Whitlock: Chiefs can put their faith in Charles

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs can put their faith in Charles
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star

DENVER | When it comes to inspiring hope, faith and a belief in miracles, Jamaal Charles has the right initials — J.C.

Sunday afternoon at Invesco Field at Mile High, Charles raised a dead franchise, walked all over the Denver Broncos and just may have stopped me from whining about Scott Pioli and Todd Haley.

On a day when the Broncos had to win and the hapless Chiefs had no reason to play hard, Charles smashed the Chiefs’ single-game rushing record, darting and dancing for 259 yards in 25 carries, leading Kansas City to a shocking 44-24 victory.

When it was over — after he’d eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier in just half a season as a starter and after he’d surpassed Haley’s goal of 200 yards for the game — Charles credited the Hall of Fame savior in the sky.

“I just prayed on it,” Charles said, “and know that you can do anything through Christ.”

I’m starting to believe the Chiefs can do anything through Charles.

Before Charles, the Chiefs had the worst offensive line in football. The unit couldn’t open holes for Larry Johnson and couldn’t protect quarterback Matt Cassel. A blind man could see that Branden Albert, Brian Waters and Rudy Niswanger were awful and the right side of KC’s line was a bad joke.

Before Charles, Haley’s development of the offensive unit was incompetent at best and criminal in the eyes of some long-suffering Chiefs fans.

Before Charles, I couldn’t think of one reason to attend a 2010 Chiefs game. Not one.

Now, this miserable and painful 4-12 season has meaning. The emergence of Charles as a potential superstar forgives a multitude of sins and makes me believe next season might be significantly better.

What we witnessed Sunday was no fluke. In limited opportunities as a rookie, Charles averaged 5.3 yards per carry. In limited opportunities the first half of this season as an understudy to Larry Johnson, Charles averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

All Charles lacked was a true believer, the faith of his head coach. Johnson’s Twitter eruption, Kolby Smith’s ailing knee and Dantrell Savage’s bum ankle left Haley with no choice but to accept Jamaal Charles as his football savior.

The back Haley deactivated in week two just completed as impressive an eight-game stretch as we’ve seen in the history of the Chiefs.

As the featured back the second half of the season, J.C. rushed for 103, 58, 93, 56, 143, 154, 102 and 259 yards. That’s 968 yards. He carried the ball just 161 times, giving him an average of 6.0 yards a tote.

That’s a Barry Sanderslike average. On Sunday, Tennessee running back Chris Johnson became the sixth back in league history to gain 2,000 yards in a season. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry.

Charles is as good as any back in the league.

“He’s kind of forced us to think differently about him,” Haley admitted.

Thank God.

Charles is making me think differently about the Chiefs. They have an offensive identity. They have a home-run hitter in the backfield, a guy who will make the opposition respect the play-action pass on first down.

Charles can make Cassel a better quarterback the same way Charles improved the offensive line. If the Chiefs add a legitimate No. 1 receiver or a talented rookie receiver, a new center and develop a competent tight end, they’ll field a solid offense next season.

Fixing the defense won’t be as easy. But it might start with Haley making peace with linebacker Derrick Johnson.

D.J. is another player who has kind of forced the coaching staff to think differently about him. Johnson scored two touchdowns on Sunday, running back two Kyle "Pro Bowl" Orton interceptions.

I get that a 3-4 scheme — in the Patriots’ system — is an assignment-sound defense for linebackers and that Johnson isn’t the most disciplined player. Haley (and Pioli) must realize the Patriots system is fueled by Bill Belichick’s preparation and ability to anticipate what the opposition is doing. For years, the Steelers have successfully used the 3-4 scheme while employing more instinctive linebackers.

There’s more than one way to win football games. Placing glass ceilings on talented players because you jump to a quick conclusion is how you wind with your team MVP in street clothes in week two.

[Kerberos]

I can't say I disagree with any of this.

[blazzin311]

Originally Posted by Kerberos

I can't say I disagree with any of this.

I know it right? This may be the first Whitlock article that I've ever agreed with. Might even be the only one I'll ever agree with....That being said maybe Whitlock isn't as witless as I had him pegged as being. Who knew?

