KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even a day later, Chiefs coach Andy Reid remained so bedazzled by rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire's preposterous 11-yard touchdown run (shedding five would-be tacklers) against Denver that he practically jumped a question about him before it was finished.
"Yeah, how good is he, man?" Reid said Monday after the Chiefs clobbered the Broncos, 43-16, Sunday. "I mean, the ability to break tackles. He's got unbelievable balance, and the contact thing is crazy: yards after contact are nuts. ...
"I think we got to see it even up another notch."
This on the day their running game was supposed to be about cranking it up another notch with the addition of two-time All-Pro Le'Veon Bell, who burst 16 yards on his first carry for the Chiefs and finished with six rushes for 39 yards. (Edwards-Helaire finished with eight for 46.)
Small simple size that it was, it still was the first time Bell had averaged more than six yards a carry since Christmas Day 2016.
Sure, it was a mere glimpse of the first installment of what offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy last week suggested would be a "little bit of thunder and lightning" between the relatively diminutive Edwards-Helaire (perhaps 5-foot-7) and bigger Bell (6-2, 225 pounds).
For his part, Reid had touted the "flexibility" and "different flavors ... to throw at a defense" the tandem could create if Bell is still all that.
In fact, this flash was enough to provide a cautiously optimistic sense of what Bell has yet to give — intriguingly enough just as the Chiefs prepare on Sunday to play host to the winless Jets team that cast him away.
"You could see the things he's capable of doing," Reid said.
Which was no small thing three years removed from his prime days in Pittsburgh and after a season-plus of diminished presence for the Jets. Bell demonstrated the speed, strength and agility that made him one of the marquee backs in the NFL for the Steelers, at least showing he could regain that form even as the reasonable question remains if he can retain it at age 28.
Right here, right now, though, the snapshot of Bell also illuminated how he can complement Edwards-Helaire after a harmonious start to their relationship off the field, as well: Before he signed with the Chiefs, Bell reached out to see if he was "OK with me coming here," as Bieniemy told it last week.
Conjuring the limitless possibilities, at least once Reid incorporated Bell and Edwards-Helaire at the same time, with each motioning out of the backfield to split wide on opposite sides of the field. The ball went elsewhere, but you can bet the even-innovative Reid will be exploring further ways to confound defenses with both on the field.
Meanwhile, without giving too much way, Reid on Monday offered more clarity on how he sees their job-sharing roles when he was asked about how much more will be added for Bell this week.
To put it in context, Reid first noted how many fewer plays the Chiefs ran (47 total ... a week after rushing 46 times) than they normally might in a game marked by special teams and defensive touchdowns that broke it open.
It was a fine problem to have, of course. But Reid said it kept them from getting "the whole game plan going" — a game plan that he verified called for Bell "rotating with Clyde" just as it had largely appeared.
In the weeks to come, "the whole game plan" surely will expand as Bell gets more acclimated in the days since Bieniemy last week said they wanted to be careful not to "overwhelm (Bell) and put him in a situation that could be detrimental to himself and us."
Even as a veteran whom running backs coach Deland McCullough last week said "looks like has been here the whole year" (and seemed to be experiencing "a little rebirth to an extreme"), it can take months to master Reid's high-tech offenses.
Not to mention the nuances of playing with Patrick Mahomes — perhaps including not calling him "Patty," as Bell playfully did during his first news conference as a Chiefs player last week.
Naturally enough, the recency of Bell's arrival showed up at moments on Sunday. That included his failure to get his head around for a pass as the hot read in a blitz that ended in a Mahomes sack.
The receiving game is also part of Edwards-Helaire's profile, though so far he's had a relatively low-key 22 receptions this season compared to his 551 rushing yards.
But with 381 career receptions for 3,160 yards to go with his 1,499 carries for 6,238 yards, it might be assumed that Bell will prevail as more of a presence in the passing game even after he officially went untargeted against the Broncos.
"He's obviously a mismatch coming out of the backfield," Mahomes said last week. "The way he's able to run routes, the way he's able to split out and basically be another receiver out there ... he's going to get a lot of matchups I don't think he's had recently with a lot of linebackers on him. And I'm sure he's pretty excited about that."
Moreover and also significantly, all early indications are that Bell indeed has come to Kansas City hungry and humbled, as father figure Donis Toler Jr. recently told The Star he would. It's early but that's notable for someone with a recent history of publicly questioning how he's being deployed.
Bell after the game tweeted, "Fresh start, feels good. ... Thankful to be a part of this organization. On to the next." That was consistent with what he said last week about knowing "there's only one football to go around" in an opportunity to play for Reid that he said was "going to be magnificent for me."
And mutually beneficial so far. With ample room to take it up yet another notch yet if Bell's initial returns are what they appear to be.
