Chiefs Teicher: Chiefs find using Charles a lot harder to avoid

**Tribal Warfare** · 12-03-2009, 01:57 AM

Chiefs find using Charles a lot harder to avoid
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil used to say he wanted to give more rest to his smallish featured back, Priest Holmes, but rarely removed him from the lineup in fear the play he missed would be the one Holmes would have made to win the game.

Vermeil and Holmes are long gone, but current coach Todd Haley knows the feeling. He’s suddenly facing a similar dilemma with his new featured back, Jamaal Charles.

The Chiefs have quickly become addicted to Charles and not just as a runner. Even though he spent most of this season as Larry Johnson’s backup, Charles is already the Chiefs’ leading rusher.

He is involved as a pass receiver, even lining up wide on occasion. He beat coverage deep for a 49-yard gain in last week’s game against San Diego. He is a threat as a kickoff returner, as he showed when he returned one for a touchdown in a recent game against Pittsburgh.

All of that comes in a relatively small package. The Chiefs list Charles at 199 pounds, or about 30 pounds less than Johnson.

Already, Charles is showing the wear and tear as he walks gingerly through the locker room.

“I’m going to have bruises and bumps,” Charles said. “Whatever hurts me now is going to hurt me until the end of the season. I’m not going to get better or heal.”

The Chiefs have become sensitive to the issue. Running backs coach Maurice Carthon is in charge of substitutions during games, so it’s his job to determine when enough is enough for Charles.

“I kind of wondered after the Pittsburgh game whether he could take that on a weekly basis,” Carthon said. “That’s when I started saying to myself that I don’t want to kill him and not have him or beat him up so much he won’t be the player he can be.”

But recently the Chiefs haven’t been able to help themselves when it comes to using Charles. He has opened up their running game in a way Johnson and the two other current backs, Kolby Smith and Dantrell Savage, couldn’t.

He is clearly their best option as a receiver out of the backfield and their best kickoff returner.

So the Chiefs are testing their limits with Charles. Between catches and rushes, Charles was given the ball 22 times against Oakland, 19 times against Pittsburgh and 17 times against San Diego.

“We’re still learning about Jamaal,” Haley said. “It’s easy to say this is a 205-pound back but (Haley has had) a 205-pound back in Curtis Martin that was a workhorse.

“I wouldn’t say I have an exact number (of plays in mind for Charles). (Carthon) has a tremendous feel of knowing when to say when and when a guy needs a breather and when it’s getting a little too much. That’s what he spends the game doing is monitoring those guys and making sure the right guys are in there.

“A lot of thought and a lot of discussion goes into that throughout the week and right until the night before the game. It’s something that I understand and have been taught to understand is important.”

Something else new for Charles is that he will become a focus of attention for opposing defenses. The Chiefs will need to be creative to keep him relevant.

“It’s going to be kind of hard for them to game plan for a guy when he’s going to be all over the field,” Carthon said. “He can be in the backfield. He can be lined up (as a wide receiver). He can be lined up in the slot. It’s not like they’ll be able to say, ‘Number 25 lines up in the backfield and he’s always doing this or that.’ He’s all over the field basically.”

Charles has fumbled several times since joining the Chiefs, but had done well in holding on to the ball until his fumble at a critical time in the loss to San Diego. That fumble alone doesn’t appear to change the Chiefs’ plans for him.

“If anything, it was Jamaal’s desire to make something more out of that run,” Haley said. “There is just a fine line when to say when. He had two defenders holding him up and we’ve got to have more guys around him protecting him and not allowing those two, three, four guys to come in and take shots at him.

“I know fundamentally he’s been taught the way to handle the football. I think the one (against San Diego) was more a matter of probably trying to get a little too much. It’s experience and feel.

“Here’s a kid we put through a little adversity early and sat him and he’s fought and pushed and everybody is getting a little excited about him. I wish he hadn’t turned the ball over. I really do. I’m just not going to let that take away from the improvement he’s made and the upside I’ve seen with him.”

GordonGekko · 12-03-2009, 02:02 AM

running the ball is dirty business in the nfl. hopefully we can keep this guy fresh for a few years and not burn him out or get him severely injured in a season where we are going nowhere.

Dante84 · 12-03-2009, 02:26 AM

Fantasy Question:

Start Charles against Denver?

or

Start Sproles against Cleveland?

Charles is projected to earn one point more, so it is not a significant difference. What say the masses?

jjjayb · 12-03-2009, 07:02 AM

Although Cleveland has a horrible run D, Charles will get more touches than Sproles. I'd go with Charles.

