Charles fills in and leads Chiefs to win

OAKLAND, Calif. —Jamaal Charles wasted no time claiming ownership of the newly vacant Chiefs running back job.

Charles delivered the Chiefs' first individual 100-yard game of the season Sunday against the Raiders. He provided their first rushing touchdown, a brilliant 44-yarder on a fourth-down play.

The Chiefs needed every one of his 103 yards and that touchdown to take their second win of the season 16-10.

"I told the coaches I can make the 40-yard runs, I can make the 60-yard runs,'' Charles said. "Just give me the chance to prove myself and what type of player I am. I'm not going to be the biggest back and I'm not going to be the strongest back but I will go out there and give you my all.''

That chance was never going to come for Charles as long as Larry Johnson, their incumbent featured back, was around. But the Chiefs released Johnson last week, throwing to the wind the competition for his job.

Charles clearly outshined Kolby Smith, who had 12 yards on nine carries Sunday. The Chiefs leaned on Charles for the first time and were delighted with the results.

"His head's in the right place,'' coach Todd Haley said. "He's obviously got ability. He had probably the biggest play of the game for us, but some others also.''

Charles had the touchdown on a play where he avoided defenders in the backfield and then carved his way through the defense. He gained 26 yards on a late fourth-quarter drive when the Raiders knew the Chiefs would be running and trying to run out the clock.

He was the Chiefs' second-leading pass receiver with four catches and preserved what would be a field-goal drive in the second quarter when he jumped on a ball when Matt Cassel fumbled a snap in shotgun formation.

In short, Charles did everything the Chiefs want from their featured back and in his first chance.

"One of us has got to take over,'' Charles said. "I don't just want to take over. I want to win and to help my team out. So you have to make plays."

It's easy to forget now, but Haley and the Chiefs were so down on Charles that he was inactive when they played the Raiders in September at Arrowhead Stadium. They went with Johnson and Dantrell Savage as their backs that day and lost 13-10.

While Charles could have helped the Chiefs win that day, perhaps they gained a bigger victory with his benching. Haley indicated Charles returned to work following that earlier Raiders game a different player.

He was intent on never giving the Chiefs the option of deactivating him again.

"I've seen a big change in Jamaal in the last three or four weeks,'' Haley said. "Really a big change in his overall personality, everything. You can see him kind of growing into being a player."

While round one in the battle for Johnson's job went to Charles in a knockout, he's aware the situation can change in a hurry. The Chiefs get a far more difficult challenge in next week game against Pittsburgh at Arrowhead than they did against the Raiders.

"They went with a business call,'' Charles said of the decision to release Johnson. "They knew they had three other running backs and now it's time to show them what we have.''

KCOak

First downs1411

Total Net Yards318272

Rushes-yards31-11230-182

Passing20690

Punt Returns9-473-(-2)

Kickoff Returns3-785-96

Interceptions Ret. 2-131-0

Comp-Att-Int19-34-113-32-2

Sacked-Yards Lost2-102-23

Punts6-47.211-48.3

Fumbles-Lost4-20-0

Penalties-Yards5-3510-88

Time of Possession28:5431:06

Kansas City31003—16 Oakland10 000—10

First Quarter

Oak—Fargas 1 run (Janikowski kick), 12:42.

KC—FG Succop 50, 4:49.

Oak—FG Janikowski 50, 2:10.

Second Quarter

KC—Charles 44 run (Succop kick), 12:25.

KC—FG Succop 25, 6:48.

Fourth Quarter

KC—FG Succop 31, 6:17.

A—40,720.

Individual Statistics

Rushing—Kansas City, Charles 18-103, Ko.Smith 9-12, Cassel 4-(minus 3). Oakland, Bush 14-119, Fargas 10-41, McFadden 4-11, Gradkowski 1-9, Higgins 1-2.

Passing—Kansas City, Cassel 19-34-1-216. Oakland, J.Russell 9-24-0-67, Gradkowski 4-8-2-46.

Receiving—Kansas City, Bowe 6-91, Charles 4-14, Chambers 3-60, Pope 3-11, Long 2-18, Bradley 1-22. Oakland, Higgins 4-41, Schilens 3-27, Bush 2-10, Heyward-Bey 1-22, Z.Miller 1-9, G.Russell 1-3, Lawton 1-1.

Missed Field Goals—Kansas City, Succop 52 (WL). Oakland, Janikowski 45 (WL).