I miss the days of running the ball and playing good defense in the NFL. Some teams still try to play that style but it's only a handful.
Marshawn Lynch.
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Eddie George.
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The game in general has leaned towards a pass heavy finesse style. I still think the game is pretty physical, despite the popular opinion in the league that thinks the game has become too 'soft'.
I miss the days when teams preached running the ball and playing good defense and throw in some play action. Some teams still try to follow those strategies but not many.
I get it, pass heavy teams are sexy and exciting. Blockbuster action. Gunslinger. Five thousand plus passing yards. I saw an article today that predicts Patrick Mahomes will throw for six thousand yards this season, and I actually think he could do it. Mahomes is legit as it gets. The dude's arm is friggin' nuts.
I just wonder how long exactly this gunslinging can be successful. People say that running backs have a short lifespan to be successful, but I could make a bit of an argument that having solid quarterbacks doesn't guarantee Lombardi like success.
I am not putting much research into this but merely off the top of my head I can think of several situations where this point is shown.
Tom Brady has six rings and nearly always had good running backs. Eli Manning has two rings and he isn't even an all-time great to most people. Eli had defense and running backs Brandon Jacobs AND Ahmad Bradshaw for both championships. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers have two championships in relatively recent times and they're almost always known for having a strong running game. I mean Trent Dilfer has a ring!
On the contrary as great as Aaron Rodgers is he only has one ring and a constant story line in his career has been the fact that the Packers never help him with defense or a running game. Drew Brees is also an all time great and only has one ring. For years the Saints have had bad defense and barely ever a decent running back. Funny how in recent years the Saints have been good. What changed? Running back Alvin Kamara. Dan Marino never won a ring and that is an absolute tragedy. I wasn't alive during his career, but I bet he had many years with a questionable running game. Even if he didn't it still goes to show that a quarterback isn't always the most important thing.
Brett Favre was amazing and only won one ring. Pat Mahomes is pretty much a clone of Favre, (so far) which is not an insult in any way shape or form. But my point is quarterbacks also have a window of greatness just like running backs do. As dominant as Mahomes is it isn't like the NFL has never seen something like him before. Perhaps the league will have to wait Mahomes out a few years, but the dude can one day be contained. Especially if the Chiefs don't do a good job supporting him with talent. It will be scary dealing with Mahomes for the next decade but unless he has help in the future (in the future because presently he does have some help) he can become vulnerable. But if Mahomes's career mirrors Favre like I think it could, then we have a ways to go and at least two more MVP's to wait through...
So back to my main point to finish up. The general thought process about running backs is that as soon as a back turns thirty, his career is a wrap. Once the back hits thirty much of the league ignores him. Why? Because people believe that being a running back past thirty is too difficult on the body to perform well, the player is too old for the young springy dudes. To an extent I agree with that notion. Past thirty it's a bit difficult to have 25-30 carries for 16 games. But I wonder if that is actually true or a league wide misconception? I think to be a main horse back past thirty it takes lots of motivation, skill, hard work, and luck but I think it can for sure be done.
BUT the thing is a team doesn't need to use their veteran back like an every down workhorse. If a team has an aged but recently elite running back I believe teams absolutely should keep him around past the age of thirty if the player is willing and of good character to play for the team. The back can run the ball 5-15 times a game (assuming this imaginary team has another decent back) or even just be a valuable backup. Most times with older back the talent is there but the durability and stamina isn't quite there. But there is still so much value and benefit having talent on a roster.
I remember last season running back Todd Gurley was injured and everyone thought his career might already be declining and he is quite young. Instead of freaking out about potentially losing an awesome talent I heard that the Rams will start to limit his carries throughout essentially the rest of Gurley's playing career. I just looked up his first three games this season and he has had 14, 16, and 14 carries in each game. I believe that is super smart of the Rams!
Another amazing example and one of my favorite players that isn't a Titan is Frank Gore. This dude is ageless. Thirty-six years old and just laughing at every analyst and GM claiming thirty years old is too old. He is super productive and not washed up at all. If I had money to blow and had all the Titans jerseys I wanted, I think I might get a Gore jersey even though he has never been and likely never will be a Titan.
Gore has played many years in full and from what I looked up has never played less than eleven games in a season. He has nine 1,000 yard rushing seasons and two others with at least 960. He was drafted in 2005. He defies everything the media and GM's say about running backs.
Frank Gore.
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I wonder if backs get too old at thirty or the league is too greedy and/or dumb...
Perhaps respect is being put on runningback's names in more recent times though. Off the top of my head I know Zeke, Le'Veon Bell and some others have been getting paid solid contracts. I wonder if attitudes are turning in regard to running backs. I wonder if mister Frank Gore had anything to do with that...
What do you guys think of running backs in the NFL? How valuable do you believe they are? Steem and Sport on!
