Jamal Charles 1000 Yard season?

Here’s a comparison:

In games in which Jamaal Charles has logged 7+ carries in a game this season, he’s averaged 101.1yds. per game.

In games in which Larry Johnson logged 7+ games in that aforementioned season, he averaged 113yds. per game.

To me, the differences between LJ and JC are as follows: Larry did slightly more with much more help, and blocked like Mariah Carey’s chastity belt. JC does slightly less with much less help, actually puts effort into blocking, and is a much better receiver at this point in his career.

…his patience for the hole to open and how fast he hit the hole when it opened. He is fast no doubt but his acceleration is what makes him stand apart. Larry Johnson certainly has/had ability but in my opinion our o-line (in his hayday) made him look that much better. LJ couldn’t hit the hole that this o-line created fast enough, resulting in 2.7 yards per carry. Charles can and he is a star in the making, he is starting to show that “homerun” ability that alot of us hoped he would. A few upgrades to the o-line in the offseason and a decent backup to take the load off of him once in a while and Charles ceiling is limitless.

Makes it harder for me to spend the whole day arguing for positions other than RB. Heh.

I still think that you set the table for these players. You get a blue-chipper, like Charles apparently is (and look at Marcus Allen’s early fumble stats – much worse), and you want to protect him from the big men, with YOUR big men, and with a passing game that gives you a passing option when teams gang up against the run.

Great as Charles is, I think we’re starting to see better play from 3 of the starting 5 OLs and sometimes all 5 of ’em. Still want OL help for next year, but KC looks 1 or 2 new faces away from being MUCH improved, at this point, and like they may not have to spend a whole pot of money for left tackle, but can make generally strong picks in the top-middle of the draft and have a truly beastly line.

I’m still scratchin’ my head on the drafting (and signing) of mostly maulers, and zone-blocking scheme on top of that. Maybe it’s a philosophy of going after the biggest guys they can find and teaching them to play at a lighter weight, but still be honest-to-God 300-lbers after the slim-down. True wide-body strength and frame, but with an edge in conditioning, and an emphasis on technique.