Why the Chiefs will go as far as Kareem Hunt takes them

Reports of Kareem Hunt's demise were premature.

The rookie submitted a star performance during the Kansas City Chiefs' 30-13 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, rushing for 155 yards and a touchdown, and adding seven receptions for 51 yards and another score.

Hunt, selected 86th overall in the 2017 draft out of Toledo, has been one of this season's revelations, and it's clear that the Chiefs will go as far as Hunt takes them.

And when Hunt rushes for more than 100 yards, they go quite far. Here are three stats from games when Hunt exceeds that mark that illustrate his importance to his team.

The Chiefs are 6-0

Hunt showed flashes of stardom in his very first NFL game. He racked up 246 total yards and three touchdowns in his professional debut, leading the Chiefs to a 42-27 victory over the New England Patriots and foreshadowing the trajectory of his season.

As the Chiefs jumped out to a 5-0 start, Hunt drew MVP consideration, rushing for 148, 81, 172, 101, and 107 yards in those games. Hunt and the Chiefs hit a midseason lull, however, and it took until December for him to find his footing again.

In consecutive weeks, Hunt has posted 116 and 156 yards rushing, and the Chiefs have once again looked like the class of the AFC West. That correlation certainly doesn't appear to be spurious, as the high-octane rookie breathes life into a once-stale offense.

The Chiefs average 11 more points

Hunt's contributions directly impact the rest of the offense. In games where Hunt rushes for under 100 yards, the Chiefs average 20.75 points per game - which would rank 20th in the league if it was their average for the season. However, the Chiefs average a whopping 32.16 points per game when Hunt goes over 100 yards rushing, and that figure would lead the NFL.

Due to his explosive ability as a rusher and receiver, Hunt is difficult to account for on every play, which also helps create opportunities for Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. For the first time during Andy Reid's Kansas City tenure, opposing defenses have to pick their poison.

Smith's passer rating is nearly 20 points better

The biggest beneficiary of Hunt's massive outputs is Alex Smith, who's been painted as both an MVP candidate and a pariah at various points of the Chiefs' inconsistent season.

Smith's passer rating is 97.9 when Hunt doesn't go for over 100 yards. When Hunt excels, though, Smith becomes almost a completely different player, sporting a 117.3 passer rating.

For comparison, Tom Brady leads the NFL with a 105.2 passer rating. Before Saturday's win, Smith ranked second at 104.4. At the risk of discrediting Smith, Hunt makes the quarterback's job significantly easier, especially when the rookie's at the top of his game.