2016 Kansas City Chiefs: Over/Under

Jamaal Charles Carries Per Game

Over/Under Line: 12 carries per game

Jamaal Charles is the most prolific running back in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs and the most proven weapon that the offense has. That’s why I’m guessing many of you probably immediately thought “over” when you saw the line of 12 carries per game.

Here’s why I set the line there. In his three combined seasons under Andy Reid, JC has averaged 15.3 carries per game. Keep in mind this isn’t total touches, so it doesn’t include receptions. Charles had a high amount of carries per game in his first season with Reid (17.3) but it has come down since and he was only averaging 14.2 per game in 2015 before he got injured.

Now Charles is an undersized running back approaching his thirtieth birthday and coming off his second serious knee injury. You add in the emergence of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware and suddenly a heavy work load starts to seem less likely.

My Prediction: Under

I believe Jamaal Charles will still be a centerpiece of the Chiefs offense. However, I don’t think you’ll see him rack up a huge number of carries. I believe that KC will use a combination of JC, West, and Ware that will limit JC’s snaps slightly from where they have been the past couple of seasons.

I also think any time the game is clearly out of hand (hopefully in KC’s favor) you’ll see Charles on the bench while KC lets the young guys take the pounding. Finally, I think you may see the Chiefs get creative and use multiple running backs on the field at the same time. The result of this could actually increase his role in the passing game.

If that’s the case then I definitely think his rushing carries could dip slightly.

What do you think, over or under 12 carries per game for Jamaal Charles?

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