3.1 yards and a cloud of smoke
So, we were invited to find a chink in the armor of Reggie Bush.
That's easy enough, Roy:
1. He averages 3.1 yards a carry.
2. He's an undersized receiver, an overrated returner and a backup tailback, stuck behind a guy coming off major knee surgery. If Michael Bennett would have stuck around, he probably would have been the No. 3 running back.
3. He isn't even the best rookie backup running back from the PAC-10 in the NFL. That would be Maurice Jones-Drew, of Jacksonville and formerly of UCLA.
4. He once finished a game with minus 5 yards on 11 carries; it was the sort of performance that would have embarrassed even Blair Thomas.
We're all supposed to be impressed with No. 25's 4-TD game against those mighty San Francisco 49ers, right?
Um, no. This was Bush's first good NFL performance and it only took 12 games to get it - against the league's 22nd-ranked defense. He wasn't facing the '85 Bears, the '00 Ravens or even the '06 Cowboys. Or the '06 Browns. Get the picture?
Before Sunday, Bush was looking every bit like the 21st-Century John Avery. I really didn't see anything against the 49ers that would change my mind about that. Remember, Roy: he only needs 632 more yards rushing in the next four games this season to crack 1,000.
You can't run your way into the Hall of Fame 3.1 yards at a time.
That's easy enough, Roy:
1. He averages 3.1 yards a carry.
2. He's an undersized receiver, an overrated returner and a backup tailback, stuck behind a guy coming off major knee surgery. If Michael Bennett would have stuck around, he probably would have been the No. 3 running back.
3. He isn't even the best rookie backup running back from the PAC-10 in the NFL. That would be Maurice Jones-Drew, of Jacksonville and formerly of UCLA.
4. He once finished a game with minus 5 yards on 11 carries; it was the sort of performance that would have embarrassed even Blair Thomas.
We're all supposed to be impressed with No. 25's 4-TD game against those mighty San Francisco 49ers, right?
Um, no. This was Bush's first good NFL performance and it only took 12 games to get it - against the league's 22nd-ranked defense. He wasn't facing the '85 Bears, the '00 Ravens or even the '06 Cowboys. Or the '06 Browns. Get the picture?
Before Sunday, Bush was looking every bit like the 21st-Century John Avery. I really didn't see anything against the 49ers that would change my mind about that. Remember, Roy: he only needs 632 more yards rushing in the next four games this season to crack 1,000.
You can't run your way into the Hall of Fame 3.1 yards at a time.
posted by Joel Anderson at 10:08 PM
10 Comments:
Joel,
You really need to stop your hate for Reggie Bush.
The 1,000 yards argument is meaningless. How many guys who split carries (it's nowhere near a 50/50 split) collect 1,000 yards, rookie or not?
How many every-down rookies will get 1,000 yards RUSHING this season? Now, where will Bush rank in total offense, because you can't just throw away receiving yards.
As for San Francisco's defense ... you forget the fact in the past 4 games they had given up 13 points a game. They are a much different team than they were the first half of the season. They aren't the Bears defense, but they aren't Louisiana Tech, either.
Plus, it's the NFL. Your argument before was that he wouldnt do this against NFL talent. NOW, it's that he can't do it against the ELITE defenses in the NFL.
You can't have it both ways. No one does that against the Bears.
Sunday, Bush was the best player on the field. Everyone that was there would tell you that. Everytime he touched the ball, it seemed as if he had the chance to "go."
Did he every time? No, but four is OK.
Roy, this isn't about hate. I just love to see people get all worked up about Dante Hall Lite.
Before the season, midway through the season and in some unenlightened corners of the country, folks were talking about how badly the Texans whiffed by choosing Mario Williams instead of Reggie Bush with the No. 1 pick.
You know, no one is really talking about that anymore (truth be told, the real miss was not taking Vince Young. But I digress). Now everyone is excited when Bush scores on 4 TDs totaling 24 yards against a team that will miss the playoffs. Wow. Pardon me if I'm not so impressed.
