Chiefs' RB Kareem Hunt shares how he's always ready for whatever the team needs and credits his chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ playmaking style. He previews the tough, playoff-like challenge of playing in Buffalo. By Tammy Ljugnblad
The Chiefs signed run-stuffing tackle Mike Pennel in the nick of time.
Starting with Sunday’s road battle against the Buffalo Bills, each of the Chiefs’ next four games features a matchup against one of the NFL’s top four leading rushers.
First up: Buffalo’s James Cook, who is coming off a 216-yard performance on the ground in the Bills’ victory over the Carolina Panthers. He is averaging a league-best 107.6 yards per game and also tops the NFL in average yards per carry (six) and yards before contact (269).
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook dives over the goal line against the Chiefs during the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Dominick Williams/file photo dowilliams@kcstar.com
After Buffalo, the Chiefs have their off-week bye. Then they return to take on the Broncos and running back J.K. Dobbins, who currently ranks third in the league with 79.3 rushing yards per game.
Next up after that are the Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Taylor (106.3 ypg average), followed by the Dallas Cowboys and Javonte Williams (79.1 ypg).
The Chiefs have fared well against the run this season, ranking 11th. Their past three opponents have averaged just 61 rushing yards per game. The Chiefs won those games comfortably, so those opponents largely abandoned the ground game as they fell behind in the second half.
Here’s a great stat: The Chiefs haven’t allowed an opposing running back to rush for 100 yards in a game since the Las Vegas Raiders’ Zamir White did so on Christmas Day 2023.
But any of the running back bell cows the Chiefs will face over the next month is capable of hanging a big number on KC, starting with Cook.
“This is a dynamic runner,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said of Cook. “We’ve played against a bunch of them this season ... this one may be the tops of the crew.
“He can capture the edge. He can convince an edge defender he’s going inside, and boom, get outside of him.”
Cook’s biggest outing against the Chiefs came in his most recent game against them. In last season’s AFC Championship Game, he rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 49 yards in Kansas City’s 32-29 victory.
Here’s what else to watch when the Bills and Chiefs clash Sunday in Orchard Park, New York, in a game scheduled to kick off at 3:25 Central Time on CBS (Channel 5 in KC).
Chiefs player to watch: RB Kareem Hunt
The Chiefs are one of eight teams with more than 1,000 rushing yards this season (the Bills rank first in this department, in one fewer contest), so the Kansas City ground game appears to be in a good place.
Isiah Pacheco isn’t expected to play on Sunday after sustaining an injury late in last week’s win against Washington. But Kareem Hunt, with whom Pacheco has split the load this season, has been a workhorse, especially in short-yardage situations.
In fact, Hunt leads the team with four rushing touchdowns and has averaged about eight carries per game. But the Chiefs won’t want to increase his workload significantly.
Chiefs running back Elijah Mitchell (No. 25) chatted with teammate Kareem Hunt (No. 29) during practice on Friday, October 31, 2025, in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
It’s possible Elijah Mitchell, who has been on the inactive list for the Chiefs’ first eight games, could see his first action of the season on Sunday.
Bills player to watch: TE Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid got off to a fast start this season but has cooled of late, with just one reception in two of his three most recent games.
He’s come up big in previous meetings against the Chiefs, however, with five receptions in two of his three games vs. KC, including the playoffs. This season, Bills QB Josh Allen has a 151.6 passer rating when targeting Kincaid, according to Next Gen Stats.
Special teams: Jack Cochrane, KC kick coverage
This isn’t to pick on Cochrane, but is rather intended to highlight a kick-coverage unit that has racked up too many penalties.
The Chiefs were called for three against the Commanders last week. Cochrane, who also had an interception from his linebacker position in the game, has accumulated three special teams flags this season.
“Yeah, it was bad,” said Chiefs assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub. “It’s the sign of a young group. We’ve got to keep working.”