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History repeats itself: Chiefs’ Ware the new sheriff in town

By Stacy D. Smith

Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

We’ve seen the baton passed before in Kansas City. Friends, I’m here to let you know that time is upon us again. As much as it pains me to say this, it’s Spencer Ware’s backfield now. Breathe. Step away from the ledge.

I’m not suggesting that Jamaal Charles ride into the sunset here. He can still make a big contribution to this football team, in a secondary role, but make no mistake – Ware should retain the lion’s share of the carries going forward. Some will argue that Charles is a much more dynamic player. He is, but I’m not sure it’s a big enough gap at this point to justify him returning as the team’s starter.

Don’t take my word for it though, consider the following:

  1. At press time, only two running backs in the league average more yards from scrimmage per game. One of them (Ezekiel Elliott) has played one more game than Ware. The other, David Johnson, has 27 more touches. No back in the NFL makes more of offensive opportunities than Ware.
  2. Ware is currently the 12th-ranked ranked rusher in the NFL. Of the 11 running backs in front of him, only LeSean McCoy has a higher yards-per-carry average. Ware and Eddie Lacy are the only backs in the league with 360 or more rushing yards and fewer than 80 carries on the season.

Mind you, Ware’s been splitting carries – 26 have gone to Charles and Charcandrick West since the start of the season. The Chiefs should and will maintain a running back-by-committee approach with arguably the deepest backfield in the NFL, but Ware should be at the top of the food chain.

Consider Sunday’s performance in Oakland. Ware finished with 131 rushing yards on just 24 carries and added another 32 yards as a receiver. You may not realize this, but Ware’s actually the team’s third-leading receiver in 2016 (231 receiving yards). He’s pretty darn dynamic in his own right.

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