Ben Volin breaks down Patriots vs Dolphins coaches film

Can you clarify what that means because I can't figure it out..

 

The fact that he's on both lists indicates how problematic relying on yards per carry to assess Bush is. He's essentially using 1-2 big plays every week to mask the majority of not particularly good rushes. The problem is that those bad results are killing the offense. At a certain point, unless Bush is dramatically changing field position with his rushes, we're much better off with Daniel Thomas getting you a reliable 3.6 yards.

You can't compare him to Barry Sanders, because he's nowhere near as productive as Sanders. He doesn't hit the big play as often, nor with that kind of upside.

His success rate isn't bad, but then again, what is that from? Is he getting a lot of unexpected successes from those otherwise disproportionate 10+ yard rushes?

 

Do you think the occasional 10 yard runs is worth putting a rookie Qb into long yardage on 1st and 2nd, which Impacts the game more.??

I've seen now what that style brings to the table...I would like to move in another direction.

 

He's not putting the rookie QB into long yardage siutations, he is simply ocassionally adding a yard or two to it. Reggie isn't losing yards on plays that would otherwise be 4-5 yard gains. He's losing 2 yards on plays that might otherwise be no gains. But he's also giving the team a big-play component that it needs. It's a trade off, but one that I am willing to make. If Reggie was getting stuffed at the same rate as Adrian Peterson or Arian Foster, he'd have 6 fewer stuffs on the year. I don't like the stuffs, but they shouldn't get blown out of proportion and I think they are outweighed by the big plays.

 

I'm a bit suprised, have to disagree on the style of running relative to successful offense.

 

I don't think those losses are killing the offense nearly as much as you think. Again, they are 2 yard losses on plays that would otherwise be no gains. So 2nd and 12 is a little worse than 2nd and 10, but it's not that big a difference.

Barry Sanders was one of a kind. But Reggie's ypa last year was right at Barry's career average. And his 4.4 this year is pretty solid. I know you don't care much for ypc, but when combined with the run success rate I think it shows he is doing a pretty good job even though there often isn't a lot of room to run. Also, I'm willing to be open to the possibility that Reggie wasn't quite right for a few weeks after his injury against the Jets and was a little hesitant. By my count, he was stuffed 18 times in those 3 games, which leaves 9 of his 26 stuffs on the season in the other 9 games. Over those other 9 games he is averaging 5.1 ypc.

 

I wonder what the Dolphins record would be without Reggie Bush? IMO it would be significantly worse than it is.

 

I thought the Lions offense couldn't reliably or consistently mount long scoring drives with Sanders either. He had fun highlights, but not a back I'd want if Superbowls were the goal.

 

Plus, the league just is not the way it once was, Rb's have to make explosive plays even if it means getting stuffed on occasion.

IMO the real issue is the criminal lack of use Reggie B has gotten this season, imo he should have closer to 50 catches.

 

By the way... Bush's presence is why D's stack the box vs the run. HOw would this offense look toherwise? Who knows. Maybe the same, maybe worse.

 

Which should lead to long plays down the field..if the Qb can hit on them..oh wait.

 

If Sanders played in a conventional offense he would have shattered Payton's record and have no problems mounting long scoring drives. Lions offense's problem was the fact that it was a run and shoot, and not made for a running game.

Once they did give Sanders a fullback he had 2,000 yards.

I know this isn't about Sanders, however I can't stand for Sanders bashing.

 

I think the notion of defenses stacking the box against the dolphins is way overblown. From what I see, teams play us the way they play most other teams and the same way we play most other teams. If you are in a 4 WR set there will be fewer defenders in the box. If you are in the I, you will see more. That's true of every team. I am aware of no evidence to suggest that defenders stuff the box against the Dolphins any more than they do any other team in similar formations.