A plan for L.J.

Jun 03, 2008, 2:12:50 AM by Jonathan Rand - FAQ

Running back Larry Johnson is fast and frisky on the practice field these days, and shows no effects from the foot fracture that ruined the 2007 season for both him and the Chiefs.

Come to think of it, though, Johnson also appeared raring to go late last summer once he ended a holdout and signed a new contract. Obviously, we shouldn’t read too much into what we see of a running back, or any other player, before the real hitting starts.

The Chiefs’ chances to rebound from a 4-12 season depend heavily upon the return of the pre-2007 L.J. Once he was injured, against the Packers last November 4 at Arrowhead, the Chiefs fell from contention in the AFC West into a nine-game skid.

Johnson’s absence wasn’t the only reason for the Chiefs’ collapse. But it was the biggest one.

His injury seemed to validate concerns about the long-term effects of Johnson’s NFL-record 416 carries in 2006. His load brought to mind several star backs over the past two decades whose careers were irreparably damaged by one or two straight workhorse seasons.

But it’s anybody’s guess whether Johnson’s injury was due to accumulated overwork or a fluky misstep. Chiefs coach Herm Edwards can only try to give him a reasonable workload and hope to see the Pro Bowl back who ran for 3,539 yard and 37 touchdowns in 2005-06.

Edwards gave a quick “No” when asked if he might ask Johnson for 40 carries a game. He shouldn’t be asked for even 25 carries a game. That would work out to 400 carries plus another 30 to 40 touches on receptions. Been there. Done that.

But how do you keep your best weapon available yet not treat him like fine China?

No coach sets out to ruin a franchise runner. But when a game is on the line in the fourth quarter, a football coach doesn’t keep his best back on a pitch count. If a dozen straight runs is needed for a winning drive, a coach won’t worry about a back’s availability for next week, much less next season.

That’s why Johnson’s workload must be shrewdly managed before crunch time.

Circumstances in 2006 conspired to give Johnson the NFL record no running back really wants. The Chiefs were in a tight race for a wild-card playoff spot and backup Michael Bennett couldn’t stay healthy.

Johnson was assigned 86.5 percent of the 481 running plays that were called, which excludes quarterback scrambles and a botched field goal try. Throw in Johnson’s 41 receptions and he totaled 457 touches, or 28.6 per game. You wouldn’t want to be him Monday mornings.

Before Johnson’s injury last year, he had 158 carries and 30 catches, or 23.5 touches a game. He shouldn’t be toting a load any heavier than that, especially because his running style invites constant punishment and he’ll be running behind a line under construction.

Regulating Johnson’s workload should be manageable because running back shapes up as the Chiefs’ strongest area. Kolby Smith played credibly in Johnson’s absence and rookie Jamaal Charles will be counted on for the third-down spark Bennett could not quite provide.

If the Chiefs have the strong running game and balanced attack sought by new coordinator Chan Gailey, they ought to call about 30 running plays per game. With Smith giving Johnson a breather every third series and Charles coming in as a change-of-pace back, Johnson shouldn’t have to average more than 20 carries.

A 320-carry season isn’t exactly a vacation, but it’s a far cry from Johnson’s record-breaking burden in 2006. The Chiefs, no doubt, will be involved in close games in which they’ll have to ride Johnson in the fourth quarter and his carries now and then could hit 30.

But as long as such workloads are the exception and not the rule, the Chiefs have a chance to reclaim the elite running back they had a couple of years ago, and desperately need again.

The opinions offered in this column do not necessarily reflect those of the Kansas City Chiefs.

---

A former sportswriter and columnist in Kansas City and Miami, Rand has covered the NFL for three decades and seen 23 Super Bowl games. His column appears twice weekly in-season.