KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With about four minutes left in the Chiefs’ 28-7 win over the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football,” Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco suffered a knee injury and did return.

On the play, Commanders cornerback Trey Amos drove his shoulder into the right side of Pacheco’s leg, leaving the back slow to get up. NFL Network later reported an MCL sprain for Pacheco, calling him “week to week.”

“He’s a tough kid,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Pacheco on Wednesday. “There was a point where he wanted to go back in, and I wouldn’t let him.

“That’s how he’s wired. You’d have to cut his leg off to stop him.”

The Chiefs now face arguably their most anticipated game of the season — a late-afternoon Week 9 matchup on the road against the Buffalo Bills. And for the second year in a row, they’ll turn to Kareem Hunt as their lead back with Pacheco likely sidelined.

This time, though, there’s a key difference.

Last season, when the Chiefs signed Hunt in mid-September, he had “come off the couch,” as he and the team often described it. This year, he benefitted from a full offseason to rebuild his strength.

The result? He’s saying he feels better than he has in three or four years.

“(I’d say) he’s probably in better shape — just overall better shape,” Reid said. “Not that he was in terrible shape before, but he’s had a year to do it and get back in the swing after having a little bit of a layoff there.”

Hunt has been effective in his change-of-pace role behind Pacheco, logging 62 carries for 245 yards (4.0 per attempt) and eight receptions for 57 yards, with five total touchdowns across eight games.

As Kansas City Star columnist Sam McDowell noted last week, Hunt has been elite for the Chiefs in short-yardage situations — and actually more effective than the Philadelphia Eagles’ infamous “tush push.”

“I just heard of this (Tuesday) or something,” Hunt said. “I really don’t think about it. I just try to go out there, keep the offense on the field. That’s pretty cool, but we’ve still got a lot more football to play.”

Hunt is coming off a two-touchdown performance Monday night — first powering in from a yard out, then catching a 2-yard go-ahead TD from Patrick Mahomes on fourth down.

When Mahomes’ first two reads at the goal line weren’t open, Hunt leaked into the space. And the quarterback found him for a score.

“I knew we had to get in the end zone,” Hunt said. “I saw Pat scrambled out to the right, so I just kept my eyes on him, tried to find a way to get open and get available. That’s what I did — just kept playing football.”

Hunt downplayed his success this season, but his quarterback was quick to sing his praises on Wednesday.

“Every time he’s in there, it seems like good things happen,” Mahomes said. “His track record speaks for itself, as far as the way he’s been able to play this year and in previous years as well. We’ll see where we get to on that, but we have confidence that if his number’s called, he’ll be ready for it.”

Mahomes and Hunt entered the league together as part of Kansas City’s 2017 draft class. And though Hunt was released midway through his second season, the two stayed in touch.

Hunt later reconnected with Reid at Mahomes’ 2022 wedding, having a conversation that ultimately paved the way for his return last year. Hunt believes his long-standing friendship with Mahomes only strengthens their on-field chemistry.

“It helps a lot,” Hunt said. “Coming in with him in 2017 and just knowing the type of player he was — he’s one of those guys who never quits, and he never gives up on a play. He’s always going to try to make something happen, and I just know that about him.

“If I see him running around, I’m going to try to get in his vision, be the one he throws the ball to, and bail him out of a situation he’s in.”

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