Babb: Savage gets chance to show Chiefs he can play running back

[Tribal Warfare]

Savage gets chance to show Chiefs he can play running back

By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

SAN DIEGO | The Chiefs’ running back of the week stood in a busy hallway Sunday. He passed his first test and said he wants more of these challenges.

Dantrell Savage might fade back into the background this week when Larry Johnson returns from his one-game NFL suspension and the previous three-week team banishment. But for now, Savage — the Chiefs’ former fourth-string tailback — is Kansas City’s key rusher, and he made his case Sunday to receive more chances.

“It’s just basically what I came to do: play running back,” Savage said. “I just have to prove to coaches that I can do it.”

Savage had 12 carries for 44 yards in Sunday’s 20-19 loss to the Chargers. It wasn’t an outstanding performance, but for this team, staying healthy is more impressive than 100-yard games. Johnson’s backup, Kolby Smith, tore knee ligaments in last week’s loss at Tampa Bay and will miss the rest of the season. Rookie Jamaal Charles re-injured the ankle he sprained two weeks ago and missed all but one play in the first half Sunday.

That left Savage, who started this upward ride with the Chiefs by showing up at a team tryout after April’s draft. He made it through training camp and the preseason. Then Kansas City released B.J. Sams in early October and made Savage the primary kick returner.

Now, Savage is too valuable to return kicks. Rookie Kevin Robinson returned kicks Sunday, and as long as Savage is needed in the backfield, Robinson likely will remain the return man.

Savage said Sunday that he’s comfortable in the Chiefs’ spread offense. That’s what he ran at Oklahoma State and, before that, at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He said he knows blocking is an important part of playing running back in the spread, and he’s used to defenders testing the 5-foot-8 back’s ability.

“Some guys think that because I’m so small and don’t weigh that much,” he said, “that I just don’t have power at all. That’s one of the things that people see: Once they try to run me over, it’s like running into a brick wall.”

Savage had plenty of chances to block during the Chiefs’ final drive, a 14-play series that ended when Tony Gonzalez caught a touchdown pass with 23 seconds left. Savage even rushed once, an 8-yard run that took Kansas City to the 2-minute warning.

Savage said he doesn’t know what’s next. The way things are going, no one does. Charles returned Sunday and rushed two times for 9 yards after hurting his ankle on the Chiefs’ first play. And Johnson likely will command attention when he returns this week.

But Savage stood there and said he’ll be available, in case all the other backs are not.

“Once those guys get healed up, it’ll be a rotation,” he said. “I’ll go back and kick-return, do whatever. I’ll be happy with anything. I’m not a selfish type of guy. But once they realize I can run the ball, it’s up to them.”