TheFlyingWedge
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Good article that reveals the following surprising statistic:
... nobody in Patriots history has ever averaged more yards per carry than LeGarrette Blount.. . .
He’s carried the ball an even 400 times, and he’s averaged 4.57 yards per carry. Corey Dillon averaged 4.2. So did Kevin Faulk and Shane Vereen. Curtis Martin averaged 4.0. Sam Cunningham and Antowain Smith averaged 3.9.
I appreciate the article sticking up for Blount. That said, I think some of the YPC stats are simply cases of truncating the data. That is to say, most of our best backs played their entire careers (or most of it) with the Patriots. They retired/were cut because they weren't good anymore. Those carries factor into overall YPC. Think Corey Dillon in 2006.
Blount's not at that point yet, his YPC is being determined while he is still good and does not include any of his decline. There are only a few Patriot lead running backs who left while still in their prime; Curtis Martin, Robert Edwards (ugh), Law Firm, Stevan Ridley (in theory; his major injury happened at the end and didn't count in his YPC stats with us). Everyone else generally has one year+ of being cooked factored into their stats. It does say something that Blount's YPC is better than Martin's. Curious to see where his stats land once he hits the wall.
I appreciate the article sticking up for Blount. That said, I think some of the YPC stats are simply cases of truncating the data. That is to say, most of our best backs played their entire careers (or most of it) with the Patriots. They retired/were cut because they weren't good anymore. Those carries factor into overall YPC. Think Corey Dillon in 2006.
Blount's not at that point yet, his YPC is being determined while he is still good and does not include any of his decline. There are only a few Patriot lead running backs who left while still in their prime; Curtis Martin, Robert Edwards (ugh), Law Firm, Stevan Ridley (in theory; his major injury happened at the end and didn't count in his YPC stats with us). Everyone else generally has one year+ of being cooked factored into their stats. It does say something that Blount's YPC is better than Martin's. Curious to see where his stats land once he hits the wall.
Ok, if that's your theory show me Cumars' and dillon's best three years of stats (with the pats?) to compare more appropriately
Totally agree. He couldn't get any yards from the IR. (sarcasm - he was injured and out for the year)not saying it's his fault, but what is "his fault" is his complete inability to make a guy miss when they get penetration. Blount is an adequate back, but we've seen as in last year's Denver playoff game, he's not a guy who can make a negative play into a positive....
That's an interesting factoid, demonstrates that he's better than he gets credit for. But I doubt there's anyone outside of Blount's immediate family who would take him--either career-long or in his prime--over Curtis Martin. In general, comparing YPC as an absolute measure of quality across eras is tricky, because it will lead you to weird conclusions like, just to pick one example, Alfred Morris > Walter Payton.
I agree that the point you're responding to isn't the real issue, and that the stats don't bear it out. Blount having a better career YPC has more to do with their respective eras and offenses than Martin's last few years weighing him down. Martin didn't really have a pronounced YPC downswing at the end of his career - he was averaging 4.6 as late as his second-to-last season. Part of his claim to fame is that he was able to somehow approach 15,000 career touches without any significant decline until his final season.
Having said that, let's be clear here: Curtis Martin was a much better running back than LeGarrette Blount. That's not a knock on Blount, but Martin was just on another level, in large part but not entirely because of his versatility and durability. In 3 years with the Pats--before his prime, no less--he had just under 4,700 yards from scrimmage. It was a different game back then: offenses ran to establish the pass, which meant more rushes and a lower YPC. If Martin played today, he'd average 4.5 YPC no problem.
Wow, I mean WOW! That came out of nowhere (for me- haven't been watching stats )
Ok, if that's your theory show me Cumars' and dillon's best three years of stats (with the pats?) to compare more appropriately
Curtis Martin 95-97:
958 Carries 3799 Yards 32TD 4.0 YPC
117 Catches 890 Yards 5 TD 7.6 YPR
Corey Dillon 04-06:
753 Carries 3180 Yards 37 TD 4.2 YPC
52 Catches 431 Yards 2 TD 8.3 YPR
LaGarrette Blount 13-16:
400 Carries 1826 Yards 17 TD 4.6 YPC
12 Catches 99 Yards 1 TD 8.3 YPR
Well those numbers validate my memory. Take cumar for a career back, clock-killer for a 3-year period, LGB in a RBBC group. CD my favorite.
Who is Cumar?
Is he the guy that went with Harold to White Castle?
Vereen averaged 4 YPC? WTF.
Are people seriously arguing with you on that?
Sigh. . . Curtis Martin.
Apparently you are a post-2000 fan. All good.
Not explicitly, at least yet, but the discussion seemed to be trending in that direction so I wanted to cut it off before it had a chance to really start, more or less. Starting by establishing that YPC across eras and offenses isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.
I think it would be interesting to compare various Patriots RBs' adjusted YPC, by comparing their YPC each season (weighted according to total carries) against the leaguewide average for YPC that year. That would be the best way to account for era, although it still leaves role and workload unaccounted for.
Woa....
I watched my first game in 1982.
Never, ever heard of Cumar as a nickname for C-Mart.
Guess we traveled in different circles back then (preinternet days). I never heard of c-mart.