Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco runs like he is angry. And he is not running away from that label either, the former Rutgers football standout instead embracing his running style.
On the season, Pacheco has 935 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. But in the playoffs, Pacheco’s hard running has helped the Chiefs advance to Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
On Sunday in a win at the Buffalo Bills, Pacheco had 97 rushing yards on 15 carries with a touchdown. He churned out 11 hard, angry yards to kill off the game for the Chiefs.
A seventh-round pick of Rutgers in the 2022 NFL draft, Pacheco earned the starting job midway through his rookie season and hasn’t looked back. At Rutgers, he was an All-Big Ten selection his senior year.
Asked this week during a media session, Pacheco said that angry running is the way he plays.
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“Absolutely. Through everything that’s been in front of you, understanding the week has been a long process,” Pacheco told reporters.
“Being prepared, understanding the scheme and willing to do whatever you got to do to get the job done is leaving it all out there on the field with no regrets.”
If the Chiefs are going to win at the Baltimore Ravens this week, then it is likely they will need a big contribution from Pacheco.
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Through two playoff games this postseason, Pacheco has 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
A few angry runs for Pacheco would go a long way towards the Chiefs booking a return to the Super Bowl.
“They say I run like I bite people. That was crazy. That was one of the funniest ones,” Pacheco said.
“Saying I run like I bite the ground, bite the grass. It’s a great opinion, I guess to have. For me, it is being determined and understanding that I have a goal to achieve.We want to get the job done.”