Kansas City Chiefs: Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis Set to Run Over, Around and Through Unsuspecting AFC West

By Kris Knox
Senior Writer

The Kansas City Chiefs were handed a bit of humility during their 31-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Saturday night.

However, the disappointing preseason performance has done little to dampen the team’s hopes of bringing home an AFC West division title in 2012, and there is certainly reason for optimism.

The Denver Broncos won the division with an 8-8 record last season, and things appear just as wide open this year.

New head coach Romeo Crennel has brought a new-found confidence and swagger to the team, and star wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is back in the fold after holding out for most of the offseason.

However, perhaps the biggest reason the Chiefs have to feel good about their divisional odds—and one that has received surprisingly little attention as of late—is their dynamic backfield of Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis.

Perhaps the reason the Chiefs’ new rushing tandem has not received a ton of national attention is the fact that both players suffered through a forgettable year in 2011.

Charles missed virtually all of last season after tearing his ACL during a Week 2 loss to the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, Hillis battled through both injuries and controversy with the Cleveland Browns, missing six games and finishing the season with a lackluster 587 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Whether due to distractions caused by his desire for a long-term contract, or simply the dreaded “Madden Curse” Hillis fell out of favor with the Browns and signed with the Chiefs as a free agent this offseason.

Hillis is looking for a fresh start in Kansas City, while Charles is simply trying to prove that he is fully recovered and ready to regain his place as one of the NFL’s elite running backs.

Based on last year’s numbers alone, the tandem of Hillis and Charles does not appear to give Kansas City much of an edge in the increasingly pass-oriented AFC West. However, back in 2010—the last time either player was truly healthy—the pair of talented runners combined for an astonishing 2,644 yards rushing, 945 yards receiving and 21 total touchdowns.

To put that into perspective, Charles and Hillis combined to average 224.3 yards and 9.1 points per game in 2010—just 86.5 yards and 4.1 points fewer that what the entire Chiefs offense averaged last season.

While it would be virtually impossible to feed Charles and Hillis the number of carries required to produce 3,500 yards out of the backfield this season, the two easily have the potential to produce a running game that is simply too much for divisional opponents to handle on a consistent basis.

Oakland (27th), Denver (22nd) and San Diego (20th) all finished 2011 ranked in the bottom half of the league versus the run and Kansas City could have a field day this season exploiting one of the division’s biggest weaknesses.

Adding to the likelihood of success for Charles and Hillis is the fact that both players enter 2012 with at least some sense of familiarity.

Charles is heading into his fifth year as a Chief, and despite the recent changes to the coaching staff, should feel more than comfortable in both his ability and his role in Kansas City’s offense. Hillis finds the fortune of reuniting with new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who served in the role with the Browns during Hillis’ breakout season of 2010.

While Daboll has often been criticized for his conservative play-calling, he does have an uncanny ability to coax production out of his running backs. In addition to the success he found with Hillis, Daboll managed to turn Reggie Bush into a 1,000-yard runner last season with the Dolphins and helped spark virtual unknown Jerome Harrison to an incredible 561-yard, five touchdown stretch over the final three games of 2009 with the Browns.

Factor in an offense that is capable of attacking down the field with weapons like Bowe, tight end Tony Moeaki and utility man Dexter McCluster, and the chances of stopping both Hillis and Charles appear even more slim.

It is hard to imagine a more perfect situation for Charles and Hillis, who, during the preseason have produced an average of 4.8 and 5.8 yards per carry, respectively.

As of now, Houston’s rushing tandem of Arian Foster and Ben Tate is widely considered the most dangerous running back duo in the NFL, but do not be surprised of Charles and Hillis quickly overtake them for that reputation this season.

Charles and Hillis appear to be set up for success in 2012, which should help make for a very competitive Chiefs team, and plenty of sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators.

Follow Kris on Twitter: @Kris_Knox

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