Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco Will Play AFC Championship vs. Ravens Despite Ankle Injury | News, Scores, Hig
Timothy T Ludwig/Getty ImagesKansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco is expected to play against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefterChiefs' RB Isiah Pacheco, listed as questionable for Sunday's AFC Championship game due to an ankle injury, will play vs. the Ravens, per source.
Although he failed to practice on Wednesday and Thursday, Pacheco likely felt good enough during his limited practice on Friday to suit up against the Ravens. In Kansas City's 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, the 24-year-old recorded 97 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Pacheco missed two games in the regular season after he underwent shoulder surgery, although the second-year tailback has been dominant when healthy. In 14 games, the former seventh-round pick racked up 935 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 attempts. His bruising style of play has caught the attention of his teammates as well as his future opponents.
NFL @NFLTouchdown for #10 <a href="https://twitter.com/isiah_pachecoRB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isiah_pachecoRB</a>! 5th lead change of the game 😲<br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KCvsBUF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KCvsBUF</a> on CBS<br>📱: Stream on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLPlus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLPlus</a> <a href="https://t.co/FR6a2VkD33">https://t.co/FR6a2VkD33</a> <a href="https://t.co/rzhNguUbRA">pic.twitter.com/rzhNguUbRA</a>
"No. 10 Pacheco, man, that guy is coming downhill," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said ahead of the game, per Clifton Brown of the team's official website. "He's hitting it that way, all out. He's 225 pounds. His knees are up high. He's rolling, and it's going to be a big challenge for us to deal with him, because he's as physical as a runner as there is in the league."
Pacheco's presence will be needed against a Baltimore defense that has been stingy throughout the regular season, allowing the fewest points per game in the NFL. The Ravens' run defense wasn't as stellar though, ranking No. 14 in the league by giving up 109.4 yards per game. If Kansas City is able to pull out a second consecutive road playoff win, Pacheco would likely be a key contributor.
The Chiefs and Ravens are set to face off in the AFC Championship game on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
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