[PhillyChiefFan]

Wait until Charles gets a case of the fumbles or has a few >50 yd games and Whitlock will be singing a different tune.

I have learned to take him with a grain of salt.

[InChiefsHeaven]

I still hope we have Smith back next year. Charles and Smith should make a great tandem.

[SenselessChiefsFan]

Placing glass ceilings on talented players because you jump to a quick conclusion is how you wind with your team MVP in street clothes in week two.

This.

And, this is how you end up with your best strong safety playing in Houston.

[Buehler445]

His comments about DJ are more interesting.

I still think we need another RB to spell Charles. I will admit that I didn't think he could be an every down back, not necessarily for injury, but because of size. Proved my ass wrong (thank god). But I don't think you run just one back anymore, and we need a short yardage guy.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by SensibleChiefsfan

Placing glass ceilings on talented players because you jump to a quick conclusion is how you wind with your team MVP in street clothes in week two.

This.

And, this is how you end up with your best Safety on the roster playing in Houston.

FYP

I was really excited about Pollard. They were supposed to put him close to the line so he could do what he does well. You know, like Houston is doing.

[penchief]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

His comments about DJ are more interesting.

I still think we need another RB to spell Charles. I will admit that I didn't think he could be an every down back, not necessarily for injury, but because of size. Proved my ass wrong (thank god). But I don't think you run just one back anymore, and we need a short yardage guy.

Nobody put a ceiling on Pollard. Pollard didn't do shit here other than block a few punts early in his career. He earned his ticket out of town. He had three plus seasons to prove he was more than just someone who missed tackles because he was trying to make a big hit or someone who was constantly out of position in the passing game.

Kudos to Pollard for making the most of his second chance. But he did nothing to give the chiefs any faith that he would ever be anything more than what he was. If he had shown more before he got cut maybe he'd still be here.

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by blazzin311

I know it right? This may be the first Whitlock article that I've ever agreed with. Might even be the only one I'll ever agree with....That being said maybe Whitlock isn't as witless as I had him pegged as being. Who knew?

And here it is. The post that comes along with about every Whitlock column. lol

[RINGLEADER]

This game and that performance puts me in the same frame of mind as the Chiefs after Priest's first season. They didn't discover what they had until late in the season but he quickly gave us an identity as Whitlock puts it. Charles can do the same now that Haley can't ignore that he has one of the top backs in the NFL in his backfield. He's finished as the number 11 rusher (between Frank Gore and Ricky Williams) in half a season.

Also agree with Whitlock that the offense is a receiver, center (and tackle) away from being a solid unit.

Despite how woeful the Chiefs were this season (and they were) they still should have beat the Raiders in KC, Dallas in KC, Cleveland in KC, Buffalo in KC, and Cincy in Cincy. That's 9-7 and while probably not good enough for the playoffs there are 1-2 plays in each of those games that separate 4-12 from 9-7. Maybe with Charles starting we win against Baltimore and Jacksonville. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...I know, but KC wasn't consistently blown out despite having a terrible team most of the year. Haley got these guys to play.

I think with another year in the system, knowing Charles is the key to our offense, improving the O-Line and WR, and we could be an 8-8 team next season.

[RINGLEADER]

In furtherence of the "Chiefs have an identity" argument...KC finishes 25 in overall offense and 11 in rushing offense.

I say if Charles plays from game 1 we're a top 5 rushing offense.

[HonestChieffan]

JW has such insight.

[Micjones]

He makes a great point. And I think they're gonna have a tough decision on their hands concerning DJ this off-season.

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by PhillyChiefFan

Wait until Charles gets a case of the fumbles or has a few >50 yd games and Whitlock will be singing a different tune.

I have learned to take him with a grain of salt.

He's an NFL running back. He's going to have a few fumbled and one or 2 in a crucial situation. It happens. Priest was awesome at holding on to the ball, but remember he fumbled against the Colts in the play offs. We couldnt get down on him because his positive outweighted his negative.


As time goes on and the way he works at his game, i am sure he can limit the fumbled.