Maroney Doesn't Break Tackles

[shazam]

First, Maroney definitely played his best game of the season yesterday. He hit the holes hard, made some great cuts and lowered the boom when he needed to get first downs and the score. If he played like that all the time it would be great.

A lot of his yards, however, are due to the Pats great offensive line blocking and receivers downfield. They are creating massive holes that a lot of backs would look good running through. I think these guys should be getting more of the credit. If Sammy Morris were still playing I think we would see great production from him too.

I decided to start tracking his plays over the last month. The results are interesting.

Yards After Contact: Not many

Maroney had 2 long runs in the Miami game-- both of them he was untouched. He also had a few long receptions vs. Baltimore that he made great plays on -- again untouched. Too many plays the first guy to touch him brings him down. Welker, Stallworth and Gaffney break more tackles than Maroney does against the same guys. Cmon LoMo! Stay inbounds, lower the shoulder and stay on your feet--at least a little more!

Yards After Cut: A Lot

So after tracking the last few games, I realized Maroney is just a different type of runner. Even though he was in the same backfield as Marion Barber and has size, Maroney is really a finesse runner and needs a Corey Dillon or Sammy Morris to soften up the defense so he can slash and burn them.

Yes, he gets tackled a lot by the first guy to touch him which pisses me off. (I really loved Dillon's stiff arms!) BUT, Maroney makes it very hard for anyone to touch him. The first guy to touch him is really the 2nd, 3rd or 4th guy to have a chance to tackle him. So for Maroney the key stat should be Forced Missed Tackles or Yards After Cut. Speed and moves make people miss instead of running them over.

Keep ripping off 4-5 avg per run and the Pats win anyway! Lets just give credit where it is due.

 

[Oswlek]

Did we watch the same game yesterday?

 

[bbabin]

I don't care if his only ability is leaping over the defense for five yards a pop. However he does it is irrelevant to me. Also, he actually does a very good job of lowering his shoulder. This is especially evident when he is near the sidelines. I don't think I have ever seen him just run out of bounds, and he usually gains at least another yard by pushing the tackler.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

Excellent stats


A lot and not many. You must be a statistician in the real world.

 

[aluminum seats]

If you "tracked" a month's worth of his runs, I'd think you'd have more substantive stats than this.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

First, Maroney definitely played his best game of the season yesterday. He hit the holes hard, made some great cuts and lowered the boom when he needed to get first downs and the score. If he played like that all the time it would be great.

A lot of his yards, however, are due to the Pats great offensive line blocking and receivers downfield. They are creating massive holes that a lot of backs would look good running through. I think these guys should be getting more of the credit. If Sammy Morris were still playing I think we would see great production from him too.

I decided to start tracking his plays over the last month. The results are interesting.

Yards After Contact: Not many

Maroney had 2 long runs in the Miami game-- both of them he was untouched. He also had a few long receptions vs. Baltimore that he made great plays on -- again untouched. Too many plays the first guy to touch him brings him down. Welker, Stallworth and Gaffney break more tackles than Maroney does against the same guys. Cmon LoMo! Stay inbounds, lower the shoulder and stay on your feet--at least a little more!

Yards After Cut: A Lot

So after tracking the last few games, I realized Maroney is just a different type of runner. Even though he was in the same backfield as Marion Barber and has size, Maroney is really a finesse runner and needs a Corey Dillon or Sammy Morris to soften up the defense so he can slash and burn them.

Yes, he gets tackled a lot by the first guy to touch him which pisses me off. (I really loved Dillon's stiff arms!) BUT, Maroney makes it very hard for anyone to touch him. The first guy to touch him is really the 2nd, 3rd or 4th guy to have a chance to tackle him. So for Maroney the key stat should be Forced Missed Tackles or Yards After Cut. Speed and moves make people miss instead of running them over.

Keep ripping off 4-5 avg per run and the Pats win anyway! Lets just give credit where it is due.

shazam!!!!!!!! keep your posts after opinion down. please

 

[cartmen]

this guy must be Wade Phillips stat man
What a regular Steven Hawking with the math there Chooch

 

[Pats_2007]

Did you not see Maroney absolutely destroy Marlon McCree?

McCree went flying 10 yards when he contacted Maroney.

 

[Deus Irae]

Hmm..... seems your timing sucks:

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/football/patriots/view.bg?articleid=1067994

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080121/SPORTS/801210364

http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/projo_20080120_maroney.40ce40c1.html

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1200897315107000.xml&coll=1

 

[BrianPat]

No offense, but this thread is about 2 months late and at this time, it's dead wrong. I've seen Maroney cut around a defender and I've also seen him drive into them and move them back 3-5 yards. I think your looking at a prior game this year or you had a bad dream ;-)

 

[ALP]

i disagree, Maroney, and especially in this last game had a lot of yac....

as long as contact is when a defender touches him, there were a lot of times in which maroney sidestepped the hits and the defeneders flew right by him....

he may not be getting yac like u want to see, by him driving right into and running over ppl, but he does have his own way, whish is to shift to the side, give a little push with his hands, and let the defender move on by with their momentum

 

[hallfamebrady]

You are right. He does not break tackles. He just carries the tacklers with him. ow mnay times has he pushed the pile in the last couple of weeks.

 

[cincipatsfan]

Tracking results: A lot/not many??



I hope your job doesn't require any fact based analysis......

 

[shmessy]

Did we watch the same game yesterday?

THAT was exactly my reaction to the OP.

What game was he watching yesterday?

Much of the time, Maroney had NOTHING to work with at the LOS. He was consistently running into the pack, bouncing off and going outside. Same thing as last week. He was spinning gold from straw.

