Mellinger: Chiefs have to let Charles carry more of the load

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs have to let Charles carry more of the load
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

CLEVELAND | The first game of the rest of the Chiefs season comes today, a starved fan base scheduling a weekend around figuring out just what to expect the rest of this fall. So much is riding on this. So much of it depends on how much the Chiefs ride Jamaal Charles.

Beating the Chargers on national TV got everyone’s attention. Beating the Browns would knock off some remaining skepticism, and either way, how the Chiefs use their best player will go a long way toward developing confidence or frustration.

In other words, give Charles the ball. A lot.

Charles and Thomas Jones each got 11 carries last week, and coach Todd Haley is giving no indication that he’ll feature his more productive back today. Too bad.

“From the standpoint of the competition and the things going on there,” Haley says, “I think that’s going in the right direction. Has been, and will continue to.”

Haley stresses that last week’s sloppy conditions overhauled strategy in every way, so he gets something of a pass, depending on how often Charles is used today.

If Charles didn’t play for the Chiefs, we’d all look at this offense and think it needed someone exactly like him. The Chiefs are underutilizing one of the NFL’s best weapons. We’ll get to the statistical proof soon, which will only aggravate and lead fans to any number of theories that carry less-than-pure implications:

Maybe the coaches don’t trust him. Maybe the front office is stubborn and prefers Thomas Jones because he’s “their” guy. Maybe they believe Charles needs the motivation, or can’t be fully trusted.

Whatever. For all their ego, Haley and GM Scott Pioli have a history of ignoring status for productivity when it comes to the depth chart. Haley has said he’d “be a fool” to not give more carries to the more productive back, which is a good thing because the Chiefs need what Charles does.

Charles has 172 carries for 1,060 yards in the Chiefs’ last nine games. That 6.16 yards per carry is the NFL’s best. Only Tennessee’s Chris Johnson has more yards. Charles has seven plays of at least 40 yards in those nine games, more than all his teammates combined.

An advanced metric called Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement on the terrific Football Outsiders website ranked Charles the fourth-most productive back in football last year, ahead of St. Louis’ Steven Jackson and Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson, among others.

Any team could use that, of course, but especially one with a frumpy quarterback who struggles throwing downfield. Dexter McCluster could be one of the league’s best returners, but until he produces on offense, Charles is the Chiefs’ only proven big-play threat.

The Chiefs need big plays to score. Charles makes big plays. This really shouldn’t be complicated.

There is symbolism in Charles not getting a carry against the Chargers until the final minutes of the first quarter, and then ripping off a 56-yard touchdown run on his first touch.

The Chiefs finished with 197 yards of offense, and Charles had more than half of them. Even if you take away his long run, Charles had a slightly better per-carry average than Jones, and the sloppy conditions would theoretically favor Jones’ style.

Think of it this way: if the Browns could somehow dictate the Chiefs’ offensive game plan today, don’t you think they’d want to see as little of Charles as possible?

None of this is meant to diminish Jones, one of the NFL’s most productive running backs the last three seasons. Jones is particularly good for tough yards, short third-down conversions, and besides, the Chiefs have a better pair of running backs than all but a small handful of teams.

But the point is that the Chiefs have an opportunity here to turn a week-one surprise into real momentum. Since 1978, 66 percent of teams that started 2-0 made the playoffs. The Browns are a bad team possibly playing without their starting quarterback — though, really, is playing without Jake Delhomme a hindrance? — and coming off a loss to the bad Buccaneers.

Win today, and who knows? The NFL is America’s sports king in part because teams can go 4-12 one year and make the playoffs the next, especially ones that play in bad divisions.

And right now, there is no doubt that Charles gives the Chiefs the best chance of winning, especially as long as Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is still “fixing” the quarterback.

Charles is the offense’s Ferrari, and the Chiefs are using him like a Buick. Their chance at turning a surprise start into something more significant is directly tied to how much they rely on Charles.

