Jamaal Charles Will Run Wild Over the AFC This Season

Jamaal Charles finished the 2009 season with a bang, rushing for 259 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos. It was a fitting end to a stretch of games that marked the emergence of Charles as the featured back in Kansas City.

Charles ended the season with 1,120 yards on only 190 carries for an average of 5.9 yards per carry. Charles led the league in yards per carry last season while also scoring seven touchdowns on the ground. Charles was a threat out of the backfield in the receiving game as well as he caught 40 balls for 297 yards and a touchdown.

Charles put up all of these numbers in basically the final eight games of the season after he was forced to play second fiddle to Larry Johnson for the first half of the season. Johnson was released following week seven and Charles finally got the chance to show what he can do.

Charles ran for over 1,000 yards in the second half of the season and really turned it on the last four games of the year as he ran for over 700 yards and four touchdowns.

The Chiefs added a running mate to the backfield this season in the form of Thomas Jones, who was third in the league in rushing last season with 1,402 yards. The two should combine to form one of the strongest rushing duos in the league. Jones and his tough running style will be a nice compliment to the blazingly fast Charles, and Jones will be counted on to spell Charles when needed.

Charles was an All-American at the University of Texas in track where he competed in the 100 meters and has a 4.40 time in the 40. There is no denying that Charles is one of the fastest backs in the league and his speed was on display last year when he had three touchdowns of over 45 yards in the last four games.

Charles put up impressive numbers last season behind a Chiefs' offensive line that often struggled but got better as the season progressed. The line should continue to progress this season with the arrivals of Casey Wiegmann and Ryan Lilja. Both are veteran lineman that should help stabilize the interior of the Kansas City line.

With an improved line this season Charles should have even bigger holes to run through, and he doesn't need much of a seam to take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

The Chiefs will face many of the weaker run defenses this season, with five of the six worst run defenses on their schedule. The best team against the run in the AFC West last season was the Chargers who ranked 20th while allowing 117.6 yards per game.

The pieces are in place for Charles to have a breakout season in his third year in the league. I expect Charles to be in the top five in rushing this season and punch his ticket to Hawaii for his first Pro Bowl.