The Kansas City Chiefs were victorious on Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but suffered a setback with one of their best running backs.
Isiah Pacheco rushed six times for 18 yards before exiting in the second half with a rib injury.
The Chiefs dominated at Acrisure Stadium from the start. Patrick Mahomes tossed two first quarter touchdowns, and the success in the passing game only grew against the Pittsburgh defense.
Pacheco attempted to bounce back after backfield mate Kareem Hunt outperformed him in Week 16. The workload appeared to be even through the first half, but Hunt finished with nine carries for 20 yards and one touchdown.
The Chiefs locked up the AFC No. 1 seed with the 29-10 victory over the Steelers, and home-field advantage throughout.
Isiah Pacheco is the Chiefs’ No. 2 running back
Since Pacheco returned from injury, the Chiefs appear to be rolling with the hot hand in the backfield that is Hunt. He now has recorded a touchdown in each of the last two games.
Pacheco was likely left out of the game as a precaution. The Chiefs held the comfortable lead which didn’t require Pacheco to rush himself back onto the field.
His status will be monitored, but the good news for Chiefs fans is that he will have extra time to rest for their divisional matchup.