Haley and Weis can point to the conditions and score in justifying Charles only getting 11 carries last week. There’s no such excuse this week, especially against a Browns defense that gave up 119 yards rushing last week — and 154 to Charles last season.

If Charles continues to outperform Jones while getting the same opportunities, the fans’ aggravation and conspiracy theories will justifiably grow.

[-King-]

Thank God Mellinger straightened that issue out. Before this article, I was a strong advocated for Charles getting less carries. Whew!

[keg in kc]

Charles was the victim of bad field conditions and poor offensive execution. It's hard to really feature anybody when your team goes 1 for 11 on third down, only 3 of your team's 13 possessions go for more than 3 plays and you run a total of 49 plays for the entire game (of which Charles touched the ball just under a quarter of the time). More sustained drives (or, well, any sustained drives) will mean more touches for Charles.

[Saccopoo]

I thought Haley and Weis called a solid game. It was a ****ing monsoon that demanded a power running game to start. Jones has a history of holding onto the ball. Charles does not, at least to a certain extent. It was wet. The ball is wet. You give it to Jones, who has been a stud for a very long time as running backs go, and establish the ground game in slop. Once that happens, you let Charles come in and bust a couple once the defense gets tight in the box.

Besides, Charles is build like a stick man versus Jones who is thick and muscled. You really want Charles carrying it 30 times a game against 315 lb. defensive linemen and 250 linebackers? Set the guy up, then let him take the scapel to their heart.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

But, but, Thomas Jones got 1400 yards last year!

[milkman]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Charles was the victim of bad field conditions and poor offensive execution. It's hard to really feature anybody when your team goes 1 for 11 on third down, only 3 of your team's 13 possessions go for more than 3 plays and you run a total of 49 plays for the entire game (of which Charles touched the ball just under a quarter of the time). More sustained drives (or, well, any sustained drives) will mean more touches for Charles.

The number of touches isn't a problem if you start your best player, rather than wait to bring him in after your power back wear the defense down.

That strategy only works if your offense gets some first downs and your power back actually has the opportunity to wear a defense down.

And this game did not start in a monsoon, as sacofshit suggests in the post following.
The weather conditions at the start of the game were fair.

[BigMeatballDave]

Their LBs are slow. CHarles may break a few long ones if he can get past their front 4.

[Shogun]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Besides, Charles is build like a stick man versus Jones who is thick and muscled. You really want Charles carrying it 30 times a game against 315 lb. defensive linemen and 250 linebackers? Set the guy up, then let him take the scapel to their heart.

That was beautiful man

[SenselessChiefsFan]

Charles is electric. There is no doubt that he is one of the elite play makers on the team.

That said, Jones is a better blocker. And, more of a load to take down. I don't have a problem with him starting.

[CupidStunt]

Haley can get away with it as long as the Chiefs are winning. If and when they don't, he'll rightfully get a ton of criticism, and I hope some of it comes from Pioli.

[threebag]

If Charles keeps producing at the level we have seen and hunger for. It will only force piolis hand and force a trade so we can get back to the right 53 not the right one that he didn't choose. If Charles was piolis guy it would be different on the field.

[michaelj_58]

i would give jc more carries,but i would be cautious about it though.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

We were one turnover away from losing last week. Haley played it smart. I can see a plan as mikman said to wear down a defense with Jones and throw Charles in to run for the goal line while they are sucking wind. This week we'll get to see what McCluster brings to the table also. I'm ****ing excited. Come on noon time !!!!!!

[DeezNutz]

It's ok if Charles doesn't start. Sometimes it's wise not to utilize your best players. /CP '10

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

It's ok if Charles doesn't start. Sometimes it's wise not to utilize your best players. /CP '10

I think they should use Charles like Herm used LJ... Charles should see 30-35 carries a game...

**** him if he fumbles and cant stay healthy... Throw his weak ass to the curb when we break him and go get another...

I would run Charles dick in to the dirt, use him up this year or by the end of next and get another back in the draft.

Haley is stupid for not taking this approach.