The Chiefs Will Thrive Even Without Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Early in the second half of the Kansas City Chiefs' 36-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire landed hard in his shoulder and exited the game thereafter. He then underwent some preliminary testing on the Chiefs' sideline before heading to the locker room and being ruled out by the end of the third quarter. He's now "week-to-week" with a bruised shoulder.
Staying healthy has been an issue for the Chiefs' 2020 first-round pick, as Edwards-Helaire suffered an ankle injury in his rookie year and a knee injury this season prior to his most recent ailment. To this point, even when he's on the field, he hasn't made the impact expected of a player the Chiefs spent a premium pick on. Mark Van Sickle of Arrowhead Report joined me on Monday's Roughing the Kicker podcast as we talked about the Chiefs' big win, along with why the team should be just fine without its starting tailback.
In Edwards-Helaire's absence against the Steelers, the Chiefs' other running backs performed well. Darrel Williams toted the ball 11 times for 55 yards, in addition to hauling in three passes for 30 yards. Derrick Gore had 12 carries for 43 yards — just a 3.6 yards per carry average — but several of his runs came when the Chiefs were running the clock at the end of the game. Gore also had 61 receiving yards, including a monster 50-yard catch down the field.
The Chiefs will never come out and say that they trust Williams more than Edwards-Helaire, but actions do sometimes speak louder than words. In 2020, the latter was frequently pulled off the field in favor of the former on third downs and in two-minute drill situations that required a pass-catching back or a reliable pass protector. While Edwards-Helaire has been given a longer leash in 2021, Williams has still played a significant role within the Chiefs' situational offense.
Williams leads all Chiefs running backs in scrimmage yards. Gore is responsible for two of the team's most explosive runs and passes of the year. Losing Edwards-Helaire is a blow to the Chiefs' offense, but all is far from doom and gloom. Kansas City is in a unique position: It has a pair of competent running backs who are ready to assume larger roles. The return of Jerick McKinnon from the injured reserve list may also be on the horizon. Whether Edwards-Helaire misses one game or multiple contests, it doesn't matter a ton in the grand scheme of things — the Chiefs will still thrive.
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