The Kansas City Chiefs need to fix their running back situation but I’m not completely convinced I know what’s wrong with it. Is it the backs? Is it the offensive line? Is Andy Reid calling enough runs?
Alex Smith can thrive with the perfect conditions. One of those conditions is a better than average running game. If the Chiefs are bringing Alex back next year, they need a better running game.
Andy Reid’s best offenses have come with a dynamic running backs like Jamaal Charles or Brian Westbrook who can run and catch. There’s more than one way to go about it but we know what type of back fits Andy Reid’s system.
Spencer Ware had 921 yards rushing and 447 yards receiving - not a bad season. It still felt like the Chiefs were missing something in the run game. I felt like the Chiefs couldn’t rely on it like they did in the past which contributed to some of Alex’s struggles (yes, there were a million other reasons he wasn’t as good this year).
Is it the offensive line? Parker Ehinger was the only notable injury there. The Chiefs couldn’t pound out short yardage against teams this year, which was really frustrating. Is that a sign that the offensive line’s run blocking isn’t great?
I’m not sure exactly what the answer is here but I do know that the Chiefs run game needs to be better than average next year if the Chiefs want go further than the Divisional round.