What's up with Maroney?

[MoLewisrocks]

I'm disappointed in Holley this AM as he has just decided to delve into the angle of he's either hurt or he's soft. We've seen him be anything but soft. We've also seen him pay the price for that... Nobody ever accused Graham of being soft, yet he essentially wanted out of here because he saw his 1st round career (and subsequent pay days) being ground up. That's what happens when you find youself in the position of being the square peg being repeatedly shoved into a round hole. Or black hole as the case may be (NE OL). I've heard some media speculate that they don't block well for or like blocking for Maroney. Boo freakin' who then as to who's at fault... I think they simply can't block well consistently for any back who can't essentially create or plow through a fleeting hole. And the problem with those guys is they don't generally create the breakout gains Bill seemed to be chasing when he drafted this kid.

 

[Robdude]

Since Cassel is off the schnide it's on to the next most obvious target.

Maroney is not and never will be a downhill move the pile back. I think the guy who drafted him wasn't intending for him to be, but schit happens. Thunder and lightning, only thunder keeps getting hurt and lightning has as well in the process of covering both slots...and our OL never really got the hang of blocking for that kind of back. I saw Ivan in his grill after one unproductive run, but rather than firing him up it seems to be sapping his confidence. I'm not sure what the answer is but I have a feeling it has as much to do with utilization and blocking scheme as dancing.

Morris was the plow horse yesterday but he only racked up 63 yards in 16 carries. LaMont gets lots of love lately but the reality is he had 16 yards on 5 carries and spent the second half on the sidelines in a t-shirt...which was the knock on him going in and what I thought Bill was hoping to be less dependent on when he drafted Maroney rather than a later round bowling ball. Maroney ended up with 10 carries for 20 someodd yards.

We know Maroney has explosive talent, we just forget quickly around here. This Oline can't spring him and if we continue to punish him for that his explosiveness will go the way of Watson's. Speaking of whom if they want a more legit target to criticize...

While I agree he was never a run downhill type back I would have to say that there are plenty of other backs that lack his strength that still hit the hole fast and hard. Warrick Dunn and Kevin Faulk come to mind. While neither are known for pushing a pile both can hit a hole fast (if not hard)

 

[Robdude]

I'm disappointed in Holley this AM as he has just decided to delve into the angle of he's either hurt or he's soft. We've seen him be anything but soft. We've also seen him pay the price for that... Nobody ever accused Graham of being soft, yet he essentially wanted out of here because he saw his 1st round career (and subsequent pay days) being ground up. That's what happens when you find youself in the position of being the square peg being repeatedly shoved into a round hole. Or black hole as the case may be (NE OL). I've heard some media speculate that they don't block well for or like blocking for Maroney. Boo freakin' who then as to who's at fault... I think they simply can't block well consistently for any back who can't essentially create or plow through a fleeting hole. And the problem with those guys is they don't generally create the breakout gains Bill seemed to be chasing when he drafted this kid.

Graham thought he was a different type of player. But, doesn't it seem that the Pats had it right all along. I do not follow the Broncos much but still i beleive he is the stay at home TE who blocks often because he is good at it. His role in Denver is not much different then his role in NE. I do not think he was a square peg in a round hole at all. I also do not think that the team is misusing Maroney. A starting RB needs to run through any hole.

 

[Kontradiction]

Maroney is actually really good. He just has to play against sub-par rushing defenses all the time for it to show.

 

[Deus Irae]

Maroney is actually really good. He just has to play against sub-par rushing defenses all the time for it to show.

And Jacksonville and San Diego in the playoffs last year?

 

[GostkowSKI]

As a side note, I don't suggest going to profootballreference.com to look up Maroney's career stats, which is what I did. I'll just say the page is sponsored by someone with the username "BostonSux" and doesn't have many kind things to say about the '07 Pats.

 

[Deus Irae]

Both Morris and Maroney are off to slow starts this season, at 3.3 ypc. It's great that we can focus our uninformed vitriol at Maroney, though, because we should really be bashing our youngest, most talented running back with the highest career ypc of the 3 'main' running backs instead of trying to figure out what the problem is with the running game when he's in there.

After all, the same offensive line that can't keep rushers off the quarterback can't open holes for the running game, so we should really focus on a kid who ran out of bounds one yard short of a first down, since no other running back in the NFL (Besides every single other running back, of course) ever does such a thing.