Are you telling me the best player on the field wasn't Deuce McAllister, who did all the dirty work - 136 yards on 26 carries - while Bush simply finished it off in the end zone?
You know my argument has always been this: Bush could be an average to slightly above average NFL player. He's a good, quick, change-of-pace runner.
But he will never be a franchise back, no matter how many times people talk about how electrifying he is running sideways in the backfield.
There are plenty of guys in the NFL like Bush; not so many like LT and LJ. That's what you're swinging for with the No. 2 pick.
Not John Avery.
So, let's make a deal: if Bush can't crack 600 yards rushing for the season, I'll owe you lunch. After all, he's listed as a running back, not a receiver. Deal?
Ok so it's all about rushing yards? OK, well, you have me then.
John Avery? Please tell me you're not really comparing Bush to John Avery.
Being a Dolphins fan, I saw the not-so-long and extremely horrific experiment of Avery in Miami.
The two are nothing alike. Bush scored more touchdowns LAST WEEK than Avery did in his entire career. The same is almost true with Dante Hall.
Deuce McAllister collected his yards AFTER Bush had put the game out of reach.
Let me ask you this, without looking at the box score ... who had more yards Sunday ... McAllister or Bush. You going to penalize Bush for not getting the totes?
I repeat, ask any writer, fan, coach or player, who the best player on the field Sunday was.
Bush wasn't even the third-best running back in the game, Roy. I didn't need to be in the Superdome to know that.
The pecking order goes something like this: Frank Gore, Deuce and then your boy, Reggie. Rushing yards matter for a running back, do they not?
I mean, what if Emmitt Smith had averaged 500 yards of rushing a year but averaged 7 yards a reception on 80 catches? Would he still be a lock Hall of Famer?
Anyway, if we include all the players across both rosters, geez, would you even pick Bush among the 10 best players (injured or not)? Probably not.
It shouldn't even be close for a guy who was the 2nd pick in the draft, the supposed savior of the franchise (who actually has been Drew Brees).
And stop acting like TDs determines who's the best player ... if that's the case, LenDale White - USC's all-time leading scorer - was waaaay better than his backfield mate, Bush.
It would also mean that Marion Barber is the third-best player in the NFL, and that Willie Parker ranks fourth.
We know that's not true. Just like we know Bush will be a bust.
A bust?
I hate to enlighten you, but if Reggie Bush didn't play another down in the NFL, he wouldn't be a bust.
Go talk to the people in the middle of New Orleans, who have no choice but to hang on every move of their beloved Saints.
And at no time, in ANY Saints game I've been to this year, did chants for any player other than Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Reg-gie! rumble through the Dome.
I never mentioned the Hall of Fame, I'm talking about the success of a rookie in the NFL.
On and off the field ... NO ONE has done more.
And I notice you didnt answer any of my questions (how many 1,000 rookies, how many 1,000 guys that split carries and so on, most total yards by rookies).
Roy, I only thought Cedric Benson was having a terrible season until I realized he had more rushing yards and touchdowns that your beloved Reggie Bush.
To answer your question, though, Joseph Addai is on pace for a 1,000-yard season despite sharing carries with Dominic Rhodes in Indianapolis. That's all among rookies.
Though, I might add, rookies Laurence Maroney, Jerious Norwood, DeAngelo Williams, Wali Lundy, Leon Washington, Maurice Jones-Drew and Mike Bell all have more rushing yards while sharing duties than the No. 2 pick the draft.
And, for all the talk about how explosive Reggie is, did you know he has no carries longer than 20 yards this year? Bush is only one of six rushers among the NFL top 50 who fit that category.
And, yes, Reggie leads NFL running backs in receptions but ... his average of 7.7 yards a catch ranks 28th among those with at least 12 catches (one a game).
Thanks for asking me to check out the stats. All it did was give me more ammo.
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More ammo. You and I both know you can tweak stats to look however you want them.
Because the stats you didn't mention, of course, would bolster my case.
But that's fine. Be selective. He sucks. You win.
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