[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=none image=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
The Kansas City Chiefs were dealt a favorable hand this week with Aaron Rodgers being ruled out as of Wednesday, but their pursuit of excellence continues in earnest ahead of their matchup against Green Bay.
Of particular interest is the team’s run game, which seemed to turn a corner against the Giants on Monday, spearheaded by third-year back Derrick Gore. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy sees major potential in the ground attack moving forward, and as a former running back himself, he told reporters on Thursday about the talent accumulated on the roster this season. Speaking both of the backs and their offensive line creating holes in front of them, Bieniemy was complimentary of the unit’s performance against New York, seeming confident that they’d be able to keep momentum through the coming weeks.
“There are lanes to be found,” He said of the developing strategy on the ground. “Our guys, I thought they did a heck of a job last week. How about Darrel (Williams) doing what he did, not only as a runner, but also as a receiver out of the backfield. Then, young DG (Derrick Gore) steps in and does a heck of a job, scores his first touchdown. Our O-line is doing a heck of a job in the run game, and our guys are doing a great job of finding the seams.
“We just need to continue that, and we need to continue building off that. The good thing was that we found a way to overcome adversity last week, which you want to build upon that. So, we want to take the small necessary steps to help us to re-gain our stride—to get us back in our stride again, as Frankie Beverly & Maze would say—so we can achieve the goals that we want to achieve, because there’s still a lot of football left to be played.”
The line has struggled at times in pass protection, but to Bieniemy’s point, their efforts in blocking the running game have been second to none. Extrapolating on the line’s play through eight weeks, he stopped short of saying they were a finished product, but seemed confident in the trajectory of the unit, especially given their age and inexperience.
“These guys, we’ve got three of them, Creed (Humphrey), my man Trey (Smith) and then Lucas (Niang) who started last week, all those guys are young guys. Those guys are going to play a lot of good football together,” Bieniemy said, “We knew exactly what we were getting with those particular kids and those young men, and they’re going to continue to get better.
“The thing I love about what they do, first and foremost, the leadership that they have from the top with Coach Heck, he does a great job. Then, on top of that, the culture that is built in that room, those guys have a unique relationship and it’s fun to watch.”
Bieniemy will have his work cut out for him against the Packers’ defense this week, but has the tools to do something very special with an offense that won’t have to keep up with a future Hall of Famer on the other side. A win this weekend would put Kansas City above .500 for the first time since Week 1, and could potentially put the Chiefs in the position to get back in the AFC playoff picture before Thanksgiving.
[listicle id=108524]