game in very non-Andy Reid fashion Monday night against the Buffalo Bills. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had the big game. Pat Mahomes chipped in. They've got Le'Veon Bell coming on board too. Peter, was this just a matchup-driven outcome for the Chiefs where they recognized how bad the Bills defense is, especially against the run? Or is this a sign of things to come for the Kansas City offense?
PETER KING: I don't think it's a sign of things to come. I think it's Andy Reid saying, these are horrendous, horrific conditions to play in. It's like we're playing in northern Norway in December. It was ridiculous.
And so, you know, you look at the environment that you're in. And you say, if we can push around the Buffalo Bills, we're going to push them around. We're going to get back on the plane without straining Mahomes' arm or Tyreek Hill's feet, whatever he's got.
Doesn't it seem like twice a game Tyreek Hill comes up limping? I mean, you want to save him for games you're going to have to win. And who knows? Suddenly there's a bit of a competitive team in Denver with some defensive players we never heard of like Malik Reed, who might be hard to beat.
But let's get back to that running game just for one second. I think Andy Reid has tried to build teams over the years where when he has to do either, he can. And in this game, in Buffalo, he said, why should we go away from the run when every time I hand it to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, he's gaining seven yards? Why do that?
And by the way, did Clyde Edwards-Helaire look like he woke up Monday morning in the hotel in Buffalo, looked in the mirror, and said, I'll show them, I'll show Le'Veon Bell who should be still touching the ball 20 times a game even though he shows up? This is not 2017, Le'Veon. And that's what it seems like Clyde Edwards-Helaire was saying on Monday night with that performance.
MIKE FLORIO: Excellent observation, yeah, nothing like the looming arrival of Le'Veon Bell to get more out of the rookie who had leveled off, to say the least, after that week one performance. He ends up having the best game of his young career. And Le'Veon Bell is coming to give him some rest so they don't have to lean too hard on Edwards-Helaire. Same skill set, different body, a lot larger. And we'll see what he has left in the tank.
You know, they got LeSean McCoy last year. And they weren't happy with him. By the end of the year, he was inactive for all the big games. So if Le'Veon Bell doesn't really fit, if he's not getting it done, if he doesn't live up to the level they want, we won't see much Le'Veon Bell. It's all up to him. But he will play this coming weekend when they play those Denver Broncos.
And, you know, Peter, I like the fact that they've learned to be patient. For Andy Reid, even when he's had the team that could run the ball when he needed to, he still didn't want to run the ball. He would stray away from it. And Patrick Mahomes has had to learn to be patient.
And, you know, he explained after the game, he had some RPOs where he just kept handing the ball off. And I'm sure he was confident, if I keep the ball and throw it, I'll be fine. But to get him to buy into it as well, I think, is part of it. Because he's got to have that utmost confidence that he can always find a way to move the chains with his legs or his arms.
So I think it was a great developing for Chiefs team that needed to get resettled after losing to the Raiders. And now they are. The challenge for them always seems to be though, Peter, against the teams that don't get their full focus. Can they be as dialed-in as they were last night against the Bills and three weeks ago against the Ravens?
PETER KING: I started, thinking when I saw them trade for Le'Veon Bell, Mike, I started thinking back to opening day 2017 when Kareem Hunt in his first NFL game demolished the New England Patriots, including on that one pass play out of the backfield, I think against Dant'a Hightower, you know, the 70-something yard touchdown. And that is Andy Reid.
He wants the guys in his backfield to be able to be proficient, explosive receivers. Now, I don't know that I'd call Le'Veon Bell's speed explosive, because it isn't. But I think he's a crafty runner. And I think he's a good add to that team right now.
And as far as what the Chiefs have left, I think this game in Denver is going to be a very interesting test for them. Because Denver built its team to try to be like Kansas City. We'll see if they can be.
MIKE FLORIO: And we'll see you next time for "PFT" on Yahoo Sports. He's Peter King. I'm Mike Florio. Have a great day.