Chiefs can steal from 2024 SMU to get rookie RB Brashard Smith more involved on offense with pivotal game vs. Giants ahead
The Kansas City Chiefs must get rookie RB Brashard Smith more involved against the New York Giants in Week 3.
The Kansas City Chiefs have an opportunity to change their fortunes in the running game heading into Week 3 against the New York Giants.
The running game is currently unsustainable, with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes leading the team in rushing yards despite having less than half the carries. The Giants, through two weeks, are the NFL’s worst rushing defense. They’ve allowed 355 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 60 attempts, playing the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders. If there was ever a week for the Chiefs to pivot to rookie RB Brashard Smith in the running game, with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt simply not getting it done, this is the week to do it.
Smith’s opportunities actually decreased from Week 1 to Week 2, with fewer snaps on offense against the Philadelphia Eagles. Through two weeks, Smith has recorded a single carry. The play didn’t exactly set him up for success, either. Running Smith, in just his second year playing the running back position, behind a backup left tackle and a first-year left guard? It just feels like there might be a better use of a play call. That’s even before Jaylon Moore and Noah Gray doomed the play by going to block the same guy. Even if this play was perfectly blocked, I don’t know that Eagles DT Jordan Davis doesn’t make the play.
There’s no denying the Chiefs need more explosiveness from their running game, and Smith is the one on the roster who can provide it, but they’ll need to make some adjustments to better set him up for success. What better way to do that than to steal some of the plays where he found the most success in college?
Plays the Chiefs can borrow from 2024 SMU to get Brashard Smith going in Week 3 vs. Giants
Smith’s perceived cup of tea is the passing game, and why wouldn’t it be, as a former wide receiver? The Chiefs can certainly get him more involved in the ground game, despite the failures of the play mentioned above.
You’d think that at his size, he’d struggle to run between the tackles, but that’s not exactly the case. In college, I was actually quite impressed with his ability to read duo and find himself a rushing lane. That showed up against a much better and athletic Penn State defense.
We already know this exact play is in the Chiefs’ playbook, because they actually ran it in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles with Isiah Pacheco. The results were very different.
Really, the bread and butter for Smith is getting him in space. He can make plays happen there. That’s not always the easiest thing to do in the NFL, but he’s shown in college that he knows how to set up defenders and read his blocks to find that space.
Can you imagine that play, with a pulling Kingsley Suamataia leading the way? I sure can.
With a 0-2 start to the season and their backs against the wall, the Chiefs need to try something to ignite the offense. Why not get Smith more involved in the game plan based on what you’ve seen out of him in college?