Re: Let's Put An End To the Maroney Madness
1) It is not at all clear that Maroney is at least an average NFL running back. Please list all the starting running backs and see whether Maroney is better than 16 of them. I don't think the answer is clear at all. That being said I am fine with the pick. He was headed to ROY consideration before he was injured. The situation now is what it is. I expect Maroney to contribute as one of our running backs for several years. I do NOT expect him be a 3rd down back. He doesn't have the blocking skills.
2) I've followed this team since 1979. It has never been a run-first team.
3) The team is NOT chasing passing records. It is maximizing its chances for winning the SB. Records and revenge are for fans.
4) I expect the team to run more than 29 times this game. I expect that many of the runs will be by Eckel and Evans, disappointing those who want bb to run up the score.
5) The OL blocking scheme has been changed for Maroney. I expect that we may see results in the playoffs or next year.
6) I would like to see a starting 2008 squad of FIVE running backs, so that when one is hurt, we have better than Eckel. We had a fine starting four, but all plans changed when Morris was injured. We need to do better.
Let me take this one at a time, in reverse order:
6.) I'm not worried about that, because this team will have fewer receivers on the roster next year. Now, as to where they will make up the difference, I'll trust BB to know what he needs.
5.) I haven't spoken much about the O-line, because it would have look like I was copping out on the Maroney issue. However, that line is not a good run blocking line right now, and I'm not sure the problems can be solved during the course of this season because of how much attention is focused on making sure the line can adapt to blitz pressure and pass blocking. This is, in fact, one of the reasons I'd love to see this team go OT with that first round pick.
4.) With BB, you just never know. I expect him to try for 100 points if he can, and I expect Mangina to try everything he can to limit Patriots possessions, including going on 4th, fake punts, etc... However, BB could fool us all and run all 4 running backs into the ground just to throw off the Jets.
3.) This team is definitely chasing those records. There's not a doubt in my mind. First and goal on the 1 and they ran a passing play with an empty backfield. It's all about the passing game.
2.) It was a run first team a lot during the 80's, depending upon personnel more than coaches.
1.) Average doesn't mean he's definitively better than 1/2 the runners and definitively worse than 1/2 the runners. It means he's in the great sea of mediocre runners. If you don't think he's at least that, I'm not going to try convincing you because it would be a waste of time. However, in my opinion, Maroney would either be the #1 back or in a dogfight to be the #1 back on the following teams at a minimum, if you were basing everything on this season and not buying into a player's past:
Chicago
Detroit
Green Bay
Panthers
Falcons
Raiders
Jets
Bills
Texans
Titans
Browns
Bengals
Chiefs
Redskins
Seahawks
Saints (to be fair, McAllister was injured so early that this is by default because we don't know how he would have panned out once the team got it together)
Others could have been added, but I did say at a minimum. Nonetheless, that's half the teams in the league, and it doesn't include some slightly more questionable choices like the Cardinals and Buccaneers, for example.
