I wish I provide an insightful counterargument, but I agree with 100% of what you just wrote. Having grown up watching Priest, LJ (prime LJ, not 2.7), and Charles, I've had the opportunity to watch some incredible running backs in KC. And like you said, the insane thing about Charles was simply his ability to make something out of nothing.
You'd think he was going to be tackled for a loss, and 10 seconds later he's celebrating in the end zone and the defenders are standing there, hands on their hips, wondering what the heck just happened. As great as Priest and prime LJ were, I would agree with the assessment that I've never seen a better RB in my lifetime than Jamaal Charles.
I can't help but wonder what he might have done with a better team around him though. As is, he is one of the best RBs to ever play. If he had been able to play a few years later with Mahomes or a few years earlier with the 2000s OL, I don't think we'd even need to have this discussion: IMO, he would have been a sure-fire first ballot HOF RB.
Seth, Excellent article! I love watching these clips of Jamaal. His running was a thing of beauty. Really reminds me of the best running back I ever saw who was Gale Sayers. If you can be closely compared to Sayers, you certainly deserve to be in the HOF.
I think he will have a strong case by the time we get there - it is 2024 before he is eligible, correct? The analytics like you show here will become better and better understood as we go forward.
Yards per carry is easy to understand, and the leaderboard is littered with the backs that spark people's imagination. The statistic is made more meaningful by the fact that 2-6 include Jim Brown, Mercury Morris, Gayle Sayers, Barry Sanders, and Derrick Henry. You get on this list by being one of the top 1-2 backs of a generation in the league. If the stat were less meaningful or obviously impacted by era, it would be easier to discount. (Take a bow, Napoleon Kauffman. I never would have guessed he was next on the list.) Of those top six backs, he played the second-most games, and is third in attempts and yards.
I wish he could have run behind Road, Shields, et al. And I wish he could have played his whole career with Andy and Alex.
When I have had a bad day at the office, and I need a jolt of good feeling, I will watch an old game on GamePass. The two that I pop on more than any others are the Divisional Round game against Houston in 2019 and the Jamaal Charles game against the Raiders.
Don’t argue with your logic. Have always loved Jamaal and always will. A blessing to have him on the team I watch. But I always cringe when players with short careers are inducted. Terrell Davis had some fine years but I never felt he had enough to earn entry. Feel hypocritical if I root for my players with similar histories. What if CEH runs for 2,500 yards this year and suffers a career ending injury? There will be arguments on both sides. Difficult issue.
I started reading thinking Charles was a marginal HoF candidate. I’m now convinced he belongs there as much or more than a lot of guys who are already in. And Jamaal belongs a WHOLE lot more than Frank Gore, who the talking heads have been saying for years is a sure fire inductee.
It kinda comes down to this argument....saying Frank Gore deserves to be in the Hall more than JC is like saying you'd rather have Alex Smith for 20 years than Mahomes for 5....doesn't make sense
He could have set two NFL records with a little "help" from his coaches. In 2009, @ DEN in the last game of the year, he ended up with 259 yds rushing. My memory is a little fuzzy but I think he had time if he'd have gotten the ball late. In 2013, @ OAK, he had FIVE TD's through three quarters and I was losing my mind saying he could set the NFL record. But the last two TD's the Chiefs scored that day, in the 4th quarter mind you, were scored by Sean McGrath and Knile Davis. If he'd have gotten 300 yds in DEN and/or 7 TD's in OAK, that might have helped his chances maybe.....Great article Seth, as always.
Your description that he appeared to be on skates while others were stuck running is so apt. The way he always appeared to be gliding is what stood out the most to me. It's also short and effective to say that he was most often compared to Jim Brown. Isn't that lofty comparison enough to show that he's great?
While there are a handful of players from that period that I wish could have enjoyed playing in the SB and winning it, JC is the only one who genuinely saddens me that he didn't. He was such a special and gifted back who never got the attention he deserved because he played for crap teams and crap Olines. He was the only thing that made the Chiefs worth watching for a few years. Like you said, he will always have a special place for me.
Will always remember him singlehandedly destroying the Raiders and getting beer baths from the Black Hole. Ya love to see it!!!
I wish I provide an insightful counterargument, but I agree with 100% of what you just wrote. Having grown up watching Priest, LJ (prime LJ, not 2.7), and Charles, I've had the opportunity to watch some incredible running backs in KC. And like you said, the insane thing about Charles was simply his ability to make something out of nothing.
