Marshawn Lynch

[bull7734]

I did not watch the pro bowl. I did see that Marshawn led all rushers with 48 yards on six carries. I do not recall this kind of statistical production from him ever. So what was the difference? Coaching? Play calling? Better blocking? or was he just more motivated? I can not think of anything else that it could possibly be. I know most of you will call it coaching/play calling. Others would blame poor line play. I do not think any one would blame Marshawn of holding back during the season and then showing out at the pro bowl. He always runs hard.

 

Personnaly I think it is a mixture of all the above (of course!!!). Mostly though I blame the offensive line. More specifically the center position. It is hard to run when the center is being pushed back on a regular basis. I wanted Alex Mack really really bad because of this. The eleventh pick is much too high, so trade down or trade up in the second (into the first round if necessary). Fortunately we can wait and see because there is another center that is as dominant or more, Unger? I think his name is. So after we draft our first pick the second one of these guys are taking, no matter what else we have planned trade up to get the other. I hope we can wait and one will fall to us, but do not take that chance. Go get the other a dominant force at center would make our offense be much much better.

[Chilly]

Perhaps the vanilla defense they are required to run in the pro bowl?

[FluffHead]

Maybe the lack of effort defensively in the Pro Bowl. Marshawn was giving it an effort like always. Most of the guys playing in the Pro Bowl are not exactly going all out looking for a lot of contact. Naturally it would be easier to run on a defense that isnt allowed to blitz and isn't giving it a full effort.

[Nightcrawler]

Maybe the lack of effort defensively in the Pro Bowl. Marshawn was giving it an effort like always. Most of the guys playing in the Pro Bowl are not exactly going all out looking for a lot of contact. Naturally it would be easier to run on a defense that isnt allowed to blitz and isn't giving it a full effort.

 

 

Totally agree!

 

It's the Pro Bowl. The players like the weather and the additional leverage of having "Pro Bowler" as an additional thing to throw it when mentioning a contract extension; otherwise, the defense and the players could care less.

 

The truth is this...Marshawn Lynch is and always will be a 800-1,200 yards a year rusher as long as he is healthy over the next 5-6 years. He isn't a legitimate pro bowler, but he's an above average starter. He'll average 3.9-4.3 yards per carry for his career over the next few years. He isn't a top 10 running back in the league. He fall somewhere between the 13th-17th best running back in the NFL, and the Bills will draft another running back in the 1st round in 5-6 years.

[bull7734]

Maybe the lack of effort defensively in the Pro Bowl. Marshawn was giving it an effort like always. Most of the guys playing in the Pro Bowl are not exactly going all out looking for a lot of contact. Naturally it would be easier to run on a defense that isnt allowed to blitz and isn't giving it a full effort.

 

 

sounds good in theory, but then how do you explain the balloned statistics of all the other offensive players, or are they avoiding contact also?

[NewEra]

Totally agree!

 

It's the Pro Bowl. The players like the weather and the additional leverage of having "Pro Bowler" as an additional thing to throw it when mentioning a contract extension; otherwise, the defense and the players could care less.

 

The truth is this...Marshawn Lynch is and always will be a 800-1,200 yards a year rusher as long as he is healthy over the next 5-6 years. He isn't a legitimate pro bowler, but he's an above average starter. He'll average 3.9-4.3 yards per carry for his career over the next few years. He isn't a top 10 running back in the league. He fall somewhere between the 13th-17th best running back in the NFL, and the Bills will draft another running back in the 1st round in 5-6 years.

 

 

LOL youre crazy

[The Big Cat]

Totally agree!

 

It's the Pro Bowl. The players like the weather and the additional leverage of having "Pro Bowler" as an additional thing to throw it when mentioning a contract extension; otherwise, the defense and the players could care less.

 

The truth is this...Marshawn Lynch is and always will be a 800-1,200 yards a year rusher as long as he is healthy over the next 5-6 years. He isn't a legitimate pro bowler, but he's an above average starter. He'll average 3.9-4.3 yards per carry for his career over the next few years. He isn't a top 10 running back in the league. He fall somewhere between the 13th-17th best running back in the NFL, and the Bills will draft another running back in the 1st round in 5-6 years.

 

Please name the 12-16 NFL Running Backs better than Marshawn Lynch.

[The Dean]

The truth is this...Marshawn Lynch is and always will be a 800-1,200 yards a year rusher as long as he is healthy over the next 5-6 years. He isn't a legitimate pro bowler, but he's an above average starter. He'll average 3.9-4.3 yards per carry for his career over the next few years. He isn't a top 10 running back in the league. He fall somewhere between the 13th-17th best running back in the NFL, and the Bills will draft another running back in the 1st round in 5-6 years.

