Fast Willie Perspective

[RuthlessBurgher]

That is the point. The Lions offense still wasn't that good with one of the fastest speed backs as a feature back. You cannot have a consistant offense when your RB gets 1 or 2 yards a carry then rips off a 50 yarder, ends with 100 yards. You need a chain mover that can rip off the occasional 20 yard gallop like Dwyer vs. the Ravens running for 16 on a TD run.

The Lions offense wasn't that good?

Check out 1995...

Barry ran for 1500 yards (plus nearly 400 more yards receiving) and 12 total TD's.
Herman Moore had 123 catches for 1686 yards and 14 TD's.
Brett Perriman had 108 catches for 1488 yards and 9 TD's.
Johnnie Morton had 44 catches for 590 yards and 8 TD's.

...and this was all in an offense led by SCOTT MITCHELL at QB.

Sure, they were by no means a dominant team (only 1 playoff win during the Barry Sanders era), but the offense was good enough to lead them to playoff births in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, and then again in 1999 (the first season after Barry's abrupt retirement).

[Mister Pittsburgh]

The Lions offense wasn't that good?

Check out 1995...

Barry ran for 1500 yards (plus nearly 400 more yards receiving) and 12 total TD's.
Herman Moore had 123 catches for 1686 yards and 14 TD's.
Brett Perriman had 108 catches for 1488 yards and 9 TD's.
Johnnie Morton had 44 catches for 590 yards and 8 TD's.

...and this was all in an offense led by SCOTT MITCHELL at QB.

Sure, they were by no means a dominant team (only 1 playoff win during the Barry Sanders era), but the offense was good enough to lead them to playoff births in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, and then again in 1999 (the first season after Barry's abrupt retirement).

Barry Sanders is obviously a freak and not the norm for that type of RB. Thats why you don't see Montario Hardesty and Dexter McLuster starting as feature backs. The point is with Mendenhall, and Parker once he got his leg injuries and wasn't as fast as a rabbit, is they rarely break off 60 yard runs. They get 30 where Dwyer gets 15 or 20. Not enough to make up for all the 1 yard carries they would get cause they went down on first sneeze.