The Kansas City Chiefs added running back Kenneth Walker III this offseason with the hope of opening up their struggling rushing game, and Patrick Mahomes has been one of the biggest beneficiaries so far.
The Chiefs are leading the NFL in offensive yards per game through the first two weeks of the NFL season, with Walker gashing defenses and opening up new opportunities for the passing game. The team announced that Mahomes set a career passing record in the team’s overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts — and it came thanks to Walker’s impact.
Patrick Mahomes Set Career Record in Sunday Night Win
In a post on X, the Chiefs noted Mahomes has been rolling so far this season. The veteran quarterback went 32-of-48 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns, marking the 19th game of his career with at least 350 passing yards and three scores — best in the NFL since he became the team’s starter in 2018.
The team added that Mahomes completed a career-high 14 play-action passes in the 33-30 overtime win.
The team cited the NFL’s NextGen Stats, which showed just how efficient Mahomes was on play-action passes against the Colts.
“Patrick Mahomes completed 32 of 47 passes for 382 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Chiefs’ Week 2 win, recording a career-high 14 completions on play-action passes,” the post noted. “He totaled 137 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 play-action attempts.”
Kenneth Walker III’s Hot Start
The Chiefs took a big swing when they signed Walker, fresh off his Super Bowl MVP performance with the Seattle Seahawks. He has become the team’s primary running back, a status that eluded him in Seattle, and leads the NFL in rushing yards with 290 and yards from scrimmage with 369. Walker also has a league-leading 47 carries through the first two weeks.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said the team is happy to keep feeding Walker the ball, which allows promising rookie running back Emmett Johnson the chance to get acclimated to the NFL without a big workload in his way.
“Well, I think the way I look at it is … that’s part of the equation, but the other part is allowing Emmett to grow,” Reid said, via Pro Football Talk. “And so, I think Emmett will continue to get more snaps and then it’ll take a little bit of load, off Kenny, but he wants that ball. He wants a ball every play, Ken does, and he’s not asking to be relieved or anything else.
“But I think as it goes on, you get a nice balance with those two in there and then it keeps them even more fresh as the season goes on.”
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