"Thomas Jones looks the same.

Same broad shoulders and wide stance. Same direct stare and determined words. There's enough youth in his face and body to still have hope, even as the weeks pass and another NFL running back's inevitable reality becomes more difficult to ignore.

Jones, the Chiefs' veteran running back, said he doesn't know why this season has been a disappointment. He said, and maybe he believes, that his age, 33, isn't a factor and that he hasn't been rendered ineffective.

"I have no idea," Jones said, standing near his locker this week. "I'm preparing the exact same way. Same thing. Same way. Nothing different."

The results have not been the same. Two years after rushing for a career-high 1,402 yards with the New York Jets, Jones has 200 yards after eight games this season. He has zero touchdowns, and his longest run is 21 yards. Sure, he might have more outstanding games ahead. Jones is one of the Chiefs' hardest workers, and it's naïve to count out someone with his work ethic.

But the NFL's most grueling position, and the one with the most visible lack of longevity, is running back. Of the league's top-10 career rushers — names such as Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson and Tony Dorsett — none rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season after turning 33."