Clyde Edwards-Helaire: The Human Torch to the Rescue

Clyde Edwards-Helaire: The Human Torch to the Rescue – When the Kansas City Chiefs selected running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (CEH) with the 32nd pick in this year’s NFL draft, many fans were expecting him, along with Damien Williams — almost the Super Bowl MVP — to serve as a dynamic duo in the 2020 season. Instead, Damien Williams is opting out to take care of his mother who has stage 4 Cancer and CEH will take over and… save the day… for the Chiefs backfield.

Why call him, “The Human Torch?” It’s not that he’s a speed demon, like the many other players the Chiefs have on offense to assault the opposition with — although, he’s faster than you may think. However, it’s because he will burn a lot of defenders, especially if they attempt to take him on, one-on-one… and… since he’s now playing for a coach who knows better than anyone in the league, how to get his players out in space, the Burn Victims should pile up fairly fast.

Also, Clyde Edwards-Helaire doesn’t need to be considered part of a Fantastic Four. K.C. can clearly claim they have those other three on offense, but CEH he can perform fantastically, even if all others don’t or can’t, on any given Sunday (or Thursday or Monday).

Timely Numbers

CEH will wear the #25, the same number that Jamaal Charles once wore. He’ll never be confused for Charles though, not on the field. From BleacherReport:

“Charles’ 10.18-second 100-meter dash would’ve earned him a silver medal behind Carl Lewis at the 1984 Games. If you do the math, that equates to 22 miles per hour.”

Although CEH will never possess Olympic speed, his 4.60 40-yard dash speed is deceptive. If you look at his game-speed, I contend he is much faster than the 4.6 he timed at on the track. Consider the angles many DBs take but still can’t catch him. Take a look at his performances in this video called, Clyde Edwards-Helaire LSU Highlights ||| “Breakaway Speed”:

Take a Skill Pill

That tape of highlights led me to re-examine how Edwards-Helaire has already mastered so many running back skills. From an article called, “The Five Most Essential Running Back Traits” at The Ringer, Danny Heifetz says, the top 5 RB traits include:

1. Instincts
2. Burst
3. Elusiveness
4. Pass Catching
5. Get’s Yards (YPC) – a skill touted by RB Coach of the Rams, Skip Peete.

Note: Jamaal Charles had a 6.3 YPC average his last year at Texas and, CEH had a 6.6 YPC average his last year at LSU.

Here’s a list of skills I’ve observed of Clyde Edwards-Helaire:

• Cutting Ability – Changes direction without losing speed
• Vision – Ability to find the hole
• Whiff-n-Stiff – Ability to make a defender miss
  •   -115.5 Elusive Rating from PFF
• Between the Tackles – Ability to run through people (see below)
• Explosion – ability to get to top end speed quickly
• Rare Receiving Ability
  • – 92% catch rate (69 of 75: receptions-to-targets)
  • – Presents a mismatch for LBs in coverage
• Football Fast – shows better game speed than track speed
• Deceptive Speed – Beats DBs who have a good angle on him

Below is a Pro Football Focus (PFF) breakdown of where CEH rushed. Here are his totals in 2019 of “Between the Tackles” and “Outside the Tackles:”

• Between the Tackles = 189 + 236 + 310 + 159 = 894 yards
• Outside the Tackles = 234 + 67 + 116 + 99 = 516 Yards (in 2019)

Damien Williams 4.45 40-yard dash speed was often utilized outside the tackles and the Chiefs haven’t had a “between-the-tackles” #1RB since Kareem Hunt two years ago. CEH will give Andy Reid’s offense balance and another top talent which opponents will have to worry about and prepare for. There are also many times that will require a run up the middle in short yardage situations that Reid will now have another potent option to make defenses defend against.

Only Mental Blocks

Clyde Edwards-Helaire does have a possible weakness, and that would be blocking. At 5-foot-7 (or 8) and 207 lbs. CEH is going to have to learn how to take on much bigger players, like LBs, who are blitzing or rushers coming off the edge. It’s not that he can’t do it though:

The Reiding Rainbow

Whether it was going to be this year (even if Damien Williams was still around), or next year, Andy Reid has made it clear he loves Clyde’s game, and even compared him to Brian Westbrook:

While there are some who think CEH will have some challenges in blocking, Reid says he can perform that chore:

Barry’d Alive

When I first saw Clyde Edwards-Helaire play in 2019, I remember thinking, “The Chiefs will never get a chance to pick him in the draft,” but as fortune would have it, I was oh so, pleasantly wrong. Now, it seems like blasphemy to mention Barry Sanders in the same breath as any other RB, but I have to admit, sometimes CEH makes me think of him:

Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks Clyde Edwards-Helaire is reminiscent of Barry Sanders:

Better Than Spin and Marty

You can spin a tale, or spin a record album (old school), or spin the truth, or even take a Spin Class at your local gym… but CEH has a spin move that outdoes them all:

RoY Boy Toy?

Yes, I’m going to go out on a tiny limb and predict that Clyde Edwards-Helaire will win the NFL Rookie of the Year award. An even tinier limb would be the Chiefs RoY Award. Now, if Willie Gay Jr. balls out… then all bets are off… not really. I just think Edwards-Helaire will be that guy in 2020.

Better Than the Best?

Joe Burrow, LSU QB in 2019 and the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft, was asked a pointed question on the Dan Patrick Show this offseason. Burrow had perhaps the best season by any QBin the history of college football during the 2019 season and as revealed on SaturdayDownSouth.com, Dan Patrick asked:

• Dan Patrick: “Who was the best athlete on the team?”
• Joe Burrow: “Clyde Edwards-Helaire.”
• Patrick: “No question?”
• Burrow: “No question.”
• Patrick: “Really?”
• Burrow: “(He’s) Unreal. He’s going to play for 20 years (in the NFL). Everyone looks at all my stats because we threw the ball so much, because we had great guys on the outside as well, but, I mean, Clyde is a different beast.”

It’s also known that Burrow was asked who the best player he “ever” played with was… and the answer was the same: Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Now, Burrow has played with some very good players and among are:

• Chase Young
• Joey Bosa
• Nick Bosa
• Michael Thomas
• Ezekiel Elliott
• Denzel Ward
• Devin White
• Patrick Queen
• Justin Jefferson
• Malik Hooker

The Human Torch looks stunning in the Chiefs Red and Gold already but, I can’t wait to see him burn his first victim. We should call them CBVs, short for, Clyde’s Burn Victims. Yeah, I like it.

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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