Chiefs' Jamaal Charles scores 80-yard touchdown on first play against Browns

It is difficult to imagine what Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is dealing with right now, just eight days after teammate Jovan Belcher killed himself after fatally shooting his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, who was also the first cousin of Charles' wife, Whitney.

"He's dealing with real life," Chiefs guard Ryan Lilja told USA TODAY Sports' Lindsay H. Jones on Thursday. "The rest of us are trying to focus on football the best we can, and he's still dealing with this."

Though it matters little in the big picture, Charles, who has not spoken with reporters since the murder-suicide, seems to be effectively channeling his grief onto the gridiron.

A week after rushing for 127 yards in a win over the Carolina Panthers the day after the tragedy, Charles staked the Chiefs to a quick lead in Cleveland on Sunday by bolting 80 yards through the Browns defense for a touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage.

It's welcome production for a Kansas City team which has only won twice in 2012. But hopefully it's therapeutic in some way for Charles.

"Jamaal is our teammate, our brother. We just have to let him know that if he needs anything, we're here for him. He's holding up pretty good," running back Dexter McCluster said last week. "When he's here, he's focused on football."

Later, Charles was on a 15-yard run in the second quarter. He got up and tugged at the bottom of his shoulder pads. He went to the sideline and was checked by doctors and trainers, and his return is questionable.

Contributing: Associated Press