The Running Game

[mgteich]

2006-2007
We alternated Maroney and Dillon, with Maroney increasing reps as the season went on, until he was injured. Occasionally one was out for entire games. Faulk ws the third down back. Evans was the blocking back. Morris will also be on ST's.

In the 2006-2007 playoffs, we didn't have much of a running game, due to injuries, and to the slowing down of Dillon.

2007-2008
Now it is Maroney and Morris, with Moroney expect to get most of the reps.
===============================================

Consider, what we do if any of the three runners are out for a couple of games, or even a half. Evans. as with most fullbacks in the NFL, should not be counted on to carry the ball. He is a blocker, blitz-picker-upper and an outlet receiver, as he should be.
And who are you giving the ball to with game on the line at 4th and 1? Is 3rd and 2 a passing down? If so, this greatly reduces the effectiveness of our offense.

To me, we are a player short (Brown, Turner, even Hairston). What say you all?

 

[cstjohn17]

I agree we are a little thin, especially with Maroney re-habbing. Luckily we won't need 2500 rushing yards because of the passing game but we still need it to be effective.

None of the available FAs look like anything special. They could bring in someone like Chris Brown but may wait until August to see if there are any fringe players who get cut.

I am not confident that Maroney will be able to carry the load in 07 but think the position can be patched together to at least make it adequate.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I found the running game last season a real puzzle. At its best (against Cincinnati) it looked absolutely awesome, but it obviously failed to fire when we needed it most. Why? Injuries to some extent and the willingness of teams (Denver, Miami, Jets?) to sell out to stop the run without feeling threatened by our passing game, I suppose.

It seems to me that Maroney is an incredibly talented broken field runner -- the memory of his kick returns and some of his runs to the outside bring a smile to my face -- but that, if he is going to be the main back, the Pats' running style will have to change.

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

I think our running game this year will closely resemble that of the colts.
It will be stretch plays, draws, and traps.

This of course given our new weapons in the passing game.
Like the colts teams will be forced to keep safeties back which will open things up for Maroney.

This means he has to worry about 7 players instead of 9.
If we can seal the edge, he has the skill to make teams pay...
But remember Addai... he didn't take too much of a pounding, or Rhodes.
It's not a traditional "I" team that plays smashmouth run, run, run.
It has the capacity. But it's not it's bread and buttah.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

The unfortunate thing about last year was the game in which it looked like Maroney was finally going to get the Lion's share of the work (Detroit) he got hurt early.

We're probably a guy short but it's of marginal concern to me. As long as Maroney or Morris is healthy we'll have a viable RB along with Faulk in his role. Worst case we now (on paper anyway) have a viable enough passing game that we could pass almost exclusively for a few games if we had to. But it's unlikely that Maroney, Morris, Faulk will all be out for an extended time.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Wholeheartedly agree that the team needs another RB. I am very concerned with Maroney since he still hurt.

Brown would be fine as a veteran addition.

 

[patsfan-1982]

last yer all we had was the runing game so teams were puting 8 and 9 in the box now we have the WR so they cant put 8 in the box i think #39 will have over 1600 yerds this yer i think we will be good in the runing game

 

[zippo59]

I don't get the problem. It think we are fine.

If Maroney's injury was going to be an issue they would have drafted a RB early.

He has plenty of time to heal and will be fine.

 

[Ring 6]

I think you could always want more at any position. What ifs can be done on any team at any position.
I think we are as deep at RB as any team in the NFL.
Who else has:
A dedicate starter who will carry the bulk of the load, that is a guy no one doubts belongs in that role. (Maroney)
A solid backup, who has started in the past. (Morris)
A 3rd down back who carried 160 times in a year on a SB Champ-2003, and was the starter for half of that season. (Faulk)
A FB who has seen some limited success running out of a one-back set (Evans)

If Maroney were hurt, Morris fills in. No he isn't a full-time starter caliber guy, but you just cannot afford in a capped league to have a starter sitting behind a starter. (I realize we had that last year but it was a special circumstance of the past guy in his last year and the future guy in his first)
If Morris is hurt, Faulk sees the field more. I dont think we lose games because our backup RB is only Kevin Faulk.
If Faulk were injured we would be using our starter or backup as the 3rd down back(s). Again, is that really an issue?

Any trepidation about our RB position would have to be due to either:
1) Thinking Maroney isnt a good starter
2) Thinking Morris isnt a capable backup AND Faulk has deteriorated since 2003.
or 3) Some kind of feeling that there is a way to have a backup that is as good as your starter, and maybe 2 or even 3 that are, which usually centers around feeling a guy who is young and unproven is a better option that a proven vet like Morris.

I'm fine with our RB position, and hope that our rookie can step in and earn a practice squad spot so that if a long term injury occurs, we have someone to bring up who has worked in the system through camp and the early season to sit on the bench and play a few s/ts snaps being prepared in case another injury happens.

I have no clue why we would be worried about Maroney being able to pick up 3rd and 2 or 4th and 1. He is a complete back, not a 175lb guy who can only run outside and cannot break a tackle. I am just as confident with Maroney on 3rd and 2 or 4th and 1 as Dillon. Especially considering that 95% of the time it is a function of getting it blocked and quickness to the hole is more important than being able to bowl over unblocked lineman.


We have won SBs with:
1) Smith
2) Redmond
3) Faulk

1A) Smith
1B) Faulk
3) Cloud

1) Dillon
2) Faulk
3) Pass

I cannot fathom how Maroney, Morris, and Faulk are worse than any of those groups.

