The Chiefs first-round pick of the 2020 NFL draft, Clyde Edwards-Helaire stormed through the Texans defense rushing for 138 yards along with a touchdown.
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Clyde Edwards-Helaire stood out from all the other rookies, making a big impact in his first game with the former SuperBowl Champions.
Chiefs fans were unsure if Edwards-Helaire could replace Damien Williams at the running back position, but Helaire stood his ground being the highlight of the game.
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How good was Edwards-Helaire?
Rookie NFL RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire carried a heavy workload, with 25 rushing attempts racking up 138 yards and a touchdown. The last time a single running back had 25 carries in the Chiefs’ offense was back in 2018, so its been a while since the Chiefs had a heavy run game going.
He is currently the rushing leader, being the only running back to rush for more than 100 yards this week. As per ProFootballFocus –
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How will the Chiefs use him in the future?
The Chiefs opened their season heavily depending on the running game but will this happen every week? This team is typically known as a pass-first team, as they should be with star QB Patrick Mahomes taking the snaps. Mahomes had a big night as well, completing 75% of his passes and throwing 3 touchdowns.
When Andy Reid spoke to the media this week, he confirmed that he wanted to get Edwards-Helaire and the run game going against the Texans. Chief’s head coach Andy Reid told reporters –
“We wanted to kind of get the run game going, is what we wanted to do. I think that was important to get him used to the speed of the game. But at the same time, you want production. You’re striving to put points on the board. So, a little bit of everything there that you mentioned—yeah, part of it was we got in there and it was working so we stuck to it. On the other hand, it was also good to get our young back some carries and experience, which I thought was important. “
Even in their Super Bowl-winning season, the Chiefs struggled to find a good balance between the run and pass game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire seems to be providing that balance, at least through the first week of the season.
Reid liked what he saw in the Chiefs, and as long as Helaire is productive there’s no reason not to run the ball. So fans should continue to expect the Chiefs having both a dynamic pass game, as well as a ground attack.
Is it very possible that he leads the NFL in rushing yards this season.
