omac
03-26-2009, 05:28 AM
Here's something for us to appreciate McDaniels' football mind. It gives a reason for the question, "Why Arrington?", and it seems to make good sense.
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http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_11999033
Third-down fun for Broncos' swing set
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Posted: 03/26/2009 12:30:00 AM MDT
DANA POINT, Calif. — Back home at Dove Valley, running backs signed up in Lawrence Welk rhythm.
A one (Correll Buckhalter), and a two (J.J. Arrington), and a three (LaMont Jordan).
Out in the Broncos' audience, head scratching intensified. What exactly were they doing at running back?
The Broncos went through seven running backs last season because of injuries. The number seemed high until it became evident the Broncos' new administration of Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders never met a free-agent running back they didn't like.
Buckhalter, Arrington and Jordan, all situational-type backs last season and for most of their careers, were plucked from the market. And the Broncos would have signed another backup running back, Derrick Ward, had they not run out of money.
Why so many rotational-type backs, after a season in which the team went through too many backs? In this case, misdirection leads to comprehension. The tendency is to look first for a No. 1 tailback. The 20-25 carry workhorse.
The offense McDaniels brought with him from New England concentrates on the back end of a tailback committee, the role reserved for third down. Or put another way, the down where drives are either killed or sustained.
"One of the most difficult positions to play in this league anymore is the third-down back because of all the crazy looks you get from the defense and the blitzing that goes on," McDaniels said at the NFL owners meetings. "That's how you protect your quarterback against all these crazy looks that are going on, and they're just going to get crazier."
There is a noticeable intensity in McDaniels, an excitement in talking about something other than his unfortunate situation with quarterback Jay Cutler. McDaniels badly wants to resolve the friction with his quarterback, but an exchange of text messages the past two days had not produced a conversation as of Wednesday night.
Until then, the subject of running backs is a welcome diversion. In the Patriots' near-dynastic run, they have gone through a few No. 1 tailbacks. Antoine Smith, Corey Dillon, Laurence Maroney. The only constant in the Patriots' run was their swing guy, third-down specialist Kevin Faulk.
He doesn't pick up many yards — only, it seems, the important ones. And many times what Faulk picks up is not yards but pass rushers.
As McDaniels went about resetting the Broncos' backfield this season, his priority was not to find the next Terrell Davis or Clinton Portis but Faulk. McDaniels thinks he found him while watching Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1.
The quarter started with the Cardinals down 20-7. They had to pass and the Steelers, who zone-blitz out of a 3-4 defense like no other, were going after stationary quarterback Kurt Warner. By the two-minute warning, the Steelers were gassed and trailing and needed a clutch scoring drive from their own quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to pull out a 27-23 victory.
In defeat, Arrington would win over a new team for a four-year, $10 million contract.
"J.J. Arrington was the only back who played in the fourth quarter for the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl," McDaniels said. "That tells you all you need to know. They were trailing. Obviously, Pittsburgh is a blitzing team and they trusted him enough to be the only guy to play in the fourth quarter because he had to pick up the blitz against good linebackers and he caught a couple passes. And he did that all year."
And Arrington did all that in the Super Bowl with torn knee cartilage, since surgically repaired. As Arrington limped into Dove Valley last month, he fit in all too well with the stable of running backs. Holdovers Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young and Ryan Torain all suffered season-ending injuries last year.
Any back who comes off an injury one year is automatically labeled a question mark the next. This leads to another reason why the Broncos went back crazy in free agency.
"I think we're all finding out each year how important it is to have multiple backs," McDaniels said. "Denver found out last year. We found out the same year. We were playing with BenJarvus Green-Ellis for three, four games there in the middle of the year as our starter. Originally, he was on our practice squad. So we've all found out that at that position, you better have as many as you can because that position gets hit on every play."
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Third-down stars
With apologies to Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen, Walter Payton, Roger Craig, LaDainian Tomlinson and Tiki Barber, who were great on every down, NFL reporter Mike Klis picks 10 of the top third-down prototypes who never had a 1,000-yard rushing season:
1. Larry Centers, Cardinals: The all-time leading RB receiver with 827 catches.
2. Keith Byars, Eagles: Had almost as many career receptions (610) as carries (865).
3. Ronnie Harmon, Bills, Chargers: Averaged 632 yards receiving and 253 yards rushing from 1990-96.
4. Kevin Faulk, Patriots: Has 14 TDs and 3,000-plus yards rushing, and 14 TDs and 3,000-plus yards receiving.
5. Reggie Bush, Saints: With health, he could be the best third-down back ever.
6. Dave Meggett, Giants: One of the game's most dangerous game breakers from 1989-92.
7. Joe Washington, Colts/Redskins: The NFL's leading receiver in 1979 with 82 catches.
8. Darren Sproles, Chargers: A return threat until last season, when he struck fear from the backfield.
9. John L. Williams, Seahawks: A rare fullback with good hands who in 1988 had 877 yards rushing, 651 yards receiving.
10. Rickey Young, Vikings: Averaged 75 receptions in three seasons from 1978-80.
*********************************************
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_11999033
Third-down fun for Broncos' swing set
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Posted: 03/26/2009 12:30:00 AM MDT
DANA POINT, Calif. — Back home at Dove Valley, running backs signed up in Lawrence Welk rhythm.
