Whatever the cause, on Monday night in Kansas City, missed tackles were the primary reason the Chiefs blew the doors off the Denver Broncos. The guys creating those missed tackles were predominantly the Chiefs' two new running backs, Kenneth Walker and Emmett Johnson. Walker was a revelation early and often in this game.
His 60.9% tackle avoid rate was second in Week 1, trailing only Bucky Irving. His 7.78 yards after contact per rush attempt also ranked second, behind Kyle Monangai. And Johnson wasn't just efficient, he was a bell cow.
He had 26 touches in this game despite barely playing in the 4th quarter. He looked like a true RB1 with a chance to challenge the RB1 if this usage keeps up. Johnson wasn't as efficient as a rusher, didn't force as many missed tackles as a rusher, but he picked up 44 yards on his two receptions and made multiple Broncos defenders look foolish in the process.
His lower rushing average could at least partially be attributed to the fact that most of his rushes came after the game was in hand and the Broncos knew the Chiefs would be running every play. What became crystal clear is that Johnson is the replacement for Walker, and he looks well-suited to do the job. Brashard Smith spent his night on the sideline and did not receive a touch.
For teams that don't need Week 2 help, Johnson may just be the top waiver wire add this week. The success of these backs only highlights what an incredible week it was for the position. Six running backs scored at least 30 PPR Fantasy points.
Six more scored at least 20. Nine more scored at least 13. As awesome as that is, it could feel pretty lonesome if your starting backs were bad in Week 1.
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