In the history of the NFL, it’s not unheard of for a rookie to come into the biggest game of the year and be a contributing factor.
We’ve seen it time and time again, including just two years ago, when Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie safety Antoine Winfield Jr. made a huge interception off Patrick Mahomes that helped close out Super Bowl LV.
This year’s game, however, may be the rare occasion when a late-round rookie comes in and dominates the game, and Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is the man for the job.
The Chiefs will need to keep the ball away from one of the most explosive offensive units in the entire league, and to do that, it will be imperative to run the football. Towards the end of the regular season and onward, Pacheco has been the leading man in the Kansas City backfield, and with good reason. His incredible burst and physical running style have put an exclamation point on an already dangerous offense, allowing them to come out with a dynamic variance in how they execute their attack.
One of the areas where the Eagles’ defense has been susceptible is their rush defense, which ranked 18th in the league during the regular season. The Chiefs may be keen to hand the ball off to Pacheco to keep the ball away from Jalen Hurts and churn out the game, leaving the occasional third down or big play in the hands of Mahomes and the passing game otherwise.
Pacheco has shown he can handle the pressure, as he has been a huge factor in Kansas City’s playoff run, racking up over 180 scrimmage yards in their two playoff games so far. The rookie may ultimately be the not-so-secret weapon for Andy Reid and this Chiefs offense, and we could see a historic day for the seventh-round pick, who probably could only imagine such a scenario on draft night.
