The Kansas City Chiefs have maintained a winning record since the loss of Jamaal Charles last season. This is largely in part due to the play of Spencer Ware. With so few workhorse backs in the league anymore, it’s surprising to see a team have one let alone two. Kansas City has been left with an embarrassment of riches. Now, as a result, we see many people arguing the Chiefs no longer need Charles and should possibly trade him. What these people fail to realize is that Jamaal Charles when healthy, can do far more things with the ball than Ware.
The Kansas City Chiefs Still Need Jamaal Charles
The Passing Game
It’s no secret that the Chiefs offense has struggled this year. Just look at the Jets game from two weeks ago. The Chiefs forced eight turnovers, and were only able to score 10 points on offense. These last four weeks, I think we are clearly seeing how big a role Jamaal Charles had in the passing game. He has the quickness and agility to beat any linebacker trying to cover him. Plus, a screen to Charles always had touchdown potential due to his ability to beat defenders in open space. Spencer Ware lacks this. He is a downhill runner that looks for contact. A linebacker can keep up with a guy like that. He simply lacks the home run hitting ability that Charles has. When you go up against a guy that isn’t as dynamic as Charles, it also makes the defensive game plan simpler.
To counter Jamaal Charles, defenses would often come out in nickel sets. A nickel defense is when a linebacker is replaced by an additional defensive back. It’s primarily used when a defense expects the offense to pass since the lack of linebackers makes them more susceptible to the run. Due to Jamaal’s receiving ability, defenses treated him like a receiver by using corners and safeties to cover him when in man coverage. This helped open up the field to create more one on one matchups for guys like Travis Kelce. Additionally, when a defense is in a pass-heavy set, it makes it creates mismatches on the offensive line, making it easier to run the ball. With Ware, defenses don’t need to place special attention on him, allowing them to stay in their base defense.
Running Styles
Jamaal Charles and Spencer Ware are very different backs. When it comes to running the ball, Charles was more of an outside and cutback runner. He avoids contact using quick cuts and jukes to make defenders miss in the open field. Spencer Ware on the other hand, is a classic bruising back. He runs north-south bowling through defenders and has a knack for falling forward and picking up the extra yards. Unfortunately this year I’ve seen him shy away from this style that made him so effective last year. This season we see him trying to bounce a run outside the tackles thinking he can outrun the defender. It’s resulted in a weaker overall rushing attack. Just look at the statistics if you don’t believe me. Last season Kansas City’s rushing offense came in sixth with 127.8 yards per game. So far this season the Chiefs rank 21st with 90 yards per game. The strength of this offense last season has now become mediocre. With a healthy Jamaal Charles at running back, and using Ware as a fullback or short yardage back, we could see the ground game become potent again.
Conclusion
The lack of production from the offense has been concerning so far this season. Bringing back a runner with the highest yards per carry in NFL history will no doubt make a difference. It’s also like adding another receiver to your roster. Look for this offense put more points on the board once we see Charles’ snap count go up. So let’s just hold up on the “Trade Jamaal” talk shall we?
