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Life without Clyde Edwards-Helaire has become a normal feeling for the Kansas City Chiefs. The second-year first-round selection has been out of the Chiefs' lineup since suffering a knee injury in Week 5.
Since Edwards-Helaire exited the lineup, backup Darrell Williams has started in his place. Williams is a good backup but hasn't excelled in the starting lineup. He's averaged just 50.2 yards per game on 14.5 touches per game.
The Chiefs require a jolt of electricity on offense. Clyde Edwards-Helaire can provide that spark. But will he provide it for the Chiefs in Week 10 against their division rival, the Las Vegas Raiders?
Clyde Edwards-Helaire is not playing vs. the Raiders?
As of Sunday, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is still on Injured Reserve. Meaning he won't be available in an important game for the Chiefs. Jerick McKinnon and Derrick Gore figure to see a lot of snaps in relief of Williams.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was drafted by the Chiefs as a multidimensional weapon in their loaded offense. Thus far, he hasn't been able to live up to the lofty expectations he had coming out of LSU.
But the Chiefs' offense is in a time of transition, where they need to rely more on running the ball. Defenses have changed how they defend Patrick Mahomes. They've taken away Mahomes' big-play ability to Tyreek Hill by keeping two safeties back in coverage.
The best way to beat that coverage is by rushing the ball more, which is why the loss of Clyde Edwards-Helaire came at a bad time. The good news is that the Chiefs should get their promising running back healthy next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders are going to be a big test for the Chiefs offense without Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The Raiders will be a big test for the Chiefs offense. Although they've been susceptible against the run, their pass defense has been outstanding. Nate Hobbs and Casey Hayward have been amongst the two best cornerbacks in the entire league.
If there's a game for Mahomes to get right, it's against the Raiders. Mahomes has historically owned the Raiders and has dominantly beaten them.
All four teams in the AFC West have five wins. The division has become the most hotly contested in the NFL alongside the AFC North. This game will have high stakes as teams look to separate themselves from one another.
Although they don't have Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs have a good shot at winning this game. It all comes down to whether Mahomes can limit turnovers and whether the defense can make stops.
