Chiefs Whitlock: Chiefs can put their faith in Charles - Page 3

**Tribal Warfare** · 01-04-2010, 12:59 AM

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.

suds79 · 01-04-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christofire

Here's my final say: Charles is awesome. I want him to play for us for a long time.

I'm almost with you.

I still feel like RBs are a ticking time bomb. It's about getting young backs. I'm very much looking forward to watching Jamaal over the next 4 years. But after that, I fully expect him to be a different kind of runner when that time comes from the use he's going to get.

So next 4 or so years? Sure. After that? I'd cut bait and get another guy.

I just don't want to see us pull another LJ with him when you hold onto a RB too long when they're clearly not the player they used to be.

**OnTheWarpath15** · 01-04-2010, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christofire

I'm not trying to vilify Charles here, but I'm also noticing that you're now ignoring that he fumbled 3 times in 4 weeks vs. SD, Den and Cleveland.

I'm not ignoring it at all.

People, yourself included, keep saying he had a fumbling problem early in the year.

He didn't.

Christofire · 01-04-2010, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suds79

I'm almost with you.

I still feel like RBs are a ticking time bomb. It's about getting young backs. I'm very much looking forward to watching Jamaal over the next 4 years. But after that, I fully expect him to be a different kind of runner when that time comes from the use he's going to get.

So next 4 or so years? Sure. After that? I'd cut bait and get another guy.

I just don't want to see us pull another LJ with him when you hold onto a RB too long when they're clearly not the player they used to be.

True. True.

Christofire · 01-04-2010, 01:09 PM

I'll go back and re-read some of the training camp reports. Those are what are fueling my opinion on this, as well as the fumble in the Minny game. There's a video clip of Haley saying to him at a pre-season practice something along the lines of "You can't play if you can't hold on to my football."

If I'm wrong, I'll come back and say it.

blazzin311 · 01-04-2010, 01:11 PM

Quote:

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.

This is true. He's such a fricken fair weather fan. I hate those types.

Quote:

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.

Yup. I agree completely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by |Zach|

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

Hey someone had to say it.

FAX · 01-04-2010, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Well, Mr. FAX, college ball and the NFL are a different animal.

What's he's done in college has no bearing on what he's done in the league.

And again, this is directed more at the folks that keep claiming this supposed "early season fumbling problem" is the reason why he was inactive for a game, and buried on the depth chart.

Please. Repeat after me ... "I am not a knucklehead. I am not a knucklehead."

I'm trying to help you here. If you read the post I referred to, you'll see where the "myth" began. In no way is it a comparison of college ball and the NFL (I actually feel stupid having to type that out).

You keep saying that Charles' reputation as a fumbler is unfounded.

Here's what happened ... NFL scouts pay attention to all kinds of things when evaluating a college player ... including his propensity (or lack, thereof) to fumble. Charles got his reputation as a fumbler because he fumbled in college ... he even publicly admitted that he had a problem that needed work.

Jeez.

FAX

Christofire · 01-04-2010, 01:33 PM

OTW58: For what it's worth, Josh Looney of the Chiefs' own Web site acknowledges the rep that was out there in this blog post.

***

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/12...isk_vs_reward/
RISK VS. REWARD
December 1st – 6:05 AM

Jamaal Charles carries the label of “fumbler” around with him. He’s fought that tag for quite some time now. Regardless of how many big plays he makes, touchdowns he scores or ankles he breaks, as soon as that football hits the ground the dreaded “f word” gets dropped along with it.

Is the characterization unfair, or is it fitting? Better yet, does the reward of Charles’ game outweigh the risk of him fumbling?

Charles has put the football on the ground four times to date over his two-year NFL career, twice this season and twice a season ago. Four fumbles certainly isn’t very many considering that six NFL running backs have coughed up the football four or more times this season alone (Steve Slaton leads the league with seven). But, on the other hand, Charles has also seen limited touches throughout his career until about three weeks ago.

Maybe the classification comes from his time at Texas when Charles coughed up the football twice against Oklahoma in 2007. That version of the Red River Rivalry was the closest matchup between the two schools in over a decade (a 28-21 OU victory) and Charles’ fumble inside the Oklahoma five-yard line was disastrous. Mack Brown even called in legendary Longhorn rusher Earl Campbell to talk ball protection with J.C.

Or maybe the tag comes from this past preseason where Charles struggled to hold on to the football and an exchange between the runner and a wired Todd Haley was broadcast on national television via the NFL Network.

Haley: “Did you fumble yesterday?”

Charles: “Yeah.”

Haley: “What, he just slapped it.”

Charles: “That was my fault. I didn’t cover the ball enough.”

Haley: “You better take care of my football, or you cannot play.”

Regardless of how the perception got legs, it’s running. Charles has already been labeled a “fumbler” and it will likely stick with him until he goes on some ungodly streak of carries without a fumble. He carries the title, but is it completely accurate at this point in his career? Let’s take a look.

Below is a table of 32 NFL running backs. Each running back is currently the leading rusher on their respective team. The table breaks down each of the runners’ total touches (rushes, receptions and returns) and fumbles, ultimately being sorted by fumbles per touch from best to worst. Also, keep in mind that these are not fumbles lost, just fumbles in general.

