Kansas City Chiefs second-year running back Isiah Pacheco is coming off the best performance of his young career in Week 4 against the New York Jets.

Pacheco notched 23 touches for 158 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, averaging 6.9 yards per touch. It was an emotional display, with Pacheco performing in front of friends and family in his home state of New Jersey. How does the young player go about building on that performance in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings? According to Chiefs HC Andy Reid, it’s all about creating consistency.

“Consistency is what you’re looking for,” Reid said. “Obviously, when people know that you’re a good player, they’re going to try to do things to stop you, so it’s important that the offensive line, tight ends, and he (Isiah Pacheco) are on the same page and they all do their job to make the thing happen. The one thing you’re going to get from him is he’s going to go 100 miles an hour and run hard every time he gets an opportunity – whether he catches or runs it, he’s going hard.”

Patrick Mahomes, however, disagrees a bit with his head coach on the consistency remark.

“If I’ve ever seen a young guy be consistent, it’s that guy,” Mahomes said of Pacheco.

He went on to say that in Week 4, Pacheco picked Mahomes up when he wasn’t playing well. It gave the team the confidence to call his number again, and again.

“Even when I’m not playing my best, we have guys like Isiah (Pacheco) who can dominate the run game,” Mahomes said. “It’s not all on my shoulders to go out there and win the football game. I can rely on my teammates to do stuff, and throughout that last game, Isiah was working, and even though we might’ve had some of those RPO advantages throws or whatever you want to call them, it’s like ‘Man just give this man the football and let him go.’ He accepted the challenge, and that’s what makes this team great. It’s not just me, it’s everybody. I think we are all finally seeing that as the season goes along.”

If the Vikings do plan to hone in on Pacheco after his big game, there’s always Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon, who will have a bit of his own homecoming in Week 5, returning to face the team who drafted him. As Mahomes says, it’s not just up to one player to make this offense go.

Rashee Rice comments on his development: