Kansas City Chiefs: Spencer Ware the one to watch
There might not be a more important player to the Kansas City Chiefs playoffs success than No. 1 wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, but emerging lead back (well, until 2016 when Jamaal Charles returns) Spencer Ware is another name to watch on the Kansas City offense.
Yesterday, Kansas City Chiefs fans received more good news on the Maclin front, as ESPN’s Bob Holtzman relayed that the word on Maclin’s recent ankle injury is “positive”. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid called the injury “mild”, and it seems like we can expect Maclin, who was once feared to have yet another torn ACL, to be out there on Saturday against a New England Patriots defense that matches up favorably with K.C.’s offense.
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Although we received good news on the Maclin front, Reid said, as per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, that Spencer Ware did not practice yesterday due to an ankle sprain of his own.
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Ware’s injury seems to be a new one, so we’ll have to wait to hear more about his status. If he’s able to play- and I tentatively expect him to- then he could be a real X-Factor for this Chiefs offense. They will need everyone to show up against a versatile defense that is well-stocked with playmakers at every level of the defense, whether it’s Jabaal Sheard, Jamie Collins, Malcolm Butler, Devin McCourty, or the always-active Patrick Chung.
Establishing a solid ground game against New England will be critical, and Ware looks like the type of back capable of moving the chains against the Pats. Charcandrick West is solid, yes, but Ware has been the more efficient back this season, and he’s coming off of a quality performance against the Houston Texans, turning 16 carries into 67 yards and a touchdown.
Ware will take his amazing season average of 5.6 yards per carry to a Patriots defense that was in the top-half of the NFL in run defense with 4.0 YPC allowed and just 1,578 total rushing yards allowed.
Those are quality numbers on the part of the Pats defense, and they have capable run defenders on the defensive line, at linebacker, and in the defensive backfield. Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia always do a great job of building a defense that has no weaknesses against the run, as they emphasize the importance of tackling in the secondary.
But while the Patriots run defense is a tough nut to crack, Ware, at least on paper, seems like a running back who can have a strong performance against them. His six rushing touchdowns on 72 carries serve as an example of his ability to pound the ball in between the tackles, and he hasn’t let the Chiefs generally subpar run blocking prevent him from averaging a hefty number of yards per carry.
Critically, Ware has the ability to consistently keep the offense moving even when his offensive line is losing at the point of attack, and the Patriots could, therefore, find it frustrating to stop him.
The 24-year-old LSU product just might be the most underrated back in the league right now, because his efficiency and scoring production are indicative of a player with true feature back ability.
As we saw against Houston, he can break tackles and run with a powerful style, and his ability to chew up carries for steady 4-6 yard chunks will help the Chiefs immensely this week.
Since the Chiefs are built on an elite defense, an even run-pass balance, and a quarterback who plays with a low risk-reward style, time of possession is key. It’s why running the football is so highly valued in K.C., and it’s why having backs like Charles and, now, Ware can give this team such a big boost.
Maclin is one the best wide receivers in the game, and the Chiefs wouldn’t be in the postseason without him. It’s as simple as that.
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But the Chiefs can’t beat a team like the Patriots with only Maclin and Travis Kelce leading the charge, especially since New England has players like Butler who are capable of making life difficult on the Chiefs passing attack.
The Chiefs need balance, and they need their most talented running back to be healthy and able to play to the best of his abilities. Because when you watch what he’s done this season, it’s evident that Ware is good enough to make his mark on this game. If his ankle injury isn’t an issue, then prepare for some trucking.