Sore Arms
Complaining about certain running backs lack of production should be examined further. Around the league quarterbacks arent even giving their backs a chance to succeed. The booming rate of quarterbacks chucking the football over twenty five times a game is becoming the norm. There are plenty of factors for this. Some teams cant run the football, others just abandon the run, and lots of secondaries are exposable to a rampant passing attack. Will this subside, or are running backs going to shoot down fantasy charts every week?
Out of the games on Sunday, fifty percent of the twenty six teams had quarterbacks that threw over thirty times. A top that list was, Marc Bulger, who set a record with 62 pass attempts. The quarterback can only do so much. Its understandable that teams are opening up the offense more, but doing that leaves more room for error. Defenses are gearing to blitz all the time because they arent afraid of the run. The mind frame is just too get pressure on the quarterback and force a turnover.
Youre going to have obvious big plays in the passing game when a team is heavy on the pass. Those plays look great, but dont overshadow the costly throws. Out of the quarterbacks that do throw the ball a lot, youll also see the same amount or more interceptions being thrown. Those interceptions more often than not lead to the opposing teams points. Having momentum usually always starts from a big defensive turnover. Kansas City can blame themselves or Trent Green for what happened against Philadelphia. The team was in sync until they went away from the run after a Larry Johnson fumble. When they went to the pass more, Trent Green was picked off by Sheldon Brown, which ignited the Eagles whole team.
In St. Louis, Mike Martz, is looking to be the first coach fired. His philosophy on play calling is at a level of risk that shouldnt be applied to the NFL. He has two great backs but will never utilize their strengths. Marc Bulgers career is in danger every pass he throws over the forty mark each game. Settling down the air attack has to happen. Regardless if theyre trying to mount a huge comeback, there are other ways. Mix in some runs, but dont just throw the football every down from the third quarter on. If worse comes to worse like Sunday, let Bulger exit the game and give the backup some play. St. Louis is going to need it because Bulger will not survive the year like this. It wouldnt be shocking to see him hurt on a play that he doesnt get hit, because of the extra force he has had to put on his arm and body. Commanding a game isnt all physical. Bulger has too be exhausted both physically and mentally for the double amount of thinking and passes he has been told to do.
Scoring is up in the NFL, and the barrage of big plays through the air is as well. While the backs that have been disappointing with their carries reduced has skyrocketed. Its only four games deep into the season. Configuring a turnaround on the way games pan out should change, right? Overall the trend of passers will come down a bit, but not at the rate people would expect. The mode teams have put themselves into already is a pace thatll be hard to get out of. Trying to adjust something that is working can throw off a team.
If there were any year to unload a back with high status for a quarterback, this is the year. No longer are the teams with the best combo backfields winning in fantasy football. Its now shifted to the quarterback department, where consistency week to week has peaked. Teams with Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Marc Bulger, Carson Palmer, etc have got themselves off to a great start.
Pages: