Kenneth Walker III’s Week 1 dominance gives NFL play-callers food for thought

“Running backs don’t matter,” said someone who didn’t watch Kansas City Chiefs star Kenneth Walker III run all over the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football.” 

In a 31-10 home win, Walker ran for a career-high 173 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries. Kansas City finished with 220 yards rushing and 172 passing. 

Switching from a pass-happy offense led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a ground attack powered by Walker represents a major shift for the Chiefs — one other NFL play-callers should consider following.

Football Kenneth Walker III’s Week 1 dominance shows why teams still need to establish the run 

“A team must establish the run” is a football cliche that analysts constantly say on TV and podcasts, and it may make some fans roll their eyes. But it still rings true, especially in the modern NFL with the prevalence of split-safety (or two high) and disguised coverages.

Split-safety coverage is when two safeties drop deep to prevent explosive plays. Think Cover 2 in the video game “Madden.” Disguised coverages are when a defense shows one coverage post-snap and then switches pre-snap (i.e., when a safety moves from the deep area to the middle of the field).

“I was talking to [offensive coordinator] Pete Carmichael about some of things we used to see when we were in New Orleans,” Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady told CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco before the season. “At the time, it was as hard as can be. I look back on it now, and it wasn’t that hard compared to what they do today.”  

Those more complex coverages have contributed to a decline in scoring since 2020. That season, teams averaged a league-record 24.8 points per game. In 2025, those figures dipped to 23 PPG.

The best play-callers, which include Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, are finding ways to counter. He’s starting by using personnel that help his team run more. 

Per Summer Sports, the Chiefs ran 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) on 31.34 percent of their plays in Week 1, No. 7 in the league. For those wondering why the number of TEs matters, they block better than wide receivers. Kansas City ranked third in rushing attempts (38) behind the New York Jets and Chicago Bears (39). 

Speaking of the Bears, HC Ben Johnson likes TEs even more than Reid. Per Summer Sports, Chicago ranked sixth in rate of plays run in 13 personnel (15.71 percent) in Week 1. This grouping features one running back and three tight ends. 

That worked brilliantly for Chicago, which set a franchise record for points in a season opener in a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. The Bears rushed for 291 yards in that contest, the most in Week 1.

A strong run game forces defenses to commit to stopping it, pulling more defenders into the box and limiting disguised coverages. It also wears these units down, worsening tackling. Next Gen Stats credited the Broncos with 28 missed tackles against the Chiefs, allowing 247 yards on such plays, the most in a game since at least 2018.

Not all teams have a back who can carry the rock like Super Bowl LX MVP Walker (a former Seattle Seahawks star), but they should still consider following the Chiefs’ game plan. It’s one reason they’ve already reestablished themselves as an early championship contender after missing the playoffs in 2025. 

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.