The Week 14 Sunday Night Football clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans is one of the biggest games of the season. With both teams in the thick of the playoff race, a win or loss could end up deciding how the season moves forward in its entirety.
For the Chiefs, it has been a glorious fall from grace, as the three-time defending AFC Champions stand out of the postseason bracket entirely and are at .500 entering Week 14. Unfortunately, in a must-win scenario, they have received a very underwhelming performance from Kareem Hunt.
What Happened to Kareem Hunt?
With the offensive line in shambles and another injury on the opening play, things have only gone from bad to worse for Kansas City. Against the best defense in the NFL, it was always going to be a long night for the offense.
But with the injuries, it became even more challenging to sustain a consistent passing attack. As a result, many believed it would be a rare run-heavy attack from the Chiefs to try to counteract the Texans’ defense.
Unfortunately, a scoreless first quarter did not allow them to get any movement. Moreover, in his second game back from a knee injury, Isiah Pacheco assumed lead back duties, and Hunt’s role diminished significantly.
That showed up on the stat sheet as well, with Pacheco getting five carries and adding 17 rushing yards in the period, while the veteran running back was given the ball just once, for a two-yard gain.
In the second half, though, with desperation mounting, the Chiefs were able to tie it up by scoring 10 points in the third quarter alone. Hunt was invaluable in the period as they made the run, registering just 13 yards, but gaining three first downs in the process, one of which landed him in the end zone for the lone touchdown of the game for Kansas City.
While not high in terms of production from a raw numbers standpoint, where Hunt was making his living was in short yardage situations, where he was a virtual guarantee to pick up the first down.
It gave an interesting wrinkle to the Chiefs offense, as he acted as the perfect safety valve in those situations, ranking at number 18 on PFSN’s RB Impact.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.Â
