Patrick Mahomes can see defenses respecting the Chiefs’ run game

(Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Through two weeks of the regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs have made a statement to the rest of the NFL: you'll need to respect our run gamethis season.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes could see the Indianapolis Colts had already gotten the message after the team's 220 rushing yards against the Denver Broncos in the season opener. During his press conference on Wednesday, Mahomes talked through the Colts' defensive attention on limiting the ground attack and running back Kenneth Walker.

You could even see the differences between Weeks 1 and 2," Mahomes said at the podium. The Colts saw how committed we were to the run game and how well it worked. You could tell they were putting assets into stopping the run, so whenever you're doing the play fakes and linebackers are in the line of scrimmage, it opens up guys over the top of them."

Andy Reid today on Patrick Mahomes' Week 2 performance: "I thought he did a good job of getting the ball out on time."

First 3 completions of the game are good examples. Quick, decisive throws; 2 of them set up well with under-center play-action pic.twitter.com/ZXvo0F8Fii

- Ron Kopp Jr (@RonOnChiefs) September 21, 2026

Mahomes noticed it early: two of his first three completions of the game came on plays that called for play-action from an under-center formation. Both times, the Chiefs' quarterback fired to an open target quickly because of the gravity of a potential handoff to Walker.

It's got to be a great balance that we have to have of being able to run it, run it, run it, then play-action at the right time," Mahomes explained. I thought Coach Bieniemy and Coach Reid did a great job of calling the perfect play action, the perfect movement plays at the perfect time, so that I had guys open for me to throw. We'll continue to get better and better at that and continue to run the football as well."

On Sunday night, 35% of Kansas City's pass plays were play action. That would have been the third-highest rate among all of the team's games last year.

In the two games in which the Chiefs ran play action more than 35% of the time in 2025, Kansas City won convincingly: against the Detroit Lions, 30-17, and the New York Giants, 22-9.

It just puts the defenses in a predicament," Mahomes elaborated. Just knowing they have to kind of choose if they want to come up and stop the run or if they want to try and stop the explosive plays from happening. That's what you want: you want defenses guessing; you want defenses having to make decisions they don't want to make."

It all stems from the willingness to simply hand off to Walker, the league's leading rusher in yards and attempts, through two games.

As an offense, I think we've done a great job of that these first few weeks," Mahomes said. If they're going to stay back, run the football; if they're going to come up, then play action, throw it over the top of them. I think if you can continue to do that and keep defenses guessing, you can continue to have success."

You want defenses having this tough decision," Mahomes remarked. Then you just kind of figure it out on the fly on which one you're doing that day."

Whether it's Walker or the pass game producing the explosive plays, they're happening, and the team will keep tweaking how to balance that attack week to week moving forward.