Chiefs start Darrel Williams, not Le’Veon Bell, at running back with CEH injured
Darrel Williams has served in the same role since joining the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent three years ago.
Until Sunday.
The playoffs.
With starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire sidelined with a hip and ankle injury, the Chiefs turned to Williams — not veteran Le’Veon Bell — on their opening drive. It marked the first start of Williams’ three-year, 34-game career.
And he took advantage. On the second snap of the game, Williams took a handoff 12 yards up the gut of the field, breaking through contact to extend the run. Later in the drive, he caught a pass at the line of scrimmage and shed a tackle to turn a potential no gain into a 9-yard gain, setting the Chiefs up with third-and-short.
They would convert before Patrick Mahomes rushed in a 1-yard touchdown to cap the opening drive with a 7-0 lead.
Of note: The Chiefs did not score on any of their opening drives last postseason.
The Chiefs added Bell to the mix mid-season, and he carried the ball 22 times over his final two games — excluding Week 17, when the Chiefs rested their starters. Williams reached double-digit carries only once this season — in Week 16, he rushed 10 times for 46 yards and caught 4 passes for 27 yards.
Bell got his initial carry on the second drive of the game. It went for two yards.
This story was originally published January 17, 2021 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Chiefs start Darrel Williams, not Le’Veon Bell, at running back with CEH injured."