 

 

That's absurd. Put Lynch on a team that is really committed to the run, and he'd be an automatic, for the Pro Bowl. He had only 250 carries, and averaged over 4 yards per carry...on the Bills...a team that tends to telegraph their plays and stop running, once it seems to be working. (BTW, he also had 300 yards on 47 receptions.)

 

I'd say Lynch is arguably top 5, but certainly top 10.

[lets_go_bills]

That's absurd. Put Lynch on a team that is really committed to the run, and he'd be an automatic, for the Pro Bowl. He had only 250 carries, and averaged over 4 yards per carry...on the Bills...a team that tends to telegraph their plays and stop running, once it seems to be working. (BTW, he also had 300 yards on 47 receptions.)

 

I'd say Lynch is arguably top 5, but certainly top 10.

 

Bang on.

 

Lynch is top-5, no doubt. He needs to be given the ball 20-25 times a game. He's a legit every down back. Lynch needs to get the ball at least 340 times a season. He'd lead the league in rushing. There were a couple games where Lynch was avaeraging 6 and 8 yards a carry going into the fourth and was unstoppable. Then Jauron would just stop pounding the ball and let JP fumble the game away.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Trying to rank running backs is just ridiculous, and it's certainly the one position where you can't base things on statistics. If an offensive line doesn't create any holes, the best RB in the history of the NFL couldn't pick up 4.0 yards per carry. On the flip side, an O-line that does nothing but create monstrous holes can turn a horrible RB into a statistical beast and a pro bowler. I'm convinced that Shaun Alexander was never anything better than average. In Alexander's record breaking year, he ran for over half of his touchdowns without ever getting touched. That's the offensive line. Walter Jones was more important to that team than Alexander ever was. To say that Marshawn is between the 13th and 17th best running backs is just so utterly laughable. How could you possibly know that if you don't watch every running back and the holes that are created for him? What if the Bills pick up a beastly FB and suddenly Marshawn is running for 4.7 yards per carry. Did Marshawn suddenly become a better running back? Is he in the "top 5" if that happens?

 

For some reason (I think fantasy football has something to do with it), we love to rank players. In my opinion, running back is the least rank-able. I know that Marshawn is a strong running back, he's an intense running back and he's one of the few guys on the field that actually gives a damn on every single play. That's good enough for me.

[Tonawanda Troy]

Please name the 12-16 NFL Running Backs better than Marshawn Lynch.

I don't know how many are better but I am going to name some hat may or may not be better. Lets start out with the surely better, A. Peterson, Westbrook, Barber, Portis, LT. And some that I think are just about as good or better-Turner,D. Williams, S. Jackson, Forte, Lary Johnson, Ronnie Brown, Slaton, Jacobs, Addai, M J Drew, Bush, Gore, and Grant.

 

Theres 18, Lynch is good and I like the power running but A. He's not very elusive but moves the pile well. And B. He drops too many passes, some of these guys have much better hands, and go deep.

 

Maybe if he played for a better team he would look better, what do I know. Maybe if we had an OC that could utilize his skills better he could get up near the top of the list!

I'm glad he's a BILL!

[Chilly]

I don't know how many are better but I am going to name some hat may or may not be better. Lets start out with the surely better, A. Peterson, Westbrook, Barber, Portis, LT. And some that I think are just about as good or better-Turner,D. Williams, S. Jackson, Forte, Lary Johnson, Ronnie Brown, Slaton, Jacobs, Addai, M J Drew, Bush, Gore, and Grant.

 

Theres 18, Lynch is good and I like the power running but A. He's not very elusive but moves the pile well. And B. He drops too many passes, some of these guys have much better hands, and go deep.

 

Maybe if he played for a better team he would look better, what do I know. Maybe if we had an OC that could utilize his skills better he could get up near the top of the list!

I'm glad he's a BILL!

 

Here's my opinion on the list:

 

Definitely better:

 

Peterson (when healthy)

Westbrook

Portis

LT

*note no Marion Barber here (that dude sucks unless Romo is going nuts)

 

Here are RBs I'd classify as "Probably Better":

 

S. Jackson

Ronnie Brown

Frank Gore

 

I think our boy Lynch comes next.

[The Big Cat]

I don't know how many are better but I am going Turner,D. Williams, S. Jackson, Forte, Lary Johnson, Ronnie Brown, Slaton, Jacobs, Addai, M J Drew, Bush, Gore, and Grant.

