Stephen Jackson vs Maroney

[everlong]

Jackson and Maroney remind me of each other quite a bit.

Remember Jackson was a guy that if Wilfork hadn't fallen to us we probably would have grabbed him. Also remember that he was splitting time with Faulk his first two years much like Maroney with Dillon.

Check out not only his rushing progression but also receiving.

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/492963

Now look at LM

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/432895

I think the numbers are very similar and remember although Jackson has better numbers in terms of yards per rush and catch his team had a much better receiving corps that year and a better run blocking line especially behind Pace.

Also do a search on Stephen Jackson and something like "inability to hit the hole", the Rams fans were killing him for that his rookie year.

I think Maroney had a great rookie year and has a ton of room to grow. If he was able to progress to Jackson's 2nd and then 3rd year we would have a star. I don't think he could have given us too much more his rookie year and I think BB handled him perfectly.

Give the kid time he's going to be special like Jackson.

 

[Brownfan80]

Jackson and Maroney remind me of each other quite a bit.

Remember Jackson was a guy that if Wilfork hadn't fallen to us we probably would have grabbed him. Also remember that he was splitting time with Faulk his first two years much like Maroney with Dillon.

Check out not only his rushing progression but also receiving.

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/492963

Now look at LM

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/432895

I think the numbers are very similar and remember although Jackson has better numbers in terms of yards per rush and catch his team had a much better receiving corps that year and a better run blocking line especially behind Pace.

Also do a search on Stephen Jackson and something like "inability to hit the hole", the Rams fans were killing him for that his rookie year.

I think Maroney had a great rookie year and has a ton of room to grow. If he was able to progress to Jackson's 2nd and then 3rd year we would have a star. I don't think he could have given us too much more his rookie year and I think BB handled him perfectly.

Give the kid time he's going to be special like Jackson.

Good post.

Maroney showed flashes, and plenty of them. But wasn't consistent. Taking into account that he was a rookie, I think that is not only understandable, but to be expected. The fact that he showed as much potential as he did has to be considered a positive for the future. I think he's a rising player in the league.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Nervousness and Cautions i can understand. But Maroney was a rookie and was splitting time with Dillon so it really cut into his learning ability. At times he showed all the burst and power you want in a RB. But its hard to keep that going, when your a first year player not only learning the ropes of the NFL but splitting time as well, to get a real feeling for each individual game.

Maroney by all scout accounts has been labeled one of the best RB's to come out of college.

Other scouts have said if Reggie Bush didnt declare himself eligible for the draft Maroney would have been gone top 6 or 7.

Thats impressive to say the least.

 

[dtbrks]

I think Jackson is a more powerful running back, but Maroney seens more capable of outrunning people

 

[BelichickFan]

Jackson is more powerful although in the next two years I expect to see Kool Aid add 10 pounds of muscle and he'll be fairly powerful himself. Still, a 4.3 YPC average for a rookie is nothing to laugh at.

 

[everlong]

Jackson is a bigger back in terms of size but I think once Maroney puts on 5-10 pounds of muscle and learns to run with a lower pad level he can be just as powerful or close to it with better burst.

 

[SVN]

its really difficult to compare any pats skill players with other team's players. Our gamplans change to such extremes that maroney or dillon may not even run the ball 8 times in a game because we go 5 wide all the time. We did this more than once this yr. not many if any teams do this kinda drastic change in approach week to week.

 

[cstjohn17]

Lets hope, Jackson had over 2300 from scrimmage and 16 TDs (90 catches!)
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6783/career

My impression is that Jackson is more powerful, I expect big things from Maroney next year. The key for running backs is to stay on the field, any half decent start that can stay healthy should produce 1100-1300 yards, the problem is the beating they take most RBs cannot withstand the abuse. Lets hope Maroney can stay on the field.

Jackson and Maroney remind me of each other quite a bit.

Remember Jackson was a guy that if Wilfork hadn't fallen to us we probably would have grabbed him. Also remember that he was splitting time with Faulk his first two years much like Maroney with Dillon.

Check out not only his rushing progression but also receiving.

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/492963

Now look at LM

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/432895

I think the numbers are very similar and remember although Jackson has better numbers in terms of yards per rush and catch his team had a much better receiving corps that year and a better run blocking line especially behind Pace.

Also do a search on Stephen Jackson and something like "inability to hit the hole", the Rams fans were killing him for that his rookie year.

I think Maroney had a great rookie year and has a ton of room to grow. If he was able to progress to Jackson's 2nd and then 3rd year we would have a star. I don't think he could have given us too much more his rookie year and I think BB handled him perfectly.

Give the kid time he's going to be special like Jackson.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Everybody is giving Maroney a pass for some reason. Joseph Addai was also a rookie and a lot of people thought he should have been MVP or co-MVP for the SB. Yesterday I was trying to think of a RB in the playoffs that didn't look better than Maroney, or at least Maroney in the second half of the year. I couldn't think of anybody. He jukes and jives and doesn't hit the hole unless it's five yards wide. As for being a rookie, again, even running in college is not a whole lot different, and he did play 3 years at Minnesota. OK, he did average 4.3 YPC this year, but he just didn't look good down the stretch. Running with the football is so instinctive and reactive that I'm not sure how you work with him on this either.

