Yes, yes it is Maroney's breakout game. The latest in a series of them in fact. Every freaking game is Maroney's breakout game, except those that have not been, to date, just about all of them.
Eventually he'll top 100 yards. And, what?
He is what he is. He can get yards in space. He is not at present an every-down guy. Can we please, one day, some day, please stop hanging on this or that situation and saying hopefully "Is this Maroney's breakout game?" or "Is this Maroney's breakout year?"
It's time to stop looking for signs and time to look at him as a functional piece of the puzzle, and stop asking "when will he be more?" One day maybe he shows us more, then it's a pleasant surprise.
You can't break him of that style of his, but this is not the playground and its not a saturday in the college ranks... this is the NFL, and the side-to-side move has seldom had any effect much different from standing still. That is a bad strategy for a running back. There is a reason they're called running backs, not shuffling backs or standing backs.
Okay enough. I'm actually a Maroney backer from way back. He can break off chunks of yardage on occasion. He has never yet consistently shown decisiveness. Last week I did see him pick up some of the tough yards and I got a little smile... but then he was back to the wasted motions that have marked his few years in the NFL thus far.
So, from your lips to God's ears and all that... but I'm not holding my breath.
(PS, by the transitive property of cursed posts, Maroney will now run for 200 yards and 4 TDs.)
PFnV