A one (Correll Buckhalter), and a two (J.J. Arrington), and a three (LaMont Jordan).
Out in the Broncos' audience, head scratching intensified. What exactly were they doing at running back?
The Broncos went through seven running backs last season because of injuries. The number seemed high until it became evident the Broncos' new administration of Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders never met a free-agent running back they didn't like.
Buckhalter, Arrington and Jordan, all situational-type backs last season and for most of their careers, were plucked from the market. And the Broncos would have signed another backup running back, Derrick Ward, had they not run out of money.
Why so many rotational-type backs, after a season in which the team went through too many backs? In this case, misdirection leads to comprehension. The tendency is to look first for a No. 1 tailback. The 20-25 carry workhorse.
The offense McDaniels brought with him from New England concentrates on the back end of a tailback committee, the role reserved for third down. Or put another way, the down where drives are either killed or sustained.
"One of the most difficult positions to play in this league anymore is the third-down back because of all the crazy looks you get from the defense and the blitzing that goes on," McDaniels said at the NFL owners meetings. "That's how you protect your quarterback against all these crazy looks that are going on, and they're just going to get crazier."
There is a noticeable intensity in McDaniels, an excitement in talking about something other than his unfortunate situation with quarterback Jay Cutler. McDaniels badly wants to resolve the friction with his quarterback, but an exchange of text messages the past two days had not produced a conversation as of Wednesday night.
Until then, the subject of running backs is a welcome diversion. In the Patriots' near-dynastic run, they have gone through a few No. 1 tailbacks. Antoine Smith, Corey Dillon, Laurence Maroney. The only constant in the Patriots' run was their swing guy, third-down specialist Kevin Faulk.
He doesn't pick up many yards — only, it seems, the important ones. And many times what Faulk picks up is not yards but pass rushers.
As McDaniels went about resetting the Broncos' backfield this season, his priority was not to find the next Terrell Davis or Clinton Portis but Faulk. McDaniels thinks he found him while watching Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals on Feb. 1.
The quarter started with the Cardinals down 20-7. They had to pass and the Steelers, who zone-blitz out of a 3-4 defense like no other, were going after stationary quarterback Kurt Warner. By the two-minute warning, the Steelers were gassed and trailing and needed a clutch scoring drive from their own quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to pull out a 27-23 victory.
In defeat, Arrington would win over a new team for a four-year, $10 million contract.
"J.J. Arrington was the only back who played in the fourth quarter for the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl," McDaniels said. "That tells you all you need to know. They were trailing. Obviously, Pittsburgh is a blitzing team and they trusted him enough to be the only guy to play in the fourth quarter because he had to pick up the blitz against good linebackers and he caught a couple passes. And he did that all year."
And Arrington did all that in the Super Bowl with torn knee cartilage, since surgically repaired. As Arrington limped into Dove Valley last month, he fit in all too well with the stable of running backs. Holdovers Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young and Ryan Torain all suffered season-ending injuries last year.
Any back who comes off an injury one year is automatically labeled a question mark the next. This leads to another reason why the Broncos went back crazy in free agency.
"I think we're all finding out each year how important it is to have multiple backs," McDaniels said. "Denver found out last year. We found out the same year. We were playing with BenJarvus Green-Ellis for three, four games there in the middle of the year as our starter. Originally, he was on our practice squad. So we've all found out that at that position, you better have as many as you can because that position gets hit on every play."
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Third-down stars
With apologies to Marshall Faulk, Marcus Allen, Walter Payton, Roger Craig, LaDainian Tomlinson and Tiki Barber, who were great on every down, NFL reporter Mike Klis picks 10 of the top third-down prototypes who never had a 1,000-yard rushing season:
1. Larry Centers, Cardinals: The all-time leading RB receiver with 827 catches.
2. Keith Byars, Eagles: Had almost as many career receptions (610) as carries (865).
3. Ronnie Harmon, Bills, Chargers: Averaged 632 yards receiving and 253 yards rushing from 1990-96.
4. Kevin Faulk, Patriots: Has 14 TDs and 3,000-plus yards rushing, and 14 TDs and 3,000-plus yards receiving.
5. Reggie Bush, Saints: With health, he could be the best third-down back ever.
6. Dave Meggett, Giants: One of the game's most dangerous game breakers from 1989-92.
7. Joe Washington, Colts/Redskins: The NFL's leading receiver in 1979 with 82 catches.
8. Darren Sproles, Chargers: A return threat until last season, when he struck fear from the backfield.
9. John L. Williams, Seahawks: A rare fullback with good hands who in 1988 had 877 yards rushing, 651 yards receiving.
10. Rickey Young, Vikings: Averaged 75 receptions in three seasons from 1978-80.