 

[JSn]

After all, the same offensive line that can't keep rushers off the quarterback can't open holes for the running game, so we should really focus on a kid who ran out of bounds one yard short of a first down, since no other running back in the NFL (Besides every single other running back, of course) ever does such a thing.

So do our possible week #7 returns make it more likely that we see some better chances for LOMO?

 

[Kontradiction]

And Jacksonville and San Diego in the playoffs last year?

Jacksonville and San Diego were the 11th and 16th ranked run defenses, respectively, last year. Even if they were that good, it's still two games out of 18. Don't get me wrong, I used to support Maroney as well, but watching him just dance behind the line for 1 or -1 yard game after game after game have changed my mind. Heck, he wouldn't have had a 100 yard game v.s. the Dolphins last year had they not stacked their D line with 8+ guys that all swarmed in and got blocked. There was nobody left in the backfield for Maroney to run away from. The Jags... lol. We all know their defensive game plan. The entire secondary was sitting 10 yards off the receivers with the safeties dedicated to stopping the pass and at least one LB dedicated to watching Welker. I could have probably ran for 100 yards against the Jags. The Chargers did the same thing hence the three picks. One thing I will give Maroney credit for in that game is sustaining a 9 minute drive. That's the one time in his career where I ever felt nothing but good about handing him the ball in the waning minutes of a big game.

 

[Deus Irae]

Jacksonville and San Diego were the 11th and 16th ranked run defenses, respectively, last year. Even if they were that good, it's still two games out of 18. Don't get me wrong, I used to support Maroney as well, but watching him just dance behind the line for 1 or -1 yard game after game after game have changed my mind. Heck, he wouldn't have had a 100 yard game v.s. the Dolphins last year had they not stacked their D line with 8+ guys that all swarmed in and got blocked. There was nobody left in the backfield for Maroney to run away from. The Jags... lol. We all know their defensive game plan. The entire secondary was sitting 10 yards off the receivers with the safeties dedicated to stopping the pass and at least one LB dedicated to watching Welker. I could have probably ran for 100 yards against the Jags. The Chargers did the same thing hence the three picks. One thing I will give Maroney credit for in that game is sustaining a 9 minute drive. That's the one time in his career where I ever felt nothing but good about handing him the ball in the waning minutes of a big game.

I see you've decide to throw away logic and reason and just join the Chicken Little crowd while disregarding the reality. That's too bad.

 

[Deus Irae]

So do our possible week #7 returns make it more likely that we see some better chances for LOMO?

I really don't know. I think that this team decided to transition to a zone blocking scheme and that transition has been mostly a failure. People are on this thread bashing Maroney, but Morris has the same YPC right now. The team's best run pulling offensive lineman is still on the shelf and the tight ends are not good run blockers, and I think this is showing in how poor the running game has been. Jordan has the team's best YPC of the big 3 right now, but break his numbers down game by game:

3.0
5.6
3.7
3.2

Morris:

5.3
3.0
3.9

Maroney:

5.1
2.0
2.6

Each runner has just one game with an average of 4 ypc or better. I think Maroney is hurt but, whether he's hurt or not, the problem is the running game as a whole, not Laurence Maroney. However, people can't really bash Cassel this week, so it's going to be Maroney's turn in the barrel.

I will say that Maroney seems more like a Ferrari than a Volvo, in that he really seems to be more affected than most when he's not at 100%. However, due to the nature of injury reporting with the Patriots, I can't tell if that's because even little nicks throw him off or if he keeps getting pretty badly dinged up. If it's the first, then the "made of glass" crew at least have some point. If it's the latter, then it's just the nature of the position in the NFL, as Mr. Westbrook over in Philly can attest.

 

[JMarr]

I'm disappointed in Holley this AM as he has just decided to delve into the angle of he's either hurt or he's soft. We've seen him be anything but soft. We've also seen him pay the price for that... Nobody ever accused Graham of being soft, yet he essentially wanted out of here because he saw his 1st round career (and subsequent pay days) being ground up. That's what happens when you find youself in the position of being the square peg being repeatedly shoved into a round hole. Or black hole as the case may be (NE OL). I've heard some media speculate that they don't block well for or like blocking for Maroney. Boo freakin' who then as to who's at fault... I think they simply can't block well consistently for any back who can't essentially create or plow through a fleeting hole. And the problem with those guys is they don't generally create the breakout gains Bill seemed to be chasing when he drafted this kid.

