Not true. Young is leading by half a sack. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7752
That's what having Bush does. If he's not making a play, he's drawing defenders, so other players get better opportunities. Mario Williams is a better DE than Bush, IMO.
I've had this debate every week with friends. I expect 50 tkls and 6 sacks from Mario. Other than Kearse,Freeney and Peppers that about what rookie de's do. They hyped Bush up as the best rb prospect since walter payton and truth is, what Kubiak and Casserly said were true. He's being force fed and is on the field 50%. He's avg 3 ypc and 7 per recept. His longest play other than the punt return is 18 yrds. If i wanted larry centers or ronnie harmon, do i have to take him 2nd. Bush is looking just like Eric Metcalf. He's not even Bryant Westbrook right now. If Duece wasn't there and the team was losing, what would the medie be saying about him. All this stuff about a decoy is bs. Duece was a 1600 yrd back and made Ricky williams expendable before Bush was in college. I dont need to decoy this so called explosive player. How many decoys are they running for Jones Drew,Addai, and Maroney. Yet they're splitting time, scoring tds and breaking big plays. Didn't 2 yrs ago Dillon run for 1600yds yet Maroney is pressing him for carries because he can run inside and outside. Isnt this the best shape Taylor has been in for yrs, yet Drew has 5.9 a carry, 10 a ctch and 4 tds. I think because of the hype, the media wants bush to live up to it, but the nfl always play out. A for Mario, why espn and the nfl network never showed the double teams or the chipping by the backs or the te double down? Gil Brandt who built the 70's and 80's cowboys drafted Randy White in front of Walter Payton and Too Tall Jones in front of Fouts and nothing is said. Why? Because the cowboys played in 5 sb's and won 2. No one every say anything about Hakeem because he was taken in front of Jordan. It will all pan out and the saints can keep Eric Metcalf II.
Have you actually watched any of the Saints games? if you have, you can clearly see, that when reggie buch is in the game, defenders are drawn to him. Every play he is in, he IS helping his team even if he doesnt get the ball. If you dont think he is being used as a decoy, you obviosly have not watched a full Saints game.
Statements like this make me wonder if folks watched the Rose Bowl game and followed SC closely. Texas handn't stopped LenDale White and the two TE set the entire second half. They had stopped running plays by Bush (because he always tries to run wide) and passes to Bush in both halves. I didn't think Texas could stop White, Carroll didn't think so either, it was the smart play based on the entire 2nd half to go with the power set and LenDale as the back. Sticking Bush out there in the slot (where Texas would have just sent 1 guy) rather than the the extra TE on the OL increases the potential of a Texas LB coming around the end and hitting LenDale before he got started, and that looked like the only chance Texas had because the interior of SC's line had been dominant the whole game. Bush can be a decoy, like anyone else out in the slot, someone has to guard him. But neither the Longhorn defense nor NFL defense made/are making grand changes when he is out there, mainly just making sure if he is in the slot you have a fast LB or DB. Or if he gets the ball in a running play you wantt to slant slightly outside and take better angles because of his speed. Basically small changes, not big ones (he isn't doubled with a fast LB or DB + a safety or anything), and he isn't the biggest factor in the offense, but he is a nice complimentary piece.
Bush is a decoy. However, there is a huge difference between "we pay attention to him" and "the offense revolves around him". Listening to the media, one would think Bush was the main cog to the Saints offense and that isn't the case. He is an important piece, just like the new QB, rehabebd RB and new receiver. If Bush weren't on the team, the Saints offense would still be successful (but probably not as good...he is making a contribution).
Kinda like when he ran wide, blew past the Texas defenders(who were very fast by the way), down the sidelines, kicked it into an extra gear and then did a front flip into the end zone? That was one of the if not the most amazing display of physical skills by a college football player i've ever seen. Like Ric said earlier, my jaw dropped. That was not hype. ESPN did not make that play up. Can anyone find it on youtube? I want to put it on my myspace page. Holla!
The play where the guy runs to the corner and beats a bunch of guys into the endzone? I forgot which one of these was it? <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VKQcyeBZNRY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VKQcyeBZNRY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Could be this one, Sam. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mP1DpeDBfd8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mP1DpeDBfd8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Man, that game was sweet. Best college football game ever. Period. The Bush TD they talk about was a special play. It seemed like he glided into the end zone, took like 3 steps and then somersaulted in, but sadly that was the extent of the Reggie Bush highlight film for the night. VY took the trophy that REALLY matters.
Excellent point. That's exactly the way I am seeing him right now, too! Remember Metcalf was also PR/WR threat with a few 100 yd running games smattered in but he's not in the HOF! In other words, not a bust, but nothing special. Good career.
eric metcalf's rookie year numbers are eerily similar to bush's so far. 3.4 ypc rushing and 7.4 ypc receiving.
Yes he got the corner 1 time versus a college defense after they were softened up pretty good. The same college boys who kept him from the corner every other time he tried it. You think it would be smart for Pete Carroll to call Bush wide for a 4th and 1.5 yards with the season on the line when LenDale hadn't been stopped at all? This was the whole context of the above discussion. With the season on the line and the coach who knew his team the best, he didn't call Bush's number, he didn't even feel the best option was to have him over an extra blocker. And before people get all on Carroll, he is the same man that guided his team on a 30+ win streak over 2 years with a number of gutsy calls that worked-- most of which were in Leinart's hands or LenDale's hands in the tight games (UT, ND, Cal, ASU, etc). That is just a fact. But yes Bush turning the corner on UT was impressive. Not many guys in the NFL could do that. I don't question Bush's exceptional speed and burst.
Who cares ?? Can anyone find the play when he did one of the most dumbest things in the history of college football? You know the one when he chunked the ball behind him. I want to put it on my myspace page. Holla!
You mean this one? <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJ1lE9Sy2g0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RJ1lE9Sy2g0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Yeah, and that's what Glanville said about "Stagger Lee" vs Denver in the 87-88 playoffs. The only problem is Rozier DIDNT catch the damn ball plus he did not recover it forgetting a lateral is a fumble. So instead of a 40-50 yd gain and gaining a foothold in a playoff game, we freakin handed them the game courtesy of our own stupidity. Ah yes, that's the Oilers all will always remember. Long on talent, but short on brains and execution when it mattered.
The sad part of that play is if Reggie simply holds on to the ball instead of improvising to the spectacular, USC possibly goes up two TDs and maybe even VY cant bring the Horns back. That play was a momentum killer plain and simple. Stay within the game especially in the playoffs.
I haven't read all 34 pages; so if someone was already mentioned this, I apologize. Mario Williams got his 1st NFL sack a week before Reggie Bush got his 1st NFL TD.
