I'm now convinced Maroney is not an every down back

[stinkypete]

I'm not hating on Maroney, I think he can be a valuable member of this team, but I've seen enough to believe that Morris should be getting the mjaority of 1st down snaps. A 1st down RB should be able to pound the ball for 4 yards even when the defense is expecting. Maroney has never shown me that ability. He either gets stopped within 2 yards of the line of scrimmage or (maybe once every 2 games) will bust a long gainer. A team needs more consistency on 1st down to be successful.

I think Maroney should be held out a bit, given blocking and blitz pickup lessons, and groomed to be Faulk's eventual replacement. A guy with Maroney's talent level could be a monster on 3rd downs, but he's simply not cutting it an his current role.

I know this statement will be challenged by the homers, but how many years are you willing to wait for him to develop?

 

[KillEM]

i told you guys this a few weeks ago and everybody jumped all over me for it

He sucks. He's soft. He's injury prone. He doesnt hit the hole. He cant consistently move the chains.

He's your classic "change of pace homerun hitter" type guy...

Maroney = Mewelde Moore

 

[mosi]

I agree with you 100%. Remember when people wanted Faulk to be the every-down back? Did it work out? Maroney is a good player but not the role player we want him to be.

 

[slash83]

Maroney has all the talent needed to be a top ten back especially playing on this team, but when you dance in the backfeild so much instead of hitting the hole hes not going to average more then 3yards per run. Hes been doing this since his rookie year till yesterdays game. Hes never going to be the back the Patriots expected him to be.

 

[stinkypete]

His reluctance to hit the hole on that 3rd quarter run, and instead to run out of bounds...short of the first, was completely unacceptable to me. To use Mike Vrabel's term, I hope he was "MFed" during today's film session for that one.

His career part is reminding me of Faulk's, and I think the team is beginning to realize this. I still have hope that he can develop into a valuable player in a KR/3rd down role, but I don't want to see him on the field on 1st or 2nd downs anymore.

 

[Deus Irae]

Was the other Maroney bashing thread not pretty enough or something?

 

[spacecrime]

Maroney has all the talent needed to be a top ten back especially playing on this team, but when you dance in the backfeild so much instead of hitting the hole hes not going to average more then 3yards per run. Hes been doing this since his rookie year till yesterdays game. Hes never going to be the back the Patriots expected him to be.

You don't know what he is never gong to be. All you know is what he is doing now. And that is dancing. Sunday was the worst in a long time.

But to say he will never change is silly. How can you say he will never hit the hole? How can you say he will always be what he is right now? Some football players learn more slowly than others. The NFL is full of players who didn't shine in their first three years but were much better in later years.

Tie him to a chair and duct tape his eyes open. Show him clips of Morris hitting the hole. Show him clips of him hitting the hole. Alternate until he understands.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Was the other Maroney bashing thread not pretty enough or something?

It is a good thread with decent speculation and discussion on Maroney's performance. There is no need for this separate thread which adds nothing to the discussion.

 

[stcjones]

Maroney has all the talent needed to be a top ten back especially playing on this team, but when you dance in the backfeild so much instead of hitting the hole hes not going to average more then 3yards per run. Hes been doing this since his rookie year till yesterdays game. Hes never going to be the back the Patriots expected him to be.

I agree with you except in the statement that he has the talent to be a top 10 RB......He is not ever going to be in that category.....He INSTINCTIVELY has the dreaded stutter step at the line of scrimmage....call it dancing if you want to.....but you can not "COACH" that out of a player......His counterpart at Minn, who was not the star that Maroney was.......Marion Barber....hits the hole FAST and hard....and he is a success in the NFL....he is....or is close to....being a top 10 back........I will not say that Maroney is a bust......not yet.....Because I think that he may be able to be utilized like a Kevin Faulk and be that change of pace guy........But he will NEVER be a EVERY down back for the Pats.....just is never going to make it there........

 

[MoLewisrocks]

You don't know what he is never gong to be. All you know is what he is doing now. And that is dancing. Sunday was the worst in a long time.

But to say he will never change is silly. How can you say he will never hit the hole? How can you say he will always be what he is right now? Some football players learn more slowly than others. The NFL is full of players who didn't shine in their first three years but were much better in later years.

Tie him to a chair and duct tape his eyes open. Show him clips of Morris hitting the hole. Show him clips of him hitting the hole. Alternate until he understands.

Yup, either that or get an OL that can zone block for a cutback runner...


Btw - can anyone remind me how many games Morris missed last season? I'm thinking Lamont will match that...

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Yup, either that or get an OL that can zone block for a cutback runner...


Btw - can anyone remind me how many games Morris missed last season? I'm thinking Lamont will match that...

Sad to say (this is not a bash) Lamont, recently Morris, and certainly Faulk all have a history of missing several games per season. This actuarial fact is one reason BB added a seasoned RB to the roster this year. Too bad if Lamont is OUT again for a long time.

Good thing that the kid with all the names is on the PS.

 

[Deus Irae]

It is a good thread with decent speculation and discussion on Maroney's performance. There is no need for this separate thread which adds nothing to the discussion.

I agree, and I responded to your last post over in that thread. In fact, just to fit in, I think I'll make my very own Maroney thread.

 

[brdmaverick]

His reluctance to hit the hole on that 3rd quarter run, and instead to run out of bounds...short of the first, was completely unacceptable to me. To use Mike Vrabel's term, I hope he was "MFed" during today's film session for that one.

His career part is reminding me of Faulk's, and I think the team is beginning to realize this. I still have hope that he can develop into a valuable player in a KR/3rd down role, but I don't want to see him on the field on 1st or 2nd downs anymore.

I can recall the exact run that you are talking about, and that pissed me off too. In looking at the run again, if Maroney had even leaned into the defender he would have had the first down without a problem. Instead of looking for the first down, Maroney is looking for the sideline, and you can tell that he stopped running when he was still on the field. That was a piss poor effort on that run.