Hope for the running game

[RussBII]

I dunno about you all, but I really really hope that we the Steelers actually recommit to the running game. All the factors are there. A new stud G or C, no superstar QB to start the season, etc.

Anyway, who knows what they'll actually do, but this stat made me excited:

Top 10 RBs in Broken Tackles (from footballoutsiders.com, via Peter King)

1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee, 61
2. Ray Rice, Baltimore, 57
3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota, 56.
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville, 52
5. Steven Jackson, St. Louis, 50
6. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina, 46
7. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina, 40
7. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh, 40
9. Fred Jackson, Buffalo, 35
10. Knowshon Moreno, Denver, 33

Mendy tied at #7? I would've NEVER thought that from last year.

-Russ

[Oviedo]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

[ramblinjim]

Re: Hope for the running game

....and consistency in the guys on the line for the last couple of years should help to.

[ANPSTEEL]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

[Oviedo]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

I'd actually prefer Pouncey at Center (highly unlikely) and Urbik at RG.

Don't expect a full time FB. I prefer the TEs back there. If you remember McHugh did a great job as lead blocker leading up to the last Super Bowl and he is back from injury.

[ANPSTEEL]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

I'd actually prefer Pouncey at Center (highly unlikely) and Urbik at RG.

Don't expect a full time FB. I prefer the TEs back there. If you remember McHugh did a great job as lead blocker leading up to the last Super Bowl and he is back from injury.

I'm with you- I just don't see Pouncey as the starting C to open the season. I don't think there is any realistic chance he has all the line calls down... so he plays RG for a season.

In respect to the likely battle at C... mostly I want Hartwig on the bench. Right now- the team has been running w/ Legursky ahead of Urbik- but if it turns out that Urbik is the man- I'm all for it. Someone, anyone, with a little flipping push in the middle would be great.

On the FB front- well McHugh is ok, but as far as the TE/FB options go, I'd prefer Johnson. He is a much better blocker in the hole. Now on the outside / in space- that is another story. Plus he cant catch. OK- so Johnson sucks...

Maybe the new dude- I think his name is Bowling Ball- or some such thing. 6'0" & 270lbs??? Holy frikkin Terry Long! Anyway, the guy played RB in high school- lets hope we found our version of Le'Ron McClain.

[Oviedo]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

I'd actually prefer Pouncey at Center (highly unlikely) and Urbik at RG.

Don't expect a full time FB. I prefer the TEs back there. If you remember McHugh did a great job as lead blocker leading up to the last Super Bowl and he is back from injury.

I'm with you- I just don't see Pouncey as the starting C to open the season. I don't think there is any realistic chance he has all the line calls down... so he plays RG for a season.

In respect to the likely battle at C... mostly I want Hartwig on the bench. Right now- the team has been running w/ Legursky ahead of Urbik- but if it turns out that Urbik is the man- I'm all for it. Someone, anyone, with a little flipping push in the middle would be great.

On the FB front- well McHugh is ok, but as far as the TE/FB options go, I'd prefer Johnson. He is a much better blocker in the hole. Now on the outside / in space- that is another story. Plus he cant catch. OK- so Johnson sucks...

Maybe the new dude- I think his name is Bowling Ball- or some such thing. 6'0" & 270lbs??? Holy frikkin Terry Long! Anyway, the guy played RB in high school- lets hope we found our version of Le'Ron McClain.

Demetrius Taylor will likely need a year on the Practice Squad before he could step into a fulltime FB role just to learn the nuances of the position. The only way I see that he makes the final 53 is if he is a special teams demon. Coming from Va Tech helps him in that regard since they seem to be schooled on STs more than any team in college football.

[ANPSTEEL]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

I'd actually prefer Pouncey at Center (highly unlikely) and Urbik at RG.

Don't expect a full time FB. I prefer the TEs back there. If you remember McHugh did a great job as lead blocker leading up to the last Super Bowl and he is back from injury.

I'm with you- I just don't see Pouncey as the starting C to open the season. I don't think there is any realistic chance he has all the line calls down... so he plays RG for a season.

In respect to the likely battle at C... mostly I want Hartwig on the bench. Right now- the team has been running w/ Legursky ahead of Urbik- but if it turns out that Urbik is the man- I'm all for it. Someone, anyone, with a little flipping push in the middle would be great.

On the FB front- well McHugh is ok, but as far as the TE/FB options go, I'd prefer Johnson. He is a much better blocker in the hole. Now on the outside / in space- that is another story. Plus he cant catch. OK- so Johnson sucks...

Maybe the new dude- I think his name is Bowling Ball- or some such thing. 6'0" & 270lbs??? Holy frikkin Terry Long! Anyway, the guy played RB in high school- lets hope we found our version of Le'Ron McClain.

Demetrius Taylor will likely need a year on the Practice Squad before he could step into a fulltime FB role just to learn the nuances of the position. The only way I see that he makes the final 53 is if he is a special teams demon. Coming from Va Tech helps him in that regard since they seem to be schooled on STs more than any team in college football.

yeah, you are right-

I'm getting sick of typing that.

I think you're going to have to start posting threads about how great CJ Spiller is, again.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

I would love to see Legursky break out this season as well. He is a monster. Hopefully Kugler doesn't come in and just go with who started last year for the most part, other than Pouncey who I think we all expect to start at either RG or C. I hope he starts the best 5 linemen at his disposal regardless of draft position or monetary commitment.

