Tribal Warfare
08-13-2010, 10:46 PM
Charles, McCluster provide bright spots in Chiefs’ loss (http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/13/2149055/charles-mccluster-provide-bright.html)
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
ATLANTA | Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster were on the Chiefs’ sideline. Their appearances didn’t last long, but they didn’t have to hang around to leave an impression.
Two of Kansas City’s smallest players showed Friday night that they could be the team’s biggest playmakers, invigorating an offense that looked ineffective and bored before a pair of pipsqueaks gave them something to feel good about.
“Somebody’s just got to come up and do some plays,” Charles said.
Yes, the Chiefs lost their first preseason game Friday in Atlanta, a 20-10 defeat to the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. And it didn’t look all that promising, either. But it wasn’t because Charles lost a step this offseason or because McCluster’s talent was overrated on draft day.
Kansas City is going to need those players. They found it out the hard way last year before Charles emerged as the team’s top offensive weapon, after the Chiefs gave Larry Johnson his final last chance, and there was no one left, really, but the undersized kid from Texas to take his place. Charles, of course, rushed for more than 1,100 yards in eight games, and when he was carrying the football, a Chiefs offense went from looking hopeless to something closer to promising.
“You like those guys,” coach Todd Haley said. “Defensive players, the ball just seems to come to them; when they’re offensive players, they find a way to make a play. That’s always a good sign when somebody comes in and good things happen.”
That’s the way things were Friday night.Haley and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis tried it their way. They used someone other than Charles at running back. This time it was veteran Thomas Jones, who suffered an injury in the first quarter, according to the Chiefs’ broadcast crew. Sure enough, Kansas City was faced with a familiar situation: a veteran out of the equation and Charles ready to take control.
When are the Chiefs going to learn?
Maybe that moment came in the first quarter Friday, when Charles rushed for 11 yards. Or the second quarter, when he touched the ball on three of four plays, compiling 29 yards in the process. When Kansas City’s offense looked embarrassingly similar to the one it fielded in 2009, the same player seemed to bail it out again.
“The whole team,” Haley said, “it looked like even defensively, that first drive, they were kind of sucking bananas.”
Now, though, Charles has company. Charles has said that, last year, he felt as if the Chiefs’ offense was at a disadvantage when he wasn’t available. When Charles needs a break this season, McCluster will be there to provide quickness, versatility and defensive confusion — even with Charles on the sideline.
It happened Friday. Charles was finished for the night — an abbreviated appearance, as these things go — and McCluster became the next logical option. On one of the Chiefs’ more productive series, which wasn’t necessarily saying much Friday, McCluster handled the ball on five of six plays. And he turned those chances into 25 rushing yards.
“If you go out there and compete,” McCluster said, “you know good things will happen.”
All told, Charles and McCluster combined for 62 rushing yards in nine total carries. McCluster isn’t even a running back. He’s listed as a receiver, after all, and he showed Friday that he’s pretty good at that, too, catching three passes for 23 yards.
When the Chiefs had Charles and McCluster on the field, interesting things happened. When they were on the sideline, it was time to do something else with your Friday night, because it probably wasn’t getting better.
“When I go in the game,” Charles said, “I just hope I can keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve got dreams and goals to accomplish.”
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star
ATLANTA | Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster were on the Chiefs’ sideline. Their appearances didn’t last long, but they didn’t have to hang around to leave an impression.
Two of Kansas City’s smallest players showed Friday night that they could be the team’s biggest playmakers, invigorating an offense that looked ineffective and bored before a pair of pipsqueaks gave them something to feel good about.
“Somebody’s just got to come up and do some plays,” Charles said.
Yes, the Chiefs lost their first preseason game Friday in Atlanta, a 20-10 defeat to the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. And it didn’t look all that promising, either. But it wasn’t because Charles lost a step this offseason or because McCluster’s talent was overrated on draft day.
Kansas City is going to need those players. They found it out the hard way last year before Charles emerged as the team’s top offensive weapon, after the Chiefs gave Larry Johnson his final last chance, and there was no one left, really, but the undersized kid from Texas to take his place. Charles, of course, rushed for more than 1,100 yards in eight games, and when he was carrying the football, a Chiefs offense went from looking hopeless to something closer to promising.
“You like those guys,” coach Todd Haley said. “Defensive players, the ball just seems to come to them; when they’re offensive players, they find a way to make a play. That’s always a good sign when somebody comes in and good things happen.”
That’s the way things were Friday night.Haley and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis tried it their way. They used someone other than Charles at running back. This time it was veteran Thomas Jones, who suffered an injury in the first quarter, according to the Chiefs’ broadcast crew. Sure enough, Kansas City was faced with a familiar situation: a veteran out of the equation and Charles ready to take control.
When are the Chiefs going to learn?
Maybe that moment came in the first quarter Friday, when Charles rushed for 11 yards. Or the second quarter, when he touched the ball on three of four plays, compiling 29 yards in the process. When Kansas City’s offense looked embarrassingly similar to the one it fielded in 2009, the same player seemed to bail it out again.
“The whole team,” Haley said, “it looked like even defensively, that first drive, they were kind of sucking bananas.”
Now, though, Charles has company. Charles has said that, last year, he felt as if the Chiefs’ offense was at a disadvantage when he wasn’t available. When Charles needs a break this season, McCluster will be there to provide quickness, versatility and defensive confusion — even with Charles on the sideline.
It happened Friday. Charles was finished for the night — an abbreviated appearance, as these things go — and McCluster became the next logical option. On one of the Chiefs’ more productive series, which wasn’t necessarily saying much Friday, McCluster handled the ball on five of six plays. And he turned those chances into 25 rushing yards.
“If you go out there and compete,” McCluster said, “you know good things will happen.”
All told, Charles and McCluster combined for 62 rushing yards in nine total carries. McCluster isn’t even a running back. He’s listed as a receiver, after all, and he showed Friday that he’s pretty good at that, too, catching three passes for 23 yards.
When the Chiefs had Charles and McCluster on the field, interesting things happened. When they were on the sideline, it was time to do something else with your Friday night, because it probably wasn’t getting better.
“When I go in the game,” Charles said, “I just hope I can keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve got dreams and goals to accomplish.”