Re: Honestly, can we now all agree that Maroney is NOT the answer as an every down ba
I'll agree to the extent that BB is just taking advantage of his personnel this year. If he had a great RB, he would be taking advantage of that too. Note how the Rams and Colts had prolific passing offenses, and had RBs (Faulk and James) that thrived running against defenses geared to stop the pass.
The question is why hasn't Maroney thrived in this ideal circumstance. The defenses are all geared to stop Brady, Moss, Welker, etc. Yet when he is given the ball he has been fairly ineffective.
Let's review Maroney's YPC over the last 5 games, a stat that many Maroney supporters had cited as his main defense.
15 for 59 3.9 ypc
6 for 19 3.2 ypc
10 for 31 3.1 ypc
13 for 34 3.4 ypc
8 for 18 2.3 ypc
Which gives us a grand total of:
53 carries for 161 yards and a
3.04 ypc over the last 5 games.
Now believe it or not, when the Patriots get into the playoffs they are going to encounter tough run defenses yet again. Teams that make it into the playoffs are above average to very good. What indicators could possibly make one think that Maroney's performance will dramatically improve come playoff time when his numbers have been in rapid decline over the past 5 games?? When Maroney has failed to step up his game against quality defenses, what makes us think he can mysteriously transform himself for the playoffs?
There are 2 possible "redemption" games coming up for Maroney.
Against the Jets who sport the #30 ranked run defense in the NFL and the Dolphins who sport the #32 ranked run defense in the NFL.
If Maroney cannot romp over these pathetic teams, we'll know that there is something SERIOUSLY wrong. Let's end the excuses. The next 2 games are against 2 of the worst defensive teams in the league, Jets and Dolphins. Show us what you've got Maroney!
I am a big believer in balance. I have always thought that coaches like Andy Reid and Mike Martz were doing their teams a disservice with their unswerving dedication to passing and hatred of running. Defensively I think LeBeau and Jim Johnson play their hand too early and blitz too much. However, I think we are seeing something with this year's Patriots we have never seen before. The effectiveness of the passing game is without equal and with few exceptions (Eagles and Ravens games) the protection has been so good that Brady and the receiving corps can continue converting first downs almost at will. This is something unheard of and I believe you have to abandon conventional wisdom and adjust your strategy in order to take advantage of this unusual level of strength in the passing game. I guess the old adage, "Don't fix it if it isn't broken" applies here.