His career might be on the downward swing before it even reached 30% of expectations.. ah well http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3815598
He has kind of had the kind of career expected by most. He's a really good player that has no business being a regular RB, because he is going to be prone to injury. He is too small to play RB in the NFL, but he is a quality receiver and 3rd down back. Anyone thinking he was going to be Barry Sanders was a moron.
Funny aint it all the morons back in the draft so were so crazy Bush and VY. Where are they today? Bush was failure from day one. Too much pressure on the guy to become the next Barry Sanders. He had multi-million dollar deals even before he took a snap in the NFL. The media hype machine inflated his potential to enormous levels.
I have said from the beginning, any team drafting Bush should use him as a versatile weapon like what Philly does with Westbrook. They put him in screens, wheel routes and short passes so he can expose the defense and take off for big yards like that beautiful play-action screen pass last week against Minnesota. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sn6ZCZwBQLY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sn6ZCZwBQLY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Of course, Westbrook has routinely rushed for over 4 and sometimes even over 5 yards per carry. In his first three years (the prime years for a running back), Bush hasn't even made it to 4 once. That's not just underperforming — that's a pathetic excuse for an NFL running back.
He's good for at least 1 (if not 2 or 3) explosive plays per game. When I say "explosive" I mean 25 or more yards. Problem is for every 30-yard swing pass or screen, he'll have 3 or 4 runs up the middle for no gain or 1 yard. Bush has proven most of us right that he's a very expensive "niche" scatback who can't handle the load of being an every down back in the NFL. Chris Johnson is a much better value, as he has better speed, although not the same open field moves as Bush. But at a fraction of the cost at pick #28 he's the better option.
Not counting special teams, Bush had four plays (rushing and receiving combined) of 25 or more yards in the entire season. Likewise, he had zero plays of more than 25 yards in 2007 and three in 2006. That's seven plays of 25+ yards in 38 career games. Saying he's good for 1 (if not 2 or 3) per game isn't close to accurate. That's what the ESPN highlight machine would love for you to believe, but...
Damn. That is pretty awful, and sheds a light on his lack of production in the NFL. Maybe Jammal Charles will end up being the better back when the dust clears.
those are some crazy stats.. and i've been a staunch Bush basher for a while. But I didn't realize he didn't even have those random breakout games.. (though I DID realize he vultured TDs to inflate his #'s...that one 4 TD game or whatever it was, was a farce)
Honestly, ESPN has done more for Reggie Bush than any athlete in the ESPN era. They've single-handedly kept his career and legacy alive. Like you and Baqui alluded to, you'd never believe those numbers... primarily because any time he has a single 25+ yard play, you can count on ESPN to show it about 20 times a night for a week.
Brian Westbrook would have let that one goofy dude nail him to the wall in leiu of a Fathead. Then Brian would have punched in a couple extra nails himself and probably killed the white dude with his mind. Bush is a pansy. How much longer does Bush have to dramatically underproduce before his ad appearances start to match his actual status as a good NFL player? I am getting SO sick and tired of seeing him on commercials, especially considering he isn't a great, funny or even interesting person/actor and he has totally not lived up to his expectations since entering the NFL.
