There isn't any official word out just yet but it appears that Larry Johnson will miss at least this weekend's game against the Denver Broncos. Last year or even two years ago, I would be writing that losing Larry Johnson for any length of time would be the worst tragedy the Chiefs could imagine. Through eight weeks of the 2007 season, you might even argue the loss of Larry Johnson is a good thing.
Listen. The Chiefs running game is so bad, so terrible, so ineffective that it doesn't really matter who lines up in the backfield. If the combination of Priest Holmes and Kolby Smith produces fewer yards than Larry Johnson has, so what? Its not like things can be much worse right now for the Chiefs running game. The Chiefs are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to running the ball. Green Bay was the worst...until they outrushed us yesterday.
I welcome a change of pace at the running back position. Larry Johnson's style has become stale through eight games this season. Yes, our offensive line is in bad shape but then doesn't that demand a runner whose style is the opposite of the power running style of Larry Johnson? Wouldn't a quicker, more agile Priest Holmes fare better when the line disintegrates, as it inevitably does each game?
I'm not a huge Priest Holmes fan. But he is back. And he will more than likely be the no. 1 running back on the depth chart come Sunday. Theoretically, his type of running style should be more effective than Larry Johnson's.
If Larry Johnson can't go, I fully support the running back experiment that will take place. Something...anything needs to be done to shake up our running game.
A Priest may just do that.