[The Dean]

Here's my opinion on the list:

 

Definitely better:

 

Peterson (when healthy)

Westbrook

Portis

LT

*note no Marion Barber here (that dude sucks unless Romo is going nuts)

 

Here are RBs I'd classify as "Probably Better":

 

S. Jackson

Ronnie Brown

Frank Gore

 

I think our boy Lynch comes next.

 

LT won't be on that list for many more years, unfortunately. He's still a great back, but on the decline. I think Lynch will end up ranking in the same group with Brown, Jackson and Gore. One back that doesn't get his due, IMO is Brandon Jacobs...dude is a beast.

[The Big Cat]

LT won't be on that list for many more years, unfortunately. He's still a great back, but on the decline. I think Lynch will end up ranking in the same group with Brown, Jackson and Gore. One back that doesn't get his due, IMO is Brandon Jacobs...dude is a beast.

 

Yes, but beast has beastlier OL.

[Chilly]

LT won't be on that list for many more years, unfortunately. He's still a great back, but on the decline. I think Lynch will end up ranking in the same group with Brown, Jackson and Gore. One back that doesn't get his due, IMO is Brandon Jacobs...dude is a beast.

 

I completely agree with all of that. If you ask me about B. Jacobs, I'd say he's equal with Lynch. This is a Bills forum though, so I can't type that.

 

Seriously though, Lynch and Jacobs are probably the best "tough" backs when I think of tough backs in the NFL. They are both bruisers. Sadly, that doesn't make them the best by itself.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I completely agree with all of that. If you ask me about B. Jacobs, I'd say he's equal with Lynch. This is a Bills forum though, so I can't type that.

 

Seriously though, Lynch and Jacobs are probably the best "tough" backs when I think of tough backs in the NFL. They are both bruisers. Sadly, that doesn't make them the best by itself.

 

I don't know about that. Lynch is tough, and I think Jacobs is just plain old big. He actually goes down at first contact more than you would think, and he doesn't seem to have the ability to break through a pile. However, he is too big for a solo tackler, which is why he gains so many yards in open space. If he can get to the second level of the defense (requiring a hole of course), that's when he starts bruising guys and breaking tackles.

[Bufcomments]

I would say top ten for Lynch right now

 

Peterson best pure talent

Portis

Westbrook when healthy best overall

Jacobs...who wants to tackle that truck

Parker...maybe the fastest

LT past his prime true but still can get 1000

Barber...I like how he runs

Lynch...gives everything he has behind a weak line

 

Its amazing what Lynch has done so far behind an average line

Hes a 1500 yd back behind the giants or Carolinas lines

[DazedandConfused]

The theory that Lynch leading Pro bowlers in rushing yards mostly because of vanilla D seems to ignore the fact that every rusher in the game was facing a vanilla D.

 

The question of import is not simply how does Lynch in the pro bowl differ from Lynch in the regular season, it is a question of why did Lynch in the Pro Bowl rack up more (or at least equal to the best yardage totals) than the other quality RBs in this game.

 

While a relative handful of carries in one game is way too small a sample to draw galactic conclusions, it does appear legit to me to say that Lynch's top flight performance on Sunday is a pretty clear indicator that rather than being an after thought who merely sleazed into this game due to injury, Lynch really does merit consideration as being among the top 5 RBs in the NFL.

 

His hitting the 1000 yard rushing mark in each of his first two seasons, the episodic evidence of the way he hung in there and pounded for positive critical yardage essentially on his own on one play, and the fact he has shown both rushing and pass catching chops all speak to him being legit.

 

The arguments about whether he is top 5 or top 10 are actually a little silly as the difference between any RB deemed #4 and any RB deemed #7 are likely pretty small in reality and Lynch has given strong and consistent indication after two years of very good performance and a leading RB performance in the Pro Bowl Sunday that he simply is the real deal

[K-9]

He's not the fastest nor is he the quickest. Very impatient reading blocks but he's getting better. He still has to resist the urge to try to bounce everything outside because, unlike college, EVERYONE is fast in the NFL on defense. Lacks concentration at times as a receiver although he's improving there as well.

 

But, and I've said this in a previous post, I've NEVER seen a back with more heart. That is one helluva an infectious trait to possess as an RB and I'd take that over the measurables as long as the measurables aren't totally deficient. I'm glad we have him. I'm also glad we have Jackson as a compliment. I'd like to see them on the field together more often. Especially in the passing game on early downs. In the absence of a bonafide #2 WR at this point, I think they can create favorable matchups.

 

GO BILLS!!!