Falcons: Michael Turner Groin

[illmusic]

(12-01-2011 12:44 PM)AsylumGuido Wrote:  What you really need to do is abandon the primary back philosophy. More and more teams are going to sharing the load. It started with the Giants and Carolina. The Saints carried it to the next level sharing the duties among three RB's. It saves wear and tear and keeps them all fresh for both the game and the season. The problem is that it takes a special player to buy into the scheme. You cannot pull it off with a prima donna type.

I think premiere backs still have a place on a winning team though...and Michael Turner is an absolute premiere back...I don't want a running back committee...I want MT to be our primary back that catches good carries...I just hate that we run him into the ground. he should be top 15 in touches, but I don't remember a healthy year where he wasn't top 3.

[AsylumGuido]

(12-02-2011 01:21 AM)illmusic Wrote:  I think premiere backs still have a place on a winning team though...and Michael Turner is an absolute premiere back...I don't want a running back committee...I want MT to be our primary back that catches good carries...I just hate that we run him into the ground. he should be top 15 in touches, but I don't remember a healthy year where he wasn't top 3.

As a long time fantasy football player I too used to like the single back system. But, seeing what Sean Payton is doing with his backs has sold me on the idea of the committee. Right now they have four completely healthy backs. How often do you see that this late in the season? And when you look at their combined numbers it makes it hard not to believe. Only three teams average more per carry. Only seven have more total rushing yards. Yet, their top three rushers are only ranked 35, 36 and 37.

[RnB]

(12-02-2011 10:40 AM)AsylumGuido Wrote:  As a long time fantasy football player I too used to like the single back system. But, seeing what Sean Payton is doing with his backs has sold me on the idea of the committee. Right now they have four completely healthy backs. How often do you see that this late in the season? And when you look at their combined numbers it makes it hard not to believe. Only three teams average more per carry. Only seven have more total rushing yards. Yet, their top three rushers are only ranked 35, 36 and 37.

Using more than two backs has always been primarily for systems that are not built around a strong rushing attack and ball control. The Saints are a team that can get away with it because their Pill Head coaches built an offense around a high scoring passing attack.

The Falcons are a REAL football team. We have a strong rushing attack, a passing attack that can move quickly down the field if we need to, and can play ball control if we are facing offenses like the Packers or Saints who focus on getting huge chunks in the passing game. Therefore, having a premiere back like Turner is necessary in order to ensure we can continue rushing the ball no matter what the defense is doing.

We do not rely on screen plays or quick dumpoffs to the RB for YAC. Our rushing attack is a true power running game and needs a back like MT to be the workhorse. Turner is a PRO BOWL back that has been one of the two best in the NFL for a few years in a row. There is no reason to make him play less and I do not think this "groin" injury is any indication that we should do so. We are not a team that tries to model ourselves around other teams; we do what WE do and kick ass all the while.

I am not saying there is no place for a system with 3+ backs or that such a system can not work. I am simply making it clear that the Falcons are using a formula that has led us to winning seasons four years in a row, a 40-19 record (I think), multiple head coach of the year awards, multiple Pro Bowl offensive players every year, etc. etc....