A closer look at KC Jerick McKinnon’s big night as KC Chiefs’ lead back vs. Steelers

Jerick McKinnon signed with the Chiefs this past offseason because he wanted the chance to compete in games at the time of year that matters most.

With Clyde Edwards-Helaire injured and Darrel Williams limited in practice over the past week, the running back got his wish in Sunday night’s 42-21 victory over the Steelers. And then some.

The AFC Wild Card Round game at Arrowhead Stadium was The McKinnon Show. He finished with 61 yards on the ground and 81 through the air for a total of 142 — nearly 30% of the Chiefs’ offense.

McKinnon had 12 rushing attempts on the night — more than everyone else on the roster combined. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 13.5 yards per reception.

“Every day you have something to prove in this league,” he said. “I knew that I would get a little bit more opportunities than I’ve had in the other games that we played … and I just wanted to prove to my teammates and my coaches that I can get the job done.”

McKinnon had only played in 16 games over the past three seasons because of multiple knee injuries.

“When you get in a place like that, you’re just fighting and battling back,” McKinnon said. “The only thing you could do is just put your head down and keep working and know in the back of your mind that one day that work is gonna pay off.”

He saw limited action for the Chiefs for much of the 2021 season and then was once again hindered by an injury. He hurt his hamstring on the opening kickoff against the Cowboys in Week 11 and wasn’t able to see the field again until the start of January.

Sunday marked McKinnon’s first start in a Chiefs uniform. He had the first touch of the game, too, rushing for 6 yards up the middle on first down.

His first big moment came in the second quarter.

A few plays after getting the Chiefs past midfield with a 14-yard reception, McKinnon produced the home team’s first score of the day. The running back caught a shovel pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and easily rushed into the end zone. His 4-yard touchdown made it 7-7 with under six minutes left in the first half.

“I’ve seen it from training camp on that he’s a playmaker,” Mahomes said. “Obviously he’s dealt with injury in his career and he dealt with a little bit of injury this season, but he’s kept his mindset right, he’s kept working hard. And I knew with some other guys kind of being down and dinged up that he would step in and fill in nicely.”

McKinnon then played a big role in setting up the Chiefs’ next touchdown, a 12-yard connection between Mahomes and wide receiver Byron Pringle that made it 21-7.

Five plays before the score, McKinnon ran 15 yards up the middle to put the Chiefs on the 28-yard line. Right after that, he dodged and weaved past multiple defenders on a 13-yard run to get the Chiefs into the red zone.

He had 83 yards from scrimmage at that point, more than double the total yardage for the Steelers’ entire offense (40 yards).

By halftime, McKinnon was up to 98 yards from scrimmage, accounting for nearly a third (32.5%) of the Chiefs’ 302 yards. Through two quarters, he had more production than he’d had through four quarters of any game this season.

“He gives you all kinds of confidence just by the way he handles himself,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You felt like if he got in there he’d do a good job because he can catch the football, he can run it, he’s got good vision. So it was good to get him in there.”

After halftime, McKinnon got the Chiefs’ first touch on offense, rushing for 12 yards. Later in the drive, on third and 12, he caught a short pass from Mahomes and turned it into a 23-yard gain to get the Chiefs to the 5-yard line. Less than four minutes later, guard Nick Allegretti scored on a one-yard reception, extending the Chiefs’ lead to 28-7.

The game was all but over at that point, and McKinnon was a big reason why. In his first playoff action since 2017, he showed he’s capable of playing the part of a big-time back.

“Emotions always run high, especially in a playoff game,” McKinnon said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity. And the more opportunities you can get, you’ve got to take advantage of those things. And I feel like I did so tonight..”