Regardless of running style almost any quick, decent sized RB will tear it up if the O-line is dominating in run blocking [see Denver in past years]. We know the Pats aren't built that way. It may be unfair, but I always immediately think of Marion Barber when I see Maroney do something like he did yesterday on the out of bounds play.

I doubt Maroney is unhappy with the situation here but you could be right. Shying away from contact in situations like that will earn him a seat on the bench or worse eventually.

 

[j00fek]

trade the glass tap dancin box for roy williams!

 

[DaBruinz]

Jacksonville and San Diego were the 11th and 16th ranked run defenses, respectively, last year. Even if they were that good, it's still two games out of 18. Don't get me wrong, I used to support Maroney as well, but watching him just dance behind the line for 1 or -1 yard game after game after game have changed my mind. Heck, he wouldn't have had a 100 yard game v.s. the Dolphins last year had they not stacked their D line with 8+ guys that all swarmed in and got blocked. There was nobody left in the backfield for Maroney to run away from. The Jags... lol. We all know their defensive game plan. The entire secondary was sitting 10 yards off the receivers with the safeties dedicated to stopping the pass and at least one LB dedicated to watching Welker. I could have probably ran for 100 yards against the Jags. The Chargers did the same thing hence the three picks. One thing I will give Maroney credit for in that game is sustaining a 9 minute drive. That's the one time in his career where I ever felt nothing but good about handing him the ball in the waning minutes of a big game.

Let me know when you have watched a game this year because I've watched them and I've seen the calls for Maroney go, consistently, to the RIGHT side of the O-line. That is the WORST side for them to call him to.

I've also seen MANKINS, who should be the Pats best run blocking O-lineman (based on what I saw of him last year), get manhandled like he was a rookie with no playing experience. Seriously, Mankins, Koppen, Yates and Kaczur have been driven back on numerous occasions this year. That doesn't do the runner any good.

 

[NEPatriot]

Maroney is not like Maroney whom we saw last year.

 

[Deus Irae]

Regardless of running style almost any quick, decent sized RB will tear it up if the O-line is dominating in run blocking [see Denver in past years]. We know the Pats aren't built that way. It may be unfair, but I always immediately think of Marion Barber when I see Maroney do something like he did yesterday on the out of bounds play.

I doubt Maroney is unhappy with the situation here but you could be right. Shying away from contact in situations like that will earn him a seat on the bench or worse eventually.

Trade Barber for Maroney and you'd probably be flipping their careers. Maroney running behind that offensive line would probably be tearing up the league, while Barber would be getting a lot of shelf time due to injury. Just take a look at the RB injury history on this team since it began the switch from traditional run blocking to zone blocking.

 

[neuronet]

I definitely should have included Maroney threads:
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...quent-annoying-threads-will-come-up-fall.html

 

[JMarr]

Trade Barber for Maroney and you'd probably be flipping their careers. Maroney running behind that offensive line would probably be tearing up the league, while Barber would be getting a lot of shelf time due to injury. Just take a look at the RB injury history on this team since it began the switch from traditional run blocking to zone blocking.

Troy Aikman made the comment that Barber's shelf life won't be very long. But people always love a guy that plays with that kind of fire. Barber is just sick when he runs.

 

[Deus Irae]

Troy Aikman made the comment that Barber's shelf life won't be very long. But people always love a guy that plays with that kind of fire. Barber is just sick when he runs.

Yes, it's easier to run as a bruiser when you're running behind Adams (340 lbs), Kosier (305), Gurode (318), Davis (353) and Colombo (318). In New England, Kaczur is the heaviest listed Patriots starter, at 315.

What people miss here is that the Patriots running game is supposed to be more similar to Denver's, where it's 1 cut and run, rather than Dallas' where they manhandle the opponents. That makes for trouble when there's no hole to cut into, and that's what's been happening here all too often during the past couple of seasons.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I have decided today in the game thread that from here on out Maroney is the "boy in the bubble". He would be better suited to go join dancing with the stars.

Rofl. Dang that's harsh. I had no idea why he didn't barrel forward for the 1st down on that 1 play though. Is he afraid to initiate contact because of all the times he's been stuffed or what? He needed just a foot and he stepped out of bounds instead.