On the awesome Jamaal Charles and the sucky Chiefs around him
The Kansas City Star
Jamaal Charles is awesome. The Chiefs suck. These are things we can all agree on, but messing around online I found something that might put both statements in perspective.
Charles has 928 yards on 195 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per try. At this rate, he’ll finish with exactly 1,350 yards.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, are 1-10 and while it’s not hard to make a case for them winning any of their remaining games except the Colts, it is hard to imagine them finishing much better than 2-14.
Anyway, since 2000 there have been 24 running backs to go for at least 1,350 yards with at least a 4.8 average (including Charles in 2010, Larry Johnson in 2005 and Priest Holmes in 2002).
Their teams have won an average of 9.7 games.
LaDainian Tomlinson’s 2003^ Chargers are the worst of the bunch, at 4-12. Arian Foster’s 2010 Texans finished 6-10, Frank Gore’s 2006 49ers finished 7-9 and each of the other 21 teams to have a running back go for at least 1,350 yards with an average of 4.8 or better finished at least .500.
^ UPDATE: I typo’d this at first, mistakingly writing 2004, when the Chargers actually went 12-4. Thanks to reader Enrique for the heads up.
Now, some of this can be attributed to cherry-picking stats. But it’s probably safe to say that no team since the turn of the century has sucked as bad as this year’s Chiefs with an asset as good Charles.
If you want the entire list, click here.
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