 

[DarrylS]

Think our guys will be fine, maybe pickup a veteran addition by training camp though to add some competition. Also think last year's comparison was poor as our passing game did not provide enough weapons and was taken lightly by defenses, with Moss, Stallworth, Welker and the rest of the crew it will soften up the middle more than it has in the past.

 

[Ring 6]

last yer all we had was the runing game so teams were puting 8 and 9 in the box now we have the WR so they cant put 8 in the box i think #39 will have over 1600 yerds this yer i think we will be good in the runing game

I dont think I agree with that in general. Teams feared Brady even with lesser weapons more than the running game.
But in the AFCC the Colts heavily overplayed the run. No matter what happened they were not losing because of our running game. And despite the fact that we scored a lot of points, the WRs did not force them out of it, at which point they would have had zero chance to stop us.

This is the thing to me about trying to beat good teams, which clearly the Pats are. More times than not, the Colts would have paid dearly for that approach--trying to take one thing away and taking their chances with the other. Our WRs we not so bad that this stategy would have worked consistently against us, but they were mediocre enough, that it was a reasonable gamble to take.
With the weapons we now have, it should force defenses to play honest, vanilla packages, to niot be over exposed by any of our weapons.

These weapons are not going to make us one-dimensional, unstoppable, make the difference between being unable to beat 8 men in the box (Brady does that himself) but what it will do is make us CONSISTENT on offense, which is what Champions are.

I think the biggest change in our offense this year is going to be our ability to take whatever the defense gives, and the talent we have makes it difficult for them to decide what to give.
I do not agree that our passing game or receivers were a weakness last year. But, it was something that teams could gameplan to let us beat them with, and it wasnt strong enough to always make them pay.
We may not be any more effective throwing the ball this year than last year, statistically. That would actually be a GOOD thing, because it will mean that teams are overplaying to stop the receivers, and will result in being balanced and good at everything.

 

[cstjohn17]

Any trepidation about our RB position would have to be due to either:
1) Thinking Maroney isnt a good starter
2) Thinking Morris isnt a capable backup AND Faulk has deteriorated since 2003.
or 3) Some kind of feeling that there is a way to have a backup that is as good as your starter, and maybe 2 or even 3 that are, which usually centers around feeling a guy who is young and unproven is a better option that a proven vet like Morris.

Andy what about?
#4a) If Maroney's injury hampers his offseason preparation and he is not all the way back before the season begins?
#4b) Concerns that Maroney will be able to handle the workload.

IMO 90% of a RB's success is based purely on number of carries. Any runner who gets 250+ carries is going to get a lot of yards, the trick is being able to stay on the field.

With Maroney the Patriot running backs are a little above average, without him they are less than average.

 

[DaBruinz]

2006-2007
We alternated Maroney and Dillon, with Maroney increasing reps as the season went on, until he was injured. Occasionally one was out for entire games. Faulk ws the third down back. Evans was the blocking back. Morris will also be on ST's.

In the 2006-2007 playoffs, we didn't have much of a running game, due to injuries, and to the slowing down of Dillon.

2007-2008
Now it is Maroney and Morris, with Moroney expect to get most of the reps.
===============================================

Consider, what we do if any of the three runners are out for a couple of games, or even a half. Evans. as with most fullbacks in the NFL, should not be counted on to carry the ball. He is a blocker, blitz-picker-upper and an outlet receiver, as he should be.
And who are you giving the ball to with game on the line at 4th and 1? Is 3rd and 2 a passing down? If so, this greatly reduces the effectiveness of our offense.

To me, we are a player short (Brown, Turner, even Hairston). What say you all?

I've been saying that the Pats needed another body there for awhile. In fact, its why I was hoping the Pats would take Brian Leonard to help with the FB/RB situation.

Another possibility could be Quadtrine Hill, though he's more of a pass catching FB.

 

[Ring 6]

Andy what about?
#4a) If Maroney's injury hampers his offseason preparation and he is not all the way back before the season begins?
#4b) Concerns that Maroney will be able to handle the workload.

IMO 90% of a RB's success is based purely on number of carries. Any runner who gets 250+ carries is going to get a lot of yards, the trick is being able to stay on the field.

With Maroney the Patriot running backs are a little above average, without him they are less than average.

Of course you could ask those questions about any young RBs.
The fact is that rehabbing or not a young RB either is or isnt going to get himself ready for camp. Everything Ive seen or heard on Maroney is that he falls in the category of football being important to him, and he will be ready. As far as handling the workload, it just comes down to whether or not you think Maroney is a starting caliber NFL RB. If he cant handle the carries, then he simply is not. That is part of the job description. There is no reason to believe he cant. (He didn't last year because we had another starting caliber guy. That says nothing about Maroneys ability to)

You can phrase it any way you want, but your concerns fall under the category of whether or not we have a good stater.
I dont see him being any more or less injury prone than anyone elses RB.

Where we differ is your last statement, if I understand it correctly.

Without Maroney we are as good as most teams are WITHOUT there #1, and less than most that have their #1, and that would be the same for just about all 31 other teams.

In other words, of course it would be troubling if Maroney were injured, but it would be troubling to any team if there #1 were injured, and I think with both Morris and Faulk we are better without our #1 RB than most teams are without theirs, and worse than most teams with theirs. It seems the point is no team is in great shape with their #1 RB out, but we are no worse than anyone else in the same boat.