Andy Reid regrets not giving the ball to Jamaal Charles (again)

October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) on the sidelines against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Levi
October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) on the sidelines against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Levi

Forgive us if you’ve heard this before, but head coach Andy Reid regrets not having run the ball more on the heels of a close loss. No, Eagles fans, this article isn’t for you. You guys can go back to sleep.

Unfortunately, this is Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid lamenting yet another wasted opportunity thanks to his refusal to run the ball in the heat of the moment. For the second time in this short 2014 season, Reid is left to wonder what could have been had he just let his best offensive player handle the ball late in the game.

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“If we had that to do over again, and this is hindsight, but I’d probably come back and hand it to him and give him an opportunity to make that play,” Reid said, per ESPN, of the team’s late drives which omitted running back Jamaal Charles from its play calls despite Charles being the team’s best player by far.

The Chiefs led late in the third quarter when the team failed on a five-play drive in which they called no runs, then followed that up with a fourth quarter drive in which Alex Smith missed a throw on third-and-one to force a punt. Instead of running the ball, Andy Reid once again showed why his reputation precedes him as a pass-happy coach.

This is an especially frustrating instance for Chiefs fans for two reasons. 1) Jamaal Charles averaged more than five yards/run against the 49ers in Week 5. Calling on him for a third-and-one should be elementary when nursing a lead. 2) This is the second time Reid has pulled this stunt after he drastically limited Charles’ touches in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

It’s back to the drawing board for Reid and the Chiefs who must once again acquaint themselves with the idea that giving the ball to your best player is often the safest route to take on offense.

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