We need to talk more thoroughly and more focused about this specific addition. I can't remember a more fringe midseason addition having this kind of impact on the team.
How unlikely all of this is and seems.
After re-watching the last couple of games, I think I can comfortably say that age-29, sitting-on-the-couch-weeks-ago, 2024 Kareem Hunt has helped transform this offense, along with the incredible play-style flexibility of Mahomes and Andy Reid.
This is a guy who was run out on a rail for lying to the owner's face, seemingly banished from KC forever as an example to all players, it would seem, to do whatever you need to do in the world but you always shoot Clark Hunt straight.
And we add him back, albeit in desperation. This offense was supposed to be a high octane machine, but we no longer had the ability to field an effective WR corps due to injury, and then we lose our best RB as well.
So we add Hunt to somehow alleviate the situation. But what he did was transform it.
The Chiefs were already on their way to playing more conservative, possession-passing offense with lots of running when they added Hunt due to all of the injuries they were sustaining. They were as efficient as you could hope for, but the offense was looking bogged down, with Kelce lagging in production and the LT position dragging the entire offense down.
Adding Hunt has somehow, some way, allowed the Chiefs to effectively play the style they were already trying to play. They are converting third downs at historic rates, they are winning time of possession by entire kilometers now rather than losing time of possession, which they did for the first few years of Mahomes. They regularly have six-, seven-, eight-minute drives and drain the will of defenses.
It's a complete about-face from what they wanted to play this season, and I think it's really only as efficient as it is because Hunt is playing so well. You can put that on Thuney/Creed/Trey as well, but nobody after Pacheco was playing this well behind that line. Kareem's allowed this transition to thrive in KC.
The addition of Hopkins only allows them to be more efficient, and when December/January arrives, when Pacheco will be back to split carries with Hunt (maybe even taking most of them away), it wouldn't surprise me if Hopkins was the more impactful midseason acquisition when it's all said and done.
But we need to commemorate this moment, and remember what Kareem allowed this team to do in the middle of the season, while our injuries was hollowed out so much of our offensive talent, and yet the team kept winning with the offense putting up good statlines.
I just never would have bet on any of that happening. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Couch-Potato:
Shocked he’s not getting more attention from talking heads for his contributions.
He’s only averaging 3.7 YPC. He’s carried the rock 111 times and his longest run has only been 15 yards.
He’s insanely valuable to us but that sort of steady-as-she-goes production isn’t really ESPN newsworthy.
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
Since we picked up Kareem, on 3rd or 4th and short,, in obvious run situations, do you ever have any doubt lately we are going to convert? I dont think that is some strange coincidence. Kareem is a freaking DAWG. His vision, short area quickness/slashing and absolute DESIRE to convert first downs is off the charts. Im not calling him Marcus Allen but I'm not so sure there is another back in the league I'd want back there on 4th and half a yard with your season on the line. Absolutely huge addition for a franchise that has struggled with short yardage offense for years now.
I believe we’re currently #1 in rushing “success rate”. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
He’s only averaging 3.7 YPC. He’s carried the rock 111 times and his longest run has only been 15 yards.
He’s insanely valuable to us but that sort of steady-as-she-goes production isn’t really ESPN newsworthy.
I believe we’re currently #1 in rushing “success rate”.
I'll have to find the chart, but I saw some data where Kareem Hunt is basically in a league of his own this year in terms of having basically no "explosive" runs, but at the same time one of the lowest negative yardage rates of any running back in the league. Can probably glean a lot of different things from that, but my interpretation is he is very, very reliable at getting us those 1-3 yard gains when we need them the most. [Reply]
Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S:
I'll have to find the chart, but I saw some data where Kareem Hunt is basically in a league of his own this year in terms of having basically no "explosive" runs, but at the same time one of the lowest negative yardage rates of any running back in the league. Can probably glean a lot of different things from that, but my interpretation is he is very, very reliable at getting us those 1-3 yard gains when we need them the most.
Yep, I saw the graph. And I think that plays into our high “success rate”. IIRC, it’s measured by how well teams gain 40% of the yards required on 1st down, 60% of what’s required on 2nd down, and 100% of what’s required on 3rd and 4th down. [Reply]
It’s almost like Clark said Hunt could come back but ride him like a rented mule.. It’s awesome that he can handle the work load but hopefully he can hold out till Pop gets back to split the carries.. [Reply]
We're on pace to run the ball over 500 times this season. Just for comparison, last season KC ran the ball 417 times, the year before about the same, and the again the year before that. Andy has completely flipped the script of this offense. He went from running just around 35% of the time a couple seasons ago, to just under 50% of the time in 2024. And I would bet a stack of house payments as tall as me that that doesn't happen if not for Kareem. [Reply]
We will be investing some draft capital in the RB position. Would love a 3rd or 4th rounder. Easy to make the roster and contribute right away. [Reply]
Originally Posted by gordonelloyd:
Once we have Pacheco back, if we haven’t run hunt down completely, we are going to have a RB tandem that rivals Detroit. We can just run the ball down anyone’s throat and that’s how we should continue to play the game until they load up the box. And then , with the addition of Hopkins and the maturation of worthy that I hope will keep coming, we will have a passing game that is unstoppable especially if we get brown back. I think it’s too much to hope to get rice back, but that would certainly be an added bonus.
Don’t forget about Kelce and JJSS on the field with Dhop and Worthy. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Direckshun:
We need to talk more thoroughly and more focused about this specific addition. I can't remember a more fringe midseason addition having this kind of impact on the team.
How unlikely all of this is and seems.
After re-watching the last couple of games, I think I can comfortably say that age-29, sitting-on-the-couch-weeks-ago, 2024 Kareem Hunt has helped transform this offense, along with the incredible play-style flexibility of Mahomes and Andy Reid.
This is a guy who was run out on a rail for lying to the owner's face, seemingly banished from KC forever as an example to all players, it would seem, to do whatever you need to do in the world but you always shoot Clark Hunt straight.
And we add him back, albeit in desperation. This offense was supposed to be a high octane machine, but we no longer had the ability to field an effective WR corps due to injury, and then we lose our best RB as well.
So we add Hunt to somehow alleviate the situation. But what he did was transform it.
The Chiefs were already on their way to playing more conservative, possession-passing offense with lots of running when they added Hunt due to all of the injuries they were sustaining. They were as efficient as you could hope for, but the offense was looking bogged down, with Kelce lagging in production and the LT position dragging the entire offense down.
Adding Hunt has somehow, some way, allowed the Chiefs to effectively play the style they were already trying to play. They are converting third downs at historic rates, they are winning time of possession by entire kilometers now rather than losing time of possession, which they did for the first few years of Mahomes. They regularly have six-, seven-, eight-minute drives and drain the will of defenses.
It's a complete about-face from what they wanted to play this season, and I think it's really only as efficient as it is because Hunt is playing so well. You can put that on Thuney/Creed/Trey as well, but nobody after Pacheco was playing this well behind that line. Kareem's allowed this transition to thrive in KC.
The addition of Hopkins only allows them to be more efficient, and when December/January arrives, when Pacheco will be back to split carries with Hunt (maybe even taking most of them away), it wouldn't surprise me if Hopkins was the more impactful midseason acquisition when it's all said and done.
But we need to commemorate this moment, and remember what Kareem allowed this team to do in the middle of the season, while our injuries was hollowed out so much of our offensive talent, and yet the team kept winning with the offense putting up good statlines.
I just never would have bet on any of that happening.