 

[PatsfanGlo]

I thought I saw Maroney juking, stiff arming people all over the place yesterday. Didn't he stiff arm one guy trying to tackle him and gained additional 10 yards on one play? That to me is classic Maroney run.

 

[FrontSeven]

I didn't see many YAContact from Turner either.

The point is well-taken that the OL is doing a great job. Don't use that to minimize what Maroney is doing (exactly what they want him to do.)

I know that Sammy Morris is a very tough runner when he heads down hill, but in watching Maroney in the last 4-5 games I am seeing more and more of the same ability to lower the shoulder and get the extra yard or two.

If you're waiting for the kid to pancake a LB and then outrun the safeties to the house, you're smoking some contaminated stuff. Nobody said that this kid was Earl Campbell or Bo Jackson.

 

[scout]

In the past people have commented about the holes Maroney runs through, saying any back could get through those holes. How about this, how many runners get through those holes and go for another 15 - 20 yards? Not too long ago, a lot of people were drooling over Marion Barber. Some indicating they would trade the two even up. Had Barber ran the ball yesterday, he would have gotten through the holes, met a defensive player and gotten a few more yards. Not even close to what Maroney ran. After completing a some of Marnoney's long runs yesterday, he was tackled and still picked up an additional five yards. What were you hoping for, Earl Campbell?

 

[TommyD4207]

First, Maroney definitely played his best game of the season yesterday. He hit the holes hard, made some great cuts and lowered the boom when he needed to get first downs and the score. If he played like that all the time it would be great.

A lot of his yards, however, are due to the Pats great offensive line blocking and receivers downfield. They are creating massive holes that a lot of backs would look good running through. I think these guys should be getting more of the credit. If Sammy Morris were still playing I think we would see great production from him too.

I decided to start tracking his plays over the last month. The results are interesting.

Yards After Contact: Not many

Maroney had 2 long runs in the Miami game-- both of them he was untouched. He also had a few long receptions vs. Baltimore that he made great plays on -- again untouched. Too many plays the first guy to touch him brings him down. Welker, Stallworth and Gaffney break more tackles than Maroney does against the same guys. Cmon LoMo! Stay inbounds, lower the shoulder and stay on your feet--at least a little more!

Yards After Cut: A Lot

So after tracking the last few games, I realized Maroney is just a different type of runner. Even though he was in the same backfield as Marion Barber and has size, Maroney is really a finesse runner and needs a Corey Dillon or Sammy Morris to soften up the defense so he can slash and burn them.

Yes, he gets tackled a lot by the first guy to touch him which pisses me off. (I really loved Dillon's stiff arms!) BUT, Maroney makes it very hard for anyone to touch him. The first guy to touch him is really the 2nd, 3rd or 4th guy to have a chance to tackle him. So for Maroney the key stat should be Forced Missed Tackles or Yards After Cut. Speed and moves make people miss instead of running them over.

Keep ripping off 4-5 avg per run and the Pats win anyway! Lets just give credit where it is due.

You sound like DojoChargerfan. All that's missing is that he runs "Staring at the sky".

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Actually, I have to respectfully disagree. I have been a longtime critic of Maroney's ability to be the feature back in this offense and two things that have made me the most nuts is how he a) runs right into holes as the play is designed whether the holes exist or not; and b) his inability to get the yards after initial contact.

Since the December Jets game, though, Maroney has been punishing opposing defenders. He has been hitting holes, and finally reversing the field when there is nothing available where the hole is supposed to be.

One of his biggest runs yesterday came when he surveyed the right side, saw no hole and slid down the line left for a big first down +.

I was also watching one of the national outlets (Marshall Faulk or Trent Dilfer on NFLN, I think) and he was saying that what is so impressive about Maroney right now is his Yards After Contact.

I have to admit, I am rethinking my posiiton on Darren McFadden. If Maroney can play like this consistently, we truly ARE better off using the #7 pick for a trade down to get linebacker help.

ADPF

 

[patriotspride]

First, Maroney definitely played his best game of the season yesterday. He hit the holes hard, made some great cuts and lowered the boom when he needed to get first downs and the score. If he played like that all the time it would be great.

A lot of his yards, however, are due to the Pats great offensive line blocking and receivers downfield. They are creating massive holes that a lot of backs would look good running through. I think these guys should be getting more of the credit. If Sammy Morris were still playing I think we would see great production from him too.

I decided to start tracking his plays over the last month. The results are interesting.

Yards After Contact: Not many

Maroney had 2 long runs in the Miami game-- both of them he was untouched. He also had a few long receptions vs. Baltimore that he made great plays on -- again untouched. Too many plays the first guy to touch him brings him down. Welker, Stallworth and Gaffney break more tackles than Maroney does against the same guys. Cmon LoMo! Stay inbounds, lower the shoulder and stay on your feet--at least a little more!

Yards After Cut: A Lot

So after tracking the last few games, I realized Maroney is just a different type of runner. Even though he was in the same backfield as Marion Barber and has size, Maroney is really a finesse runner and needs a Corey Dillon or Sammy Morris to soften up the defense so he can slash and burn them.

Yes, he gets tackled a lot by the first guy to touch him which pisses me off. (I really loved Dillon's stiff arms!) BUT, Maroney makes it very hard for anyone to touch him. The first guy to touch him is really the 2nd, 3rd or 4th guy to have a chance to tackle him. So for Maroney the key stat should be Forced Missed Tackles or Yards After Cut. Speed and moves make people miss instead of running them over.

Keep ripping off 4-5 avg per run and the Pats win anyway! Lets just give credit where it is due.

give me strength