Wyndex · 12-03-2009, 07:40 AM

go with sproles

why do people consistently berate Charles for having fumble problems? He has fumbled 3 times since he got here. 2 in 08 that he lost and the 1 this year in San Diego

InChiefsHeaven · 12-03-2009, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyndex

go with sproles

why do people consistently berate Charles for having fumble problems? He has fumbled 3 times since he got here. 2 in 08 that he lost and the 1 this year in San Diego

I think he fumbled in pre-season as well. But check out Josh Looney's column about that on KCCHiefs.com he does a nice job of explaining where Charles really is on the fumbling. Once you see the actual numbers, Jamaal doesn't seem like a big fumbler at all...

I can't find the article now, but it does give a good case for Charles not being the big fumbler that he's labeled as.

StcChief · 12-03-2009, 07:55 AM

flip a coin...how knows how SD play in Cleveland (weather)

who will show up for Chiefs against Dungver

TheGuardian · 12-03-2009, 08:57 AM

“Here’s a kid we put through a little adversity early and sat him and he’s fought and pushed and everybody is getting a little excited about him. I wish he hadn’t turned the ball over. I really do. I’m just not going to let that take away from the improvement he’s made and the upside I’ve seen with him.”

Fuggin Todd Hitler Haley. All he does is bash and demean and shit on players. /sarcasm

**tyler360** · 12-03-2009, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyndex

go with sproles

why do people consistently berate Charles for having fumble problems? He has fumbled 3 times since he got here. 2 in 08 that he lost and the 1 this year in San Diego

He fumbled the opening kickoff against NY

BigVE · 12-03-2009, 09:53 AM

We need someone else to run back kicks...those hits are brutal, especially on your starting RB who already getting drilled several times a game.

**Easy 6** · 12-03-2009, 10:00 AM

As much as it will suck to do so, i think he needs to be pulled from most return duty. Every team that has had a guy similar to Jamaal eventually comes to that conclusion, he's just too valuable to the offense to wear him out with returns.

Keep my Ferrari out of the ditch Mo!

MMXcalibur · 12-03-2009, 10:16 AM

Second RB: Jamaal Charles (vs DEN) or Ricky Williams (vs NE)?

My other back is Adrian Peterson, so he's not getting benched anytime soon.

Hammock Parties · 12-03-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil used to say he wanted to give more rest to his smallish featured back, Priest Holmes, but rarely removed him from the lineup in fear the play he missed would be the one Holmes would have made to win the game.

This is the kind of fear that develops when you have the worst goddamn defense in the league and can't do anything to fix it.

**The Franchise** · 12-03-2009, 11:23 AM

I'd like to see them get a RB in the offseason that can be the "thunder" to Jamaal's "lighting".

Mr. Laz · 12-03-2009, 11:31 AM

so the real question at this point would be 'why were they trying to avoid using him in the first place?' wouldn't it?

12-03-2009, 01:57 AM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2827187	Teicher: Chiefs find using Charles a lot harder to avoid Chiefs find using Charles a lot harder to avoid By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star Former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil used to say he wanted to give more rest to his smallish featured back, Priest Holmes, but rarely removed him from the lineup in fear the play he missed would be the one Holmes would have made to win the game. Vermeil and Holmes are long gone, but current coach Todd Haley knows the feeling. He’s suddenly facing a similar dilemma with his new featured back, Jamaal Charles. The Chiefs have quickly become addicted to Charles and not just as a runner. Even though he spent most of this season as Larry Johnson’s backup, Charles is already the Chiefs’ leading rusher. He is involved as a pass receiver, even lining up wide on occasion. He beat coverage deep for a 49-yard gain in last week’s game against San Diego. He is a threat as a kickoff returner, as he showed when he returned one for a touchdown in a recent game against Pittsburgh. All of that comes in a relatively small package. The Chiefs list Charles at 199 pounds, or about 30 pounds less than Johnson. Already, Charles is showing the wear and tear as he walks gingerly through the locker room. “I’m going to have bruises and bumps,” Charles said. “Whatever hurts me now is going to hurt me until the end of the season. I’m not going to get better or heal.” The Chiefs have become sensitive to the issue. Running backs coach Maurice Carthon is in charge of substitutions during games, so it’s his job to determine when enough is enough for Charles. “I kind of wondered after the Pittsburgh game whether he could take that on a weekly basis,” Carthon said. “That’s when I started saying to myself that I don’t want to kill him and not have him or beat him up so much he won’t be the player he can be.” But recently the Chiefs haven’t been able to help themselves when it comes to using Charles. He has opened up their running game in a way Johnson and the two other current backs, Kolby Smith and Dantrell Savage, couldn’t. He is clearly their best option as a receiver out of the backfield and their best kickoff returner. So the Chiefs are testing their limits with Charles. Between catches and rushes, Charles was given the ball 22 times against Oakland, 19 times against Pittsburgh and 17 times against San Diego. “We’re still learning about Jamaal,” Haley said. “It’s easy to say this is a 205-pound back but (Haley has had) a 205-pound back in Curtis Martin that was a workhorse. “I wouldn’t say I have an exact number (of plays in mind for Charles). (Carthon) has a tremendous feel of knowing when to say when and when a guy needs a breather and when it’s getting a little too much. That’s what he spends the game doing is monitoring those guys and making sure the right guys are in there. “A lot of thought and a lot of discussion goes into that throughout the week and right until the night before the game. It’s something that I understand and have been taught to understand is important.” Something else new for Charles is that he will become a focus of attention for opposing defenses. The Chiefs will need to be creative to keep him relevant. “It’s going to be kind of hard for them to game plan for a guy when he’s going to be all over the field,” Carthon said. “He can be in the backfield. He can be lined up (as a wide receiver). He can be lined up in the slot. It’s not like they’ll be able to say, ‘Number 25 lines up in the backfield and he’s always doing this or that.’ He’s all over the field basically.” Charles has fumbled several times since joining the Chiefs, but had done well in holding on to the ball until his fumble at a critical time in the loss to San Diego. That fumble alone doesn’t appear to change the Chiefs’ plans for him. “If anything, it was Jamaal’s desire to make something more out of that run,” Haley said. “There is just a fine line when to say when. He had two defenders holding him up and we’ve got to have more guys around him protecting him and not allowing those two, three, four guys to come in and take shots at him. “I know fundamentally he’s been taught the way to handle the football. I think the one (against San Diego) was more a matter of probably trying to get a little too much. It’s experience and feel. “Here’s a kid we put through a little adversity early and sat him and he’s fought and pushed and everybody is getting a little excited about him. I wish he hadn’t turned the ball over. I really do. I’m just not going to let that take away from the improvement he’s made and the upside I’ve seen with him.”
Posts: 43,433