As you can see, Charles has the eighth-highest fumble percentage of any leading rusher. As a football coach, you definitely don’t want your runner to rank in the league’s top-10 in that category, but is the risk worth the reward?

For instance, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson has put the football on the ground the third-most times per carry, yet you hardly hear anyone characterize Peterson as a “fumbler.” Why? Because he’s among the league’s elite and the reward for Peterson carrying the football far outweighs the risk of the ball bouncing on the turf 2.33% of the time. With that, the next question is where Charles’ reward ranks in relation to his fumble risk?

**OnTheWarpath15** · 01-04-2010, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

You keep saying that Charles' reputation as a fumbler is unfounded.

No, FAX, I'm not.

I'm simply saying that he DID NOT have a early season fumbling problem, as so many people here have claimed.

He fumbled ONCE in the first 11 weeks of the season.

ONCE.

CHIEFS58 · 01-04-2010, 01:51 PM

I didnt know his chunky butt could backpedal that fast. Its like reading Woody Paige. Christ, Whitlock, pick a stance and stay with it. "I love them, I hate them, I love Herm, Todd sucks, Egoli, yay Chiefs." Go to hell, Whitlock the Hutt.

01-04-2010, 12:59 AM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-3007187	Whitlock: Chiefs can put their faith in Charles 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.
Posts: 43,454

01-04-2010, 01:09 PM	#34
Christofire Aberzombie and Fitch Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Southwest Kansas Casino cash: $10004950	I'll go back and re-read some of the training camp reports. Those are what are fueling my opinion on this, as well as the fumble in the Minny game. There's a video clip of Haley saying to him at a pre-season practice something along the lines of "You can't play if you can't hold on to my football." If I'm wrong, I'll come back and say it.
Posts: 582

01-04-2010, 01:33 PM	#37
Christofire Aberzombie and Fitch Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Southwest Kansas Casino cash: $10004950	OTW58: For what it's worth, Josh Looney of the Chiefs' own Web site acknowledges the rep that was out there in this blog post. *** http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/12...isk_vs_reward/ RISK VS. REWARD December 1st – 6:05 AM Jamaal Charles carries the label of “fumbler” around with him. He’s fought that tag for quite some time now. Regardless of how many big plays he makes, touchdowns he scores or ankles he breaks, as soon as that football hits the ground the dreaded “f word” gets dropped along with it. Is the characterization unfair, or is it fitting? Better yet, does the reward of Charles’ game outweigh the risk of him fumbling? Charles has put the football on the ground four times to date over his two-year NFL career, twice this season and twice a season ago. Four fumbles certainly isn’t very many considering that six NFL running backs have coughed up the football four or more times this season alone (Steve Slaton leads the league with seven). But, on the other hand, Charles has also seen limited touches throughout his career until about three weeks ago. Maybe the classification comes from his time at Texas when Charles coughed up the football twice against Oklahoma in 2007. That version of the Red River Rivalry was the closest matchup between the two schools in over a decade (a 28-21 OU victory) and Charles’ fumble inside the Oklahoma five-yard line was disastrous. Mack Brown even called in legendary Longhorn rusher Earl Campbell to talk ball protection with J.C. Or maybe the tag comes from this past preseason where Charles struggled to hold on to the football and an exchange between the runner and a wired Todd Haley was broadcast on national television via the NFL Network. Haley: “Did you fumble yesterday?” Charles: “Yeah.” Haley: “What, he just slapped it.” Charles: “That was my fault. I didn’t cover the ball enough.” Haley: “You better take care of my football, or you cannot play.” Regardless of how the perception got legs, it’s running. Charles has already been labeled a “fumbler” and it will likely stick with him until he goes on some ungodly streak of carries without a fumble. He carries the title, but is it completely accurate at this point in his career? Let’s take a look. Below is a table of 32 NFL running backs. Each running back is currently the leading rusher on their respective team. The table breaks down each of the runners’ total touches (rushes, receptions and returns) and fumbles, ultimately being sorted by fumbles per touch from best to worst. Also, keep in mind that these are not fumbles lost, just fumbles in general. As you can see, Charles has the eighth-highest fumble percentage of any leading rusher. As a football coach, you definitely don’t want your runner to rank in the league’s top-10 in that category, but is the risk worth the reward? For instance, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson has put the football on the ground the third-most times per carry, yet you hardly hear anyone characterize Peterson as a “fumbler.” Why? Because he’s among the league’s elite and the reward for Peterson carrying the football far outweighs the risk of the ball bouncing on the turf 2.33% of the time. With that, the next question is where Charles’ reward ranks in relation to his fumble risk?
Posts: 582

01-04-2010, 01:51 PM	#39
CHIEFS58 Smoke a turd. Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Western North Carolina Casino cash: $10004930	I didnt know his chunky butt could backpedal that fast. Its like reading Woody Paige. Christ, Whitlock, pick a stance and stay with it. "I love them, I hate them, I love Herm, Todd sucks, Egoli, yay Chiefs." Go to hell, Whitlock the Hutt.
Posts: 2,217