How Play-Action Has Opened Offense for Patrick Mahomes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs’ offense ended its preseason with an exclamation point against the Chicago Bears two weeks ago. It almost ended with disaster on the last play of the first quarter.

Running back Isiah Pacheco, primed for a career season after returning from a fractured fibula, darted through the Bears’ defense 13 yards toward the pylon on the far sideline. But when safety Jaquan Brisker pushed him out of bounds, Pacheco had no brakes. He slipped and smashed into the lightly padded wall at the 4-yard line.

Thankfully, as Arrowhead Stadium breathed a collective sigh of relief, he shook off the collision and returned to the game. And his return to explosive runs like that, beginning with Friday’s season-opener against the Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil (7 p.m. CT, YouTube, KSHB-TV 41, 96.5 The Fan), is paramount to the Chiefs returning to the Super Bowl.

Explosive runs lead to explosive passes

“They weren't great at that last year, explosive runs,” analyst Mina Kimes said on Tuesday’s edition of NFL Live. “I think that's a weakness Kansas City can exploit if Isiah Pacheco looks more explosive than he did last year.”

Aug 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) runs the ball during the first half against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Last year, he missed 10 weeks after surgery to repair that fractured fibula, a Week 2 injury that combined with Rashee Rice’s season-ending injury to paralyze the Chiefs. But now that Pacheco is back, the Chiefs love what he provides on early downs and how he complements veteran Kareem Hunt.

Mahomes over his career when using play-action

The play-action pass can also provide a nice complement to the Chiefs’ offense, especially opening the deep ball. Patrick Mahomes when using play-action has a 108.6 career passer rating and 8.3 yards per attempt. Without play-action, Mahomes’ respective career marks are just 100.7 and 7.6.

Hitting more shots downfield, like Tyquan Thornton’s 58-yard reception against the Bears or Xavier Worthy’s 50-yard score in Super Bowl garbage time can only happen with effective play-action, according to Dan Orlovsky.

“Okay, they want to get more explosive, take more shots down, hit more shots down the field,” he said Tuesday. “You can't do that in today's NFL if you aren't play-action-pass centric or have a freak on the outside. We know that they don't have a guy on the outside that is that problem.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is sacked by Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Poona Ford (95) in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The Chargers led 24-6 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I'm of the belief, as great as Andy Reid is, and as smart as Matt Nagy is, this offense schematically needs to evolve.”

A 5-10, 216-pound back out of Rutgers, Pacheco enters his fourth season with plenty to prove. Throughout training camp and the preseason, he’s been consistently explosive, reminiscent of the player he was before the 2024 injury.

Patrick Mahomes, Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster — Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates with wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) after Worthy’s touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

And keep in mind, when the Chiefs have the ball Friday, that the Chargers lost a big pillar in their ability to stop the run when nose tackle Poona Ford went cross-town to sign in free agency with the Rams.

“I'm looking at this Chargers defense,” Kimes added. “They were solid against the run last year, but the loss of Poona Ford looms large. They love to play with light boxes. He had the most run stops of any defensive tackle on the team.

“Now the question, of course, is who can go over the top? Is it going to be Xavier? Is it going to be Hollywood Brown? Can the offensive line protect Patrick long enough to do so? I think that's going to be key for them, though, because I would really like to see him take a few shots downfield.”

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