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Rick Gosselin: A good back pack can carry a team
07:54 PM CDT on Thursday, October 28, 2004
The St. Louis Rams have Marshall Faulk. He's been an NFL MVP and a seven-time Pro Bowler. He ranks 12th on the all-time rushing list and has caught more touchdown passes than any back in NFL history.
But that didn't prevent the Rams from selecting running back Steven Jackson in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals made a commitment to Rudi Johnson when they traded veteran Pro Bowl running back Corey Dillon to the New England Patriots last winter. But that didn't prevent the Bengals from selecting running back Chris Perry in the first round in April. Backup running back has become an increasing priority in a salary-cap world, approaching the importance of the backup quarterback.
Runners and passers absorb the most direct hits in football. Bones can bruise and break. If you lose your runner or passer, you can lose your season. You can never have enough of them.
"You hope your guy can make it through the season," said Colts coach Tony Dungy, whose guy is two-time NFL rushing champion Edgerrin James. "But chances are he's going to miss a few games. As big and strong as the [defensive] players have become, it's hard to get 300 carries and make it through a whole year at running back. It might be a game or three, but you'll find yourself without him.
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"If you have to change what you do or if the defense doesn't respect your [new] guy, it affects the way you approach and play the game."
The Colts have been forced to play without James for 15 games over the last three seasons. But they have done a superb job of building depth at the position and have been able to maintain a business-as-usual approach.
Indianapolis can line up three players at halfback who have posted 100-yard rushing games in the NFL: James, Dominic Rhodes and James Mungro. James and Rhodes also have been 1,000-yard rushers.
"It's a long season," said Mungro, the third all-time leading rusher in Syracuse history. "You'll need depth there. It's been proven here the last four years. The more depth you have, the better you'll be."
The Minnesota Vikings can do the Colts one better. They have four halfbacks on their roster who have posted 100-yard rushing games in the NFL: Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith, Moe Williams and now rookie Mewelde Moore.
That's why the Vikings have been able to stay atop the NFC North this season at 5-1 despite a spinning turnstile at tailback.
Bennett, a 1,200-yard rusher in 2002, has been out since late August with a knee injury. The Vikings replaced him with Smith, and he posted a 100-yard receiving game in September. He also had a couple 100-yard rushing games filling in for Bennett in 2003.
But Smith was suspended by the NFL for four games this month. So Moore stepped in and has generated back-to-back 100-yard rushing games the last two weeks against New Orleans and Tennessee.
The Vikings learned their lesson the hard way. Coming off a 1,500-yard season in 2000, Pro Bowl halfback Robert Smith retired prematurely from the Vikings in 2001 at the age of 29. Minnesota collapsed from a top-10 rushing attack and an NFC Central championship team with Smith to 25th in rushing and non-contention without him.
When Hall of Famer Barry Sanders retired from football on the eve of training camp in 1999, the Detroit Lions slid back from a top-10 rushing attack to No. 28 and out of contention.
Ricky Williams walked away from the Miami Dolphins this season. He was a 1,300-yard rusher a year ago, powering the Dolphins into playoff contention. Without him, Miami cannot run the ball and can no longer win. The Dolphins are off to the worst start in franchise history this season at 1-6.
With Jamal Lewis in 2000, the Baltimore Ravens were a top-5 rushing attack and Super Bowl champions. But he tore up a knee the following summer. The Ravens tumbled out of the top 10 in rushing and failed to defend their NFL title as a wild-card playoff entry.
You need legs in the NFL to compete for championships. Multiple sets of legs. The Colts, Vikings, Rams and Bengals have all figured that out.
E-mail rgosselin@***BANNED-URL***
07:54 PM CDT on Thursday, October 28, 2004
The St. Louis Rams have Marshall Faulk. He's been an NFL MVP and a seven-time Pro Bowler. He ranks 12th on the all-time rushing list and has caught more touchdown passes than any back in NFL history.
But that didn't prevent the Rams from selecting running back Steven Jackson in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals made a commitment to Rudi Johnson when they traded veteran Pro Bowl running back Corey Dillon to the New England Patriots last winter. But that didn't prevent the Bengals from selecting running back Chris Perry in the first round in April. Backup running back has become an increasing priority in a salary-cap world, approaching the importance of the backup quarterback.
Runners and passers absorb the most direct hits in football. Bones can bruise and break. If you lose your runner or passer, you can lose your season. You can never have enough of them.
"You hope your guy can make it through the season," said Colts coach Tony Dungy, whose guy is two-time NFL rushing champion Edgerrin James. "But chances are he's going to miss a few games. As big and strong as the [defensive] players have become, it's hard to get 300 carries and make it through a whole year at running back. It might be a game or three, but you'll find yourself without him.
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"If you have to change what you do or if the defense doesn't respect your [new] guy, it affects the way you approach and play the game."
The Colts have been forced to play without James for 15 games over the last three seasons. But they have done a superb job of building depth at the position and have been able to maintain a business-as-usual approach.
Indianapolis can line up three players at halfback who have posted 100-yard rushing games in the NFL: James, Dominic Rhodes and James Mungro. James and Rhodes also have been 1,000-yard rushers.
"It's a long season," said Mungro, the third all-time leading rusher in Syracuse history. "You'll need depth there. It's been proven here the last four years. The more depth you have, the better you'll be."
The Minnesota Vikings can do the Colts one better. They have four halfbacks on their roster who have posted 100-yard rushing games in the NFL: Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith, Moe Williams and now rookie Mewelde Moore.
That's why the Vikings have been able to stay atop the NFC North this season at 5-1 despite a spinning turnstile at tailback.
Bennett, a 1,200-yard rusher in 2002, has been out since late August with a knee injury. The Vikings replaced him with Smith, and he posted a 100-yard receiving game in September. He also had a couple 100-yard rushing games filling in for Bennett in 2003.
But Smith was suspended by the NFL for four games this month. So Moore stepped in and has generated back-to-back 100-yard rushing games the last two weeks against New Orleans and Tennessee.
The Vikings learned their lesson the hard way. Coming off a 1,500-yard season in 2000, Pro Bowl halfback Robert Smith retired prematurely from the Vikings in 2001 at the age of 29. Minnesota collapsed from a top-10 rushing attack and an NFC Central championship team with Smith to 25th in rushing and non-contention without him.
When Hall of Famer Barry Sanders retired from football on the eve of training camp in 1999, the Detroit Lions slid back from a top-10 rushing attack to No. 28 and out of contention.
Ricky Williams walked away from the Miami Dolphins this season. He was a 1,300-yard rusher a year ago, powering the Dolphins into playoff contention. Without him, Miami cannot run the ball and can no longer win. The Dolphins are off to the worst start in franchise history this season at 1-6.
With Jamal Lewis in 2000, the Baltimore Ravens were a top-5 rushing attack and Super Bowl champions. But he tore up a knee the following summer. The Ravens tumbled out of the top 10 in rushing and failed to defend their NFL title as a wild-card playoff entry.
You need legs in the NFL to compete for championships. Multiple sets of legs. The Colts, Vikings, Rams and Bengals have all figured that out.
E-mail rgosselin@***BANNED-URL***