You'd think he was going to be tackled for a loss, and 10 seconds later he's celebrating in the end zone and the defenders are standing there, hands on their hips, wondering what the heck just happened. As great as Priest and prime LJ were, I would agree with the assessment that I've never seen a better RB in my lifetime than Jamaal Charles.
I can't help but wonder what he might have done with a better team around him though. As is, he is one of the best RBs to ever play. If he had been able to play a few years later with Mahomes or a few years earlier with the 2000s OL, I don't think we'd even need to have this discussion: IMO, he would have been a sure-fire first ballot HOF RB.
*swoon*
Seth, Excellent article! I love watching these clips of Jamaal. His running was a thing of beauty. Really reminds me of the best running back I ever saw who was Gale Sayers. If you can be closely compared to Sayers, you certainly deserve to be in the HOF.
A couple of thoughts:
I think he will have a strong case by the time we get there - it is 2024 before he is eligible, correct? The analytics like you show here will become better and better understood as we go forward.
Yards per carry is easy to understand, and the leaderboard is littered with the backs that spark people's imagination. The statistic is made more meaningful by the fact that 2-6 include Jim Brown, Mercury Morris, Gayle Sayers, Barry Sanders, and Derrick Henry. You get on this list by being one of the top 1-2 backs of a generation in the league. If the stat were less meaningful or obviously impacted by era, it would be easier to discount. (Take a bow, Napoleon Kauffman. I never would have guessed he was next on the list.) Of those top six backs, he played the second-most games, and is third in attempts and yards.
I wish he could have run behind Road, Shields, et al. And I wish he could have played his whole career with Andy and Alex.
When I have had a bad day at the office, and I need a jolt of good feeling, I will watch an old game on GamePass. The two that I pop on more than any others are the Divisional Round game against Houston in 2019 and the Jamaal Charles game against the Raiders.
Need more Jamaal GIFs. You could include 100 and I don't think it would be enough.
Don’t argue with your logic. Have always loved Jamaal and always will. A blessing to have him on the team I watch. But I always cringe when players with short careers are inducted. Terrell Davis had some fine years but I never felt he had enough to earn entry. Feel hypocritical if I root for my players with similar histories. What if CEH runs for 2,500 yards this year and suffers a career ending injury? There will be arguments on both sides. Difficult issue.
Alright....I'm misty eyed now
Great article!
You mentioned Priest’s outlier EPA and o-line contributions, but what do you say to the chiefs fans who think Priest is the best RB to play for us?
I’ve heard this come up multiple times in Chiefs Twitter but haven’t heard you drop the gauntlet on them for making such a claim.
I started reading thinking Charles was a marginal HoF candidate. I’m now convinced he belongs there as much or more than a lot of guys who are already in. And Jamaal belongs a WHOLE lot more than Frank Gore, who the talking heads have been saying for years is a sure fire inductee.
It kinda comes down to this argument....saying Frank Gore deserves to be in the Hall more than JC is like saying you'd rather have Alex Smith for 20 years than Mahomes for 5....doesn't make sense
He could have set two NFL records with a little "help" from his coaches. In 2009, @ DEN in the last game of the year, he ended up with 259 yds rushing. My memory is a little fuzzy but I think he had time if he'd have gotten the ball late. In 2013, @ OAK, he had FIVE TD's through three quarters and I was losing my mind saying he could set the NFL record. But the last two TD's the Chiefs scored that day, in the 4th quarter mind you, were scored by Sean McGrath and Knile Davis. If he'd have gotten 300 yds in DEN and/or 7 TD's in OAK, that might have helped his chances maybe.....Great article Seth, as always.
Great read with excellent support for your arguments. You should be a lawyer or something ;-)
Your description that he appeared to be on skates while others were stuck running is so apt. The way he always appeared to be gliding is what stood out the most to me. It's also short and effective to say that he was most often compared to Jim Brown. Isn't that lofty comparison enough to show that he's great?
I never appreciated Jamaal as much as I should have. Let me never forget how awesome he was.
While there are a handful of players from that period that I wish could have enjoyed playing in the SB and winning it, JC is the only one who genuinely saddens me that he didn't. He was such a special and gifted back who never got the attention he deserved because he played for crap teams and crap Olines. He was the only thing that made the Chiefs worth watching for a few years. Like you said, he will always have a special place for me.