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Isiah Pacheco is furious and has fueled the Chiefs' rushing attack in the playoffs

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – His hands clenched into fists and his biceps flexed. Running back Isiah Pacheco stomped down the Kansas City Chiefs sideline, his message punctuated by his demonstrative voice.

“Ay, bring that damn energy!Pacheco shouted to his attacking teammates, many of whom nodded in agreement. “Bring that s-! Bring that s-!”

A few minutes later, the Chiefs began the second half of their divisional round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, the first time Pacheco had played in a road elimination game in his young, two-year career. Trailing the Chiefs by four points, Pacheco helped them score touchdowns on back-to-back drives by doing what has made him one of the NFL's most distinctive players: every time he touched the ball, he ran with anger, intensity and brutality.

Pacheco's running style was instrumental in the Chiefs' advance to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth straight season. He led all players with 97 rushing yards on 15 attempts, a significant number of those yards gained after the first defender made contact with him.

Sixty percent of Pacheco's carries ended with him going over the expected distance, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, the highest percentage of all qualified running backs in the divisional round.

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As Pacheco entered the end zone early in the fourth quarter on his 4-yard touchdown run, which turned out to be the winning score, he called another message to leave Donovan Smith and Travis Kelce behind.

“They can't come with us!Pacheco said. He continued to encourage his teammates as he reached the sideline, saying:Everything you have! Everything you have!”

In the Chiefs' two postseason victories, over the Bills and Miami Dolphins, Pacheco has backed up his words with dominant performances.

His teammates have also taken their play to the next level. The Chiefs' rushing attack, an area of ​​the offense that was inconsistent at times during the regular season, was exceptional in the playoffs. The offensive linemen – Smith, left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith, right tackle Jawaan Taylor and backup guard Nick Allegretti – were the superior group in the trenches. And the Chiefs' three tight ends — Kelce, Noah Gray and Blake Bell — have all improved their blocking.

“I'm proud of how resilient the boys have been,” Humphrey said. “We've had a bit of a slump, but the boys kept pushing and we've improved, which is really good to see.”

Entering the playoffs, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and quarterback Patrick Mahomes recognized that the Chiefs offense would need a simpler approach to limit mistakes in the postseason. The easiest way for coach Andy Reid and Nagy to accomplish that was to give Pacheco a bigger role in the offense by increasing his workload. Pacheco's 39 rushing attempts in the playoffs are the most he has had in a two-game span this season. He's been effective with those touches, too, producing 186 yards and two touchdowns — and eight rushes of 8 yards or more.

“I thought we did a good job with opportunities during the (regular season), but (offensive line coach) Andy Heck does a great job designing the runs, and the guys executed them,” Reid said. “The offensive line takes a lot of pride in what they do. They know it starts with them and they have been very precise with their blocking orders.”

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Even in the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, with a temperature of minus-4 degrees at kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium against the Dolphins, Pacheco still ran the ball with rugged aggression through multiple defenders, including his three-yard touchdown. His highlights prompted many fans on social media to make exaggerated comparisons when they saw him perform.

Before Wednesday's practice, Pacheco shared his favorite.

“The funniest thing to me was when they said I run like I bite people,” Pacheco said, smiling and laughing. 'I'm not a zombie. That was crazy. It's a great opinion to have, I think. For me it just means being determined and understanding that I have a goal to achieve.”

Just a month ago, Pacheco missed two games as he suffered another right shoulder injury, the same shoulder he injured during the Chiefs' postseason run last year. He underwent what Reid described as a “clean-up surgery,” an arthroscopic procedure, before returning to the lineup on Christmas Day.

Since then, Pacheco has adjusted his post-practice routine so that he receives as much treatment as possible from the team's medical staff.

“Last year was the longest season of my career, so understanding that this is the second year, there was no offseason for me,” Pacheco said. “I had surgery, so it's been an ongoing process. I (stayed) longer in the building because I was one of the last to leave.”

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Pacheco did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a sprained toe, a decision Reid made as a precaution. Pacheco expects to play Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens and understands he could have 20 carries against the NFL's top-ranked defense, which has allowed just 16.3 points per game.

“It's very important to protect the ball,” said Pacheco, who has fumbled just once in five postseason games. “That's the biggest part of the game, knowing the team knows you're going to play it.”

Pacheco knows the ideal situation for him and the offensive linemen for Sunday's game: a final drive in the fourth quarter, where the mission is to get the first down that would secure a victory and send the Chiefs to Super Bowl LVIII to steer.

After Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a potential tying 44-yard field goal after the two-minute warning Sunday, the Chiefs still needed to get a first down to exhaust all of their opponent's timeouts. Pacheco ran through two defenders and gained 8 yards on the first down. The Chiefs got the final play first on the next play, a three-yard run up the middle from Pacheco.

“That's what you want to do in that situation, let the coaches put it on our shoulders up front,” Humphrey said of the offensive line. “I'm really proud of the way the boys executed these two plays. Pop running really fast was also great to see.”

Pacheco's last two rushing attempts were similar to his previous thirteen in the game, full of determination, ferocity and hostility.

Before Pacheco left the stage Wednesday, a reporter asked a question he's heard before: Is that you? Real angry when you run with the ball?

“Absolute!” Pacheco responded quickly. “I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

(Photo: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

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