Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice carry the load in Week 17 win over Bengals
The Kansas City Chiefs got some standout performances from the exact players they needed it from in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Chiefs rookie WR Rashee Rice was the team's leading wideout on the day with five receptions for 127 receiving yards against the Bengals' defense. It was his second career 100-yard receiving performance […]
The Kansas City Chiefs got some standout performances from the exact players they needed it from in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chiefs rookie WR Rashee Rice was the team's leading wideout on the day with five receptions for 127 receiving yards against the Bengals' defense. It was his second career 100-yard receiving performance and it came at the perfect time for Kansas City.
His performance was aided by Isiah Pacheco's big game, with 18 rushing attempts for 130 yards on the ground, plus seven catches for 35 yards and a receiving touchdown. This is all after missing most of the practice week due to a concussion suffered in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He told reporters he only had one practice this week and didn't clear the protocol until Saturday afternoon.
The two players combined for 292 of the Chiefs' 373 net yards on the day. That's over 78% of the team's offensive production on the day. According to the Chiefs' PR department, it also marks the first time they've had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver since Pacheco and Travis Kelce hit that mark against the Los Angeles Chargers in November of 2022.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes spoke to reporters about what the big day from Pacheco and Rice meant at the moment and moving forward.
"That's guys stepping up and making plays happen," Mahomes said. "I thought the offensive line did a tremendous job in the run game. Then, obviously, Isiah (Pacheco), when he gets through there, he's gone. So, he did a great job.
"Rashee (Rice) made a lot of big plays, especially in the second half. That's what we're going to need when they have that much attention on Travis (Kelce) — for guys like that to step up and make plays happen. Like I said, I thought guys just continued with it. They didn't get down, they just continued the process and we were able to find a way to get a win."
If teams are going to do everything they can to limit Travis Kelce's greatness, what Mahomes said is entirely true. They need to have performances from guys like Pacheco and Rice to compensate for Kelce's erasure. Combine that with limiting turnovers, and this team is cooking with gasoline heading into the playoffs.
As we've seen throughout the 2023 NFL season, consistency has been an issue for this team. They'll look to keep the young guns rolling heading into the new year.
Chiefs make AFC West division history in Week 17 vs. Bengals
The Kansas City Chiefs have won the AFC West division for the eighth consecutive year and clinched their ninth consecutive playoff appearance.
