A new an improved Reggie? (1 Viewer)

[meily]

I don't really get it...Reggie has speed, moves, and he's not afraid to take the odd hit, he's bright, he knows where the first down marker is...and yet he just doesn't seem to detonate when it comes to the ground game.

Ok so we didn't expect him to be an every down George Rogers style masher, but I think everyone has to be at least a little disappointed with his rushing. Does Reggie ever talk about what the problem is? I haven't seen many sensible theories (beyond he's too weak/he's a bust/or this season's his breakout year style guff)

Ideas anyone?

CHI-TOWNSAINT, hit it right on the head, he doesn't trust his O-Line....I think we will see more consistent running this year from Reggie since he is training with the team, you cant learn to be an NFL Running back if your not training to be one, last year Reggie trained to be more flexible and to keep his speed up, Free Flo Duh, doesn't teach you how to avoid a 250pd linebacker, or how to get lower than the defender to protect the ball and your body.

he needed to practice with his RB Coach, his Oline and the rest of the team, to build camaraderie and to know each others habits, its almost like he just showed up to play, you could tell on some of his run plays he would just take the ball and run, no technique or discipline in his running.

 

[meily]

Yeah, really working hard. Pounding away with Kim K every day. will probably run a 5.6 by the time training camp starts/.

Jealousy strikes its ugly head again......please tell me what she has to do with anything?....calling his mom every night at 8:30pm might hinder him as well.....sad..

 

[Peet]

Yeah, really working hard. Pounding away with Kim K every day. will probably run a 5.6 by the time training camp starts/.

68 yr. olds don't know who Kim K is and if some do I'm sure they would support his pounding her everyday. In other words I don't think your 68yrs. old.

 

[SoggyBottomBoy]

CHI-TOWNSAINT, hit it right on the head, he doesn't trust his O-Line....I think we will see more consistent running this year from Reggie since he is training with the team, you cant learn to be an NFL Running back if your not training to be one, last year Reggie trained to be more flexible and to keep his speed up, Free Flo Duh, doesn't teach you how to avoid a 250pd linebacker, or how to get lower than the defender to protect the ball and your body.

he needed to practice with his RB Coach, his Oline and the rest of the team, to build camaraderie and to know each others habits, its almost like he just showed up to play, you could tell on some of his run plays he would just take the ball and run, no technique or discipline in his running.

Add to that watching, from the sidelines, Stecker and Thomas have success behind the same Oline should send a message and challenge to Bush. I think he'll respond well - he's too competitive not to.

 

[FWtex]

Reggies problem is a combination of immatruity of being a pro and overconfidence.

 

[blackadder]

I just don't see how people can say its a "sophmore slump"....more like an injury plagued season slump while having to step into a role he wasn't supposed to carry. In the first 4 games he was the feature back until the injury he did very well.

But I agree, he seems focused this year. I think he'll be fine.

The injuries were a factor, but there was something else going on.

He seemed to lose a little focus last season, was making mental errors, dropping passes, hearing footsteps etc...

Much of the struggle seemed to be in his head last year until the injury.

He was also taking some pretty good shots running up the gut. I wonder if that was getting inside his head?

 

[BoNcHiE]

The injuries were