Kansas City Chiefs: Grading Jamaal Charles And The Running Backs

USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) – Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There is no doubt Jamaal Charles is a star in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a two-time All-Pro, and a four-time Pro-Bowler, including in 2014.

A quick glance at his stats from this past year may lead one to think he was not as good as in the past. In reality, he was probably used more conservatively than in recent seasons. Charles is an incredible talent, but he has seen a lot of wear and tear on his body in 2012 and 2013.

In those two seasons, he had 544 carries, and 105 receptions. Charles, at 5’11”, 199 pounds, isn’t the biggest back in the world, and has had some injuries. He missed most of the 2011 season, and he missed most of one game in 2014, and all of another.

Charles has produced an incredible career average of 5.5 yards per carry, with 1,249 carries.

Charles, who has a dependable back-up in Knile Davis, was given some rest in the course of the games, which is probably the best move by the KC Chiefs.

Also, at times, Andy Reid seems to almost forget about the running game, as hard as that is to believe. On top of that, defenses seemed more aware of Charles in the passing game. All of these points helped limit his touches just a bit in 2014.

Still, Charles managed another season with a 5.0 average per carry. This my be the most amazing stat for Charles, and it may be his most lasting legacy to the NFL. Charles has produced an incredible career average of 5.5 yards per carry, with 1,249 carries.

In 2014, Charles racked up nine rushing touchdowns, and five receiving touchdowns. Those 14 scores were off his 19 in 2013, but was in line with his fewer touches.

Charles may not have been as incredible as he was in 2013, but he was still pretty darn good.

Next: Looking Forward To 2015