I think there's a real possibility of it, and in the very near future.
Think about it: CEH wasn't supposed to be the RB1 this season anyway. He was supposed to back up Damien, and learn some things about how to be a professional, get some good practical reps throughout the season, and most importantly, be fresh for the playoffs.
Damien opting out is why CEH became the starter. But because of the drop off in performance between Clyde and Darrel/Thompson, Andy was using Clyde a lot. Maybe too much. The possibility of CEH hitting the Rookie wall was becoming more of a probability fwith each passing game.
Now Bell can provide all of those things listed above, while keeping Clyde on a kind of pitch count so that he's as fresh as possible come January.
Bell is a true top-tier 3-down back that can run, receive, and is one of the best pass protection backs on the field today. And this is the big selling point, IMO. One thing that I noticed yesterday was just how many times Patrick was getting hit. Bell's presence in the backfield should mitigate some of those hits.
And then there's his on-field presence. Defenses are going to have to approach him with more respect, simply because that's Le' Veon Bell. That aspect alone means that defenses won't be able to just come after Patrick as much, which means he should get hit less.
And we need Patrick to stay upright more, especially down the stretch so that he's fresh as possible for the playoffs.
And let's be honest: Bell is gone after this season. Andy has 8 weeks plus the playoffs to get the most out this deal, to exploit it and get everything he can from Bell before he loses him. And Bell needs to showcase his abilities and prove that he's not only still an elite RB but also that he's a good teammate, on a big stage down the stretch so that he can leverage a big contract in 2021.
The more I think about it, the more sense this makes.
I'm not saying it will happen, because I'm not on Andy's speed dial obviously, but I am saying that Andy should be considering it.
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
He had 60% of his rushing attempts in the first quarter. They can't play that way and win right now. They have to run the ball more.
Exactly.
Moving forward, I'd expect a 60/40 split with CEH and Bell, which will wear out defenses and keep both guys relatively fresh heading into the post season. [Reply]
Originally Posted by keg in kc:
Ironically I think they struggled in the third quarter of the Raiders game specifically because Reid came out after halftime and tried to force the run game against a defense that knew it was coming (because he ALWAYS does that with a lead in the second half).
I'm not saying they needed to run less. I'm saying they did it at the wrong time, in an extremely predictable situation, and it cost them an entire quarter on offense. The game turned and we lost.
There's been some "interesting" playcalling this year for sure but I think it's just Andy working with what he's got on the offensive line and in the running back room.
Their schedule over the next few weeks lightens up considerably so I'm not sure we'll see the Chiefs scoring 43+ a game because the new guys need time to become acclimated with each other. [Reply]
Yeah, they shouldn't finish worse than 14-2 with the remaining schedule, unless some catastrophic injuries happen. I don't see them dropping another division game (in fact expect them to make statements against both Chargers and Raiders) and the remainder of the schedule just isn't all that tough. Tampa is really the only speedbump, although I expect to win that game. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
I’m more worried about the OL anyway
Well, unless the Chiefs decide to trade for Kevin Zeitler or Riley Reiff, I think this is what you're going to get this season with the offensive line. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
Well, unless the Chiefs decide to trade for Kevin Zeitler or Riley Reiff, I think this is what you're going to get this season with the offensive line.
I know and I’m not a fan. The RG spot is just not good enough imo.
Originally Posted by O.city:
I know and I’m not a fan. The RG spot is just not good enough imo.
Zeitler is interesting to me for sure
I like Zeitler there, too.
But from my understanding, they'd be on the hook for around $6 million this year on Zeitler and they'd need to cut him immediately after the season in order to avoid paying him $14+ million next season. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
I like Zeitler there, too but fom my understanding, they'd be on the hook for around $6 million this year on Zeitler and they'd need to cut him immediately after the season in order to avoid paying him $14+ million next season.
Yeah that’s a bit steep. Wish they could do it nba style and have the giants take on $ [Reply]
He's had two games with 25 carries. Out of seven. The other five games he averaged less than 13 carries. And he's only had 10+ targets once.
He hasn't been overused but he is being used a lot for a rookie who might play deep into the playoffs. When the upside is fresher legs and the downside is giving leveon bell more snaps, how can anyone be against that? [Reply]
The #1 gig clearly belongs to CEH, Bell is a mercenary here on a short contract
But Reids gonna get his moneys worth and max out Bell while he has him, so it'll be a 1A - 1B kinda thing... I was surprised Bell got 6 carries yesterday, they're definitely fast tracking him [Reply]
You know you've hit the jackpot when fans get upset about whether CEH or leveon bell gets more touches. Which one will be better with more touches? The answer is Yes. [Reply]
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
You know you've hit the jackpot when fans get upset about whether CEH or leveon bell gets more touches. Which one will be better with more touches? The answer is Yes.
Seriously, it's an embarrassment of riches. What other team has the luxury of asking, "should we play the guy that was the best RB in the league just a couple seasons ago, as our no. 4 option?" It's ridiculous.
But it's also great. The possibilities are as limitless as it gets with this offense. [Reply]
