In 2026, the Kansas City Chiefs are off to a hot start with an offense that looks different than recent years. Running back Kenneth Walker leads the NFL in rushing yards through three weeks, and the Chiefs have been highly effective on play-action passes.
Walker and rookie Emmett Johnson have brought a much-needed boost to the talent in the backfield, but the whole unit is now being coached by offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, along with veteran receivers coach Chad O’Shea and former All-Pro running
back DeMarco Murray, who is directly teaching Walker, Johnson, and second-year back Brashard Smith.
So which side of the coin deserves more credit for the effective offense: the coaching staff refresh or the upgraded talent in the backfield? Let us know in our poll on The Feed.
Head coach Andy Reid was asked about Kansas City’s success using play action this season compared to last year during his press conference on Wednesday.
“We’ve got a good running back — a couple of good running backs there, and we’ve been running the football,” Reid said. “So obviously, that’s going to fit in with that. Pat’s doing a nice job with it; [the offensive line] is doing a nice job with it.”
Through three weeks, the Chiefs rank second in the NFL in total yards. That’s a familiar ranking for a unit led by Bieniemy. Here are Kansas City’s total-yards rankings by year and coordinator in the Mahomes era.
Bieniemy
2018: 1st
2019: 6th
2020: 1st
2021: 3rd
2022: 1st
Matt Nagy
2023: 9th
2024: 16th
2025: 20th
So which side do you want to credit more for revamping the Chiefs’ offense? The talent or the coaches? Let us know!
