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Breaking news: The 2010 Kansas City Chiefs like to run the ball.
In case you haven't noticed, head coach Todd Haley has been working the Chiefs' running backs, specifically Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, very hard. So far this season, through 12 games, the Chiefs have 428 total rushing attempts. That's 36 rushing attempts per game on average.
If the Chiefs continue their 36 carry/game pace, they will end the 2010 season with approximately 570 total rushing attempts. That would be more rushing attempts than....
- 2009 (438);
- 2008 (379);
- 2007 (383);
- 2006 (513);
- 2005 (520);
And so on and so on. It won't be a franchise record -- 663 in 1978 -- but it's still impressive in this day of pass-happy offenses.
The 2010 Chiefs are looking like one of KC's better rushing teams in history. Happy about that? I know I am. With Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones on the roster, it would be difficult to look back on 2010 under any circumstances and said, "We should have ran the ball less."
I think Todd Haley and co. are doing the right thing: run, run, run the ball. All the way until the first round of the playoffs. Then they should run it even more. Tough to disagree with giving the ball to your best players.