 

[BelichickFan]

You have to remember that Jackson has Torry Holt taking the pressure off the run game plus he plays in the mediocre NFC. We'll see a better Maroney in 2007, though, as he gets more carries and is stronger from a good offseason. Also, the entire offense should be better at home now with the field turf and not playing half the home games on sh!t like they did last year.

 

[BelichickFan]

Everybody is giving Maroney a pass for some reason. Joseph Addai was also a rookie

Addai also had no-one on defense playing the run (OK, an exaggeration) because of that "decent" passing game they have. Addai looked good but with Harrison and Wayne at WR the comparison is not fair.

 

[everlong]

Everybody is giving Maroney a pass for some reason. Joseph Addai was also a rookie and a lot of people thought he should have been MVP or co-MVP for the SB. Yesterday I was trying to think of a RB in the playoffs that didn't look better than Maroney, or at least Maroney in the second half of the year. I couldn't think of anybody. He jukes and jives and doesn't hit the hole unless it's five yards wide. As for being a rookie, again, even running in college is not a whole lot different, and he did play 3 years at Minnesota. OK, he did average 4.3 YPC this year, but he just didn't look good down the stretch. Running with the football is so instinctive and reactive that I'm not sure how you work with him on this either.

Just the opposite, I feel most people are giving Maroney a hard time for his performance when in fact he had a very good rookie year given he was splitting carries. Also he wasn't the same back after he got hurt. Remember Addai benefited from having Wayne and Harrison on the outside. He was never facing 8 in the box situations

Does LM need to improve to become a top back?

Of course.

He needs to

1. Run with a lower pad level.
2. Learn to not get flat footed when their is penetration from the defense, the good back keep them moving.
3. Develop more in the passing game, he can be a serious weapon once he's in the open field, this is critical to him becoming the 3 down feature back.
4. Work on the blitz pick up.

But for a rookie he did great and the comparison to Addai doesn't hold water because the systems are different and he was running into tops a 7 man box if not less.

 

[BelichickFan]

3. Develop more in the passing game, he can be a serious weapon once he's in the open field, this is critical to him becoming the 3 down feature back.

The sad thing is, it looked like they were going to start throwing to him more in the very game he got hurt. That injury really set him back but I'm looking for close to 20 touches a game from him next year.

 

[PonyExpress]

Another thing to remember: Addai is 2 years older than Maroney. He is more physically mature. One element that is underrated about Maroney is his intellect. He will improve his understanding of blocking schemes, how the defense will attack him, and that knowledge of the game will improve his ability to break long runs. He will probably play at 225 lbs next season, and he has shown enough receiving and blocking ability to suggest the best is yet to come in both areas. If Dillon had not been on the team, Maroney would probably have run for 1200 yards at a 4.0 clip and 10 TDs as a rookie, despite all the flaws some may perceive in his game. By any historical standard other than Earl Campbell, Barry Sanders and Eric ****erson, that is real talent. If the Pats' receiving corps presented more of a downfield threat, as the Colts does, Maroney would easily have equalled Addai's production.

 

[everlong]

The sad thing is, it looked like they were going to start throwing to him more in the very game he got hurt. That injury really set him back but I'm looking for close to 20 touches a game from him next year.

I agree but the other thing is he was responsible for a couple of picks by not reading the zone correctly. But man when he caught it out of the backfield you felt like he could go the distance every time. That will scare the crap out of the other team if he continues to improve.

 

[BelichickFan]

I agree but the other thing is he was responsible for a couple of picks by not reading the zone correctly. But man when he caught it out of the backfield you felt like he could go the distance every time. That will scare the crap out of the other team if he continues to improve.

Yes, I thought they did better at throwing screens to him that short passes over the middle. I'm looking for him to be a nice option in the passing game next year especially with that Field Turf from game one.

 

[Remix 6]

eh imo they are 2 different backs

i like Steven Jackson a lot..i had him all over in fantasy because his hands were really good and this was his time to shine.

heres from espn.com

He isn't very shifty and lacks a second gear to run away from a defense in the open field. He isn't quite quick enough to consistently separate in his routes. He could show more patience as a runner. He sometimes runs up the back of his linemen. He had some ball-security issues in 2005.

^thats weaknesses

Maroney is faster and much quicker than Jackson but Jackson is stronger, bigger and will carry guys. It was noted at Pro Bowl that Jackson looks like a linebacker. Its agood point that you brought them up though. not a very good comparsion but the situation is similar. Jackson was with Faulk, Maroney with Dillon. both have questions after year 1 although Maroney not hitting the hole didnt come out till playoffs. Jackson was being called a sissy by fans because a 235 pound RB not hitting the hole

you give a RB time..its 1 of the toughest positions in NFL. Maroney will be a great back in NFL.

 

[BionicPatriot]

When you compare the facts, it's no surprise Addai was more productive.

More offensive weapons

A line that can actually consistently run block.

No one respected our WR threat, and our line fell off the earth when O'Callaghan went down. This is why Maroney was shut down.

 

[patsox23]

Everybody is giving Maroney a pass for some reason. Joseph Addai was also a rookie and a lot of people thought he should have been MVP or co-MVP for the SB.

Addai did a good job and is a good player, but a LOT of the time the guy ran into nickel D's with teams concentrating on EVERYONE EXCEPT HIM. There is a huge difference between their circumstances.

 

[mr3putt]

I think Maroney was still dinged up at the end of the year.

He never hit the hole like he had been doing at the start of the season.

I hope with another year under his belt...and Josh working some swing passes into the playbook he will produce better numbers.