Rookie RB Brashard Smith Explodes in Chiefs vs. Ravens Thriller—Watch All the Jaw-Dropping Highlights

Kansas City, Mo. — A groundswell of support is building for rookie running back Brashard Smith to see an expanded role when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. According to Arrowhead Pride’s latest fan survey, a staggering 88 percent of respondents want head coach Andy Reid to unleash the seventh-round speedster against Baltimore’s aggressive front. Why the urgency? Advanced metrics paint a grim picture of the Chiefs’ ground game. Incumbent backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt rank outside the NFL’s top-40 in Pro Football Focus’ elusive-rating metric, with neither generating a single 15-plus-yard “breakaway” rush through three games. Their combined yards-after-contact average sits below 2.8, well under league-average production. The result: Kansas City enters Sunday ranked 25th in rushing yards per game and 29th in explosive-run rate. Enter Smith, whose 4.39-second 40-yard dash and receiver background give Patrick Mahomes an element the offense sorely lacks. During training camp, the rookie flashed on wheel routes and perimeter screens, repeatedly stretching linebackers vertically. Heavy Sports notes that Mahomes targeted Smith on a handful of deep concepts this preseason, and beat reporters described him as “home-run-ready every snap”. Key factors fueling calls for more snaps • Explosiveness: Smith averaged 7.1 yards per touch in the preseason, including a 43-yard catch-and-run that showcased his top-end speed. • Versatility: As a converted wideout, he can be motioned into the slot, creating mismatches that force safeties out of the box and lighten run fronts for Pacheco. • Fresh legs: Through three weeks he has logged just 14 offensive snaps, preserving the burst Kansas City hopes can tilt a pivotal AFC showdown. Strategic fit vs. Ravens Baltimore’s defense, coordinated by Mike Macdonald, blitzes on 35 percent of drop-backs and ranks fourth in run-stop win rate. Reid can counter by deploying Smith on swing passes and jet-motion eye-candy, punishing over-pursuit and slowing the pass rush. Even a decoy role can open throwing lanes for Travis Kelce and rookie receiver Xavier Worthy, who is expected to return from a hamstring tweak. Fantasy football ripple With bye weeks looming, fantasy managers in deeper leagues are stashing Smith as a potential league-winning lottery ticket. Should he carve out even an 8-to-10-touch workload Sunday, his roster percentage — currently under five percent on most platforms — will skyrocket. Bottom line Kansas City’s offense has been uncharacteristically one-dimensional. If Reid heeds the fans’ plea and injects Brashard Smith’s game-breaking speed into the Week 4 game plan, the Chiefs could rediscover the balance that has been missing — and the rookie might announce himself as the NFL’s next late-round steal.