Charles' struggle for consistency mirrors KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —The dilemma with running back Jamaal Charles gets to the heart of the problem Todd Haley has in getting the 0-4 Chiefs a victory and, longer term, building them into a playoff contender.

On one hand, Charles, who returns kickoffs and plays as the third-down back, is one of the Chiefs' most talented players. He is one of the few Chiefs capable of making big plays and one of the fastest players on an otherwise slow team.

On the other, Charles has been an unreliable player whose fumble on the opening kickoff Sunday put the Chiefs in an immediate hole against the undefeated Giants. He delivered some big plays as a rookie last year, but precious few so far this season.

The Chiefs figure to need Charles and his potential this Sunday when they play the Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium. But, perhaps mindful of the damage Charles is also capable of inflicting on his own team, Haley wouldn't commit to having Charles active.

"We'll have to see where we're at personnel-wise,'' Haley said. "We'll talk about that as the week progresses."

As Haley and general manager Scott Pioli continue what now seems like an eternal Chiefs rebuilding program, they have precious few younger offensive players who can help with the process. Dwayne Bowe, perhaps. Matt Cassel and Branden Albert, they hope.

Charles' time to prove his worth to the Chiefs could be running out. Kolby Smith is close to finishing his rehabilitation from last year's knee surgery and is eligible to be activated from an injured list later this month.

He could take Charles' place as Larry Johnson's primary backup. In the interim, Dantrell Savage, a less talented but more reliable player than Charles, is the option.

For his part, Charles indicated he is ready for whatever punishment Haley dishes out for the fumble against New York.

"Whatever they do to me, they do to me,'' he said. "I'll still go out there and give it my all. It was my fault (Sunday) fumbling the ball like that. I put the defense in a bad situation. We're (not) that good to be turning the ball over. I'll take responsibility for that. If I had held on to that ball, it would have been a lot different."

Since coming to the Chiefs, Haley has emphasized that he wants players he can count on every down and not necessarily talented players whose performance goes up and down. He's been willing to bend that policy in the case of Charles.

"He doesn't have to say anything about that,'' Charles said. "Every coach wants consistent players."

Charles showed a glimpse of his big-play ability on his 53-yard kickoff return against New York in the fourth quarter. He might have taken it all the way if teammate Terrance Copper had made a better block.

His fumble against New York was only the latest in a series of drops for Charles. The Chiefs aren't strong enough to overcome mistakes like that.

"We've talked about margin of error around here,'' Haley said. "We can't do that against a good football team. Generally, it will get you beat.

"Jamaal starting the game that way is a morale-hurter. It hurts like a dagger in your abdomen. It was not in any way the way we wanted to start the game. It wasn't a big hit or a great play by a defensive player. I feel like we kind of served it up for them. We can't do it."