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By Robert Marvi
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Kansas City Chiefs may still be fighting for their playoff lives, but they did score a statement win of sorts on Sunday by defeating the Indianapolis Colts, who came into this weekend with an 8-2 record, by three points in overtime to improve to 6-5.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still playing subpar football by his standards, and Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs' No. 1 running back, missed his third straight game with a knee injury. But some help is on the way for the three-time defending AFC champions.
Per Jordan Schultz, Kansas City is signing free agent running back Dameon Pierce, who was waived on Thursday by the Houston Texans.
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Pierce had been a fourth-round draft pick by the Texans in 2022 out of the University of Florida. While he didn't put up a lot of yardage as a member of the Gators, he did score 13 rushing touchdowns as a senior with them, which was enough to put him on the radar of pro scouts.
As an NFL rookie, Pierce ran for 939 yards and four touchdowns while adding 30 catches for 165 yards and one touchdown. But his production fell to 416 rushing yards and a weak 2.9 yards per carry the following season, and he ended up losing his starting spot to Devin Singletary.
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In the Mahomes era, the Chiefs have always had a patchwork setup in their running backs room. Pacheco has been hampered by injuries over the last couple of years, but the return of Kareem Hunt, who had led the NFL in rushing yards as a rookie with them in 2017, has helped them maintain just enough of a ground attack.
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Hunt came into Week 12 with 353 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. On Sunday versus the Colts, he got his third start of the season and ran for 104 yards, and he had a spectacular touchdown run from the two-yard line to help Kansas City come to within five points in the fourth quarter.
Kansas City then won in overtime on a 27-yard field goal by Harrison Butker after he converted a 25-yarder at the end of regulation to force the extra period.
For more on the Chiefs and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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