Regarding Mendenhall and our run game....I think he would do himself a world of favors by running instead of spinning.

[ANPSTEEL]

Re: Hope for the running game

...

Regarding Mendenhall and our run game....I think he would do himself a world of favors by running instead of spinning.

Yeah, Dorthy Hamill @ HB is a little goofy. But it is hard to argue with 4.6 ypc.

Spindenhall loses all momentum doing that- but what kills me the most about his spinning- is that he does it on interior runs!

I can see occasionally spinning in the open field - but between the tackles???

[Oviedo]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

I would love to see Legursky break out this season as well. He is a monster. Hopefully Kugler doesn't come in and just go with who started last year for the most part, other than Pouncey who I think we all expect to start at either RG or C. I hope he starts the best 5 linemen at his disposal regardless of draft position or monetary commitment.

Regarding Mendenhall and our run game....I think he would do himself a world of favors by running instead of spinning.

See the "broken tackle" stats at the beginning of this thread. His spinning is how he breaks tackles.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Hope for the running game

Dwyer will be the "steal" of the 2010 draft. Better OL play will help if Pouncey can actually live up to the hype.

Lets hope-

I'm really looking for Legursky @ Center w/ Pouncey at RG.

That would give the team the power in the middle - combined with a real FB- to use Dwyer & Mendy... and actually run the ball.

Which, unfortunately, may be very necessary due to the issue(s) at WR & QB.

I would love to see Legursky break out this season as well. He is a monster. Hopefully Kugler doesn't come in and just go with who started last year for the most part, other than Pouncey who I think we all expect to start at either RG or C. I hope he starts the best 5 linemen at his disposal regardless of draft position or monetary commitment.

Regarding Mendenhall and our run game....I think he would do himself a world of favors by running instead of spinning.

See the "broken tackle" stats at the beginning of this thread. His spinning is how he breaks tackles.

This is where stats can be misleading. Does spinning and breaking one tackle only to lose all momentum and gain one or two extra yards before getting swallowed up by pursuing defenders mean that is better than not spinning, keeping your momentum and your eyes on the field so you can stiff arm or juke one player and possibly pick up many more yards?

Don't get me wrong, the spin move can be a great weapon, as someone else mentioned, in the open field, but when you spin to break a tackle on the interior you lose all momentum and become an easy target. Thats why you don't see RB's league wide spinning every run. He will learn.

[Snatch98]

Re: Hope for the running game

Nice stat and honestly I'm not surprised. What does surprise me are the people that did actually watch all 16 games and didn't see the broken tackles. Either way Mendenhall spinning broke him free on more than one occasion. He only uses it when it's necessary or at least when he thinks he can do it and get away with it to get the extra yards. He's a strong kid and that spin is equally strong. He can spin his all the way down the field as long as he's hauling down somewhere in the range of 1600-1800 yards this season and double digit TD's. He would have done that last season had he been given carries in the first 4 games.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Hope for the running game

I dunno about you all, but I really really hope that we the Steelers actually recommit to the running game. All the factors are there. A new stud G or C, no superstar QB to start the season, etc.

Anyway, who knows what they'll actually do, but this stat made me excited:

Top 10 RBs in Broken Tackles (from footballoutsiders.com, via Peter King)

1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee, 61
2. Ray Rice, Baltimore, 57
3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota, 56.
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville, 52
5. Steven Jackson, St. Louis, 50
6. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina, 46
7. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina, 40
7. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh, 40
9. Fred Jackson, Buffalo, 35
10. Knowshon Moreno, Denver, 33

Mendy tied at #7? I would've NEVER thought that from last year.

-Russ

It should be noted that the top 5 guys on that list that had 50 or more broken tackles also had many more touches (carries + receptions) than Mendenhall last year. Johnson had 408, Rice 332, Peterson 357, Jones-Drew 365, and Jackson 375.

Mendenhall and the two Carolina RB's had 40 or more broken tackles without touching the ball nearly as much (Stewart 239, Williams 245, Mendenhall 267).

[papillon]

Re: Hope for the running game

I dunno about you all, but I really really hope that we the Steelers actually recommit to the running game. All the factors are there. A new stud G or C, no superstar QB to start the season, etc.

Anyway, who knows what they'll actually do, but this stat made me excited:

Top 10 RBs in Broken Tackles (from footballoutsiders.com, via Peter King)

1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee, 61
2. Ray Rice, Baltimore, 57
3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota, 56.
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville, 52
5. Steven Jackson, St. Louis, 50
6. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina, 46
7. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina, 40
7. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh, 40
9. Fred Jackson, Buffalo, 35
10. Knowshon Moreno, Denver, 33

Mendy tied at #7? I would've NEVER thought that from last year.

-Russ

It should be noted that the top 5 guys on that list that had 50 or more broken tackles also had many more touches (carries + receptions) than Mendenhall last year. Johnson had 408, Rice 332, Peterson 357, Jones-Drew 365, and Jackson 375.

Mendenhall and the two Carolina RB's had 40 or more broken tackles without touching the ball nearly as much (Stewart 239, Williams 245, Mendenhall 267).

I'm hoping the coaches for the top 5 run those players until the wheels fall off. :P

Pappy