12-03-2009, 02:02 AM	#2
GordonGekko On the inside Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Ft. Worth, TX Casino cash: $9448880	running the ball is dirty business in the nfl. hopefully we can keep this guy fresh for a few years and not burn him out or get him severely injured in a season where we are going nowhere.
Posts: 3,563

12-03-2009, 02:26 AM	#3
Dante84 Tossed Salad & Scrambled Eggs Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: ATX & OPKS Casino cash: $-1898004 VARSITY	Fantasy Question: Start Charles against Denver? or Start Sproles against Cleveland? Charles is projected to earn one point more, so it is not a significant difference. What say the masses?
Posts: 20,447

12-03-2009, 07:02 AM	#4
jjjayb MVP Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Back in K.C. baby!!!! Casino cash: $4453433	Although Cleveland has a horrible run D, Charles will get more touches than Sproles. I'd go with Charles.
Posts: 7,052

12-03-2009, 07:40 AM	#5
Wyndex Starter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kansas City, KS eastside Casino cash: $9994939	go with sproles why do people consistently berate Charles for having fumble problems? He has fumbled 3 times since he got here. 2 in 08 that he lost and the 1 this year in San Diego
Posts: 514

12-03-2009, 07:55 AM	#7
StcChief Playing for #1 Draft Pick Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Just West of Lambs land Casino cash: $10004900	flip a coin...how knows how SD play in Cleveland (weather) who will show up for Chiefs against Dungver __________________ sig test for this screwy schema
Posts: 25,901

12-03-2009, 08:57 AM	#8
TheGuardian MVP Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $6325299	“Here’s a kid we put through a little adversity early and sat him and he’s fought and pushed and everybody is getting a little excited about him. I wish he hadn’t turned the ball over. I really do. I’m just not going to let that take away from the improvement he’s made and the upside I’ve seen with him.” Fuggin Todd Hitler Haley. All he does is bash and demean and shit on players. /sarcasm
Posts: 9,561

12-03-2009, 09:53 AM	#10
BigVE Veteran Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: centralKs Casino cash: $10005250	We need someone else to run back kicks...those hits are brutal, especially on your starting RB who already getting drilled several times a game. __________________ Meh.
Posts: 4,829

12-03-2009, 10:00 AM	#11
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $-12225	As much as it will suck to do so, i think he needs to be pulled from most return duty. Every team that has had a guy similar to Jamaal eventually comes to that conclusion, he's just too valuable to the offense to wear him out with returns. Keep my Ferrari out of the ditch Mo!
Posts: 98,309

12-03-2009, 10:16 AM	#12
MMXcalibur Pessimistically optimistic. Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Denver, CO Casino cash: $-144914	Second RB: Jamaal Charles (vs DEN) or Ricky Williams (vs NE)? My other back is Adrian Peterson, so he's not getting benched anytime soon.
Posts: 16,747

12-03-2009, 11:23 AM	#14
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $2065047	I'd like to see them get a RB in the offseason that can be the "thunder" to Jamaal's "lighting".
Posts: 92,316

12-03-2009, 11:31 AM	#15
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	so the real question at this point would be 'why were they trying to avoid using him in the first place?' wouldn't it? __________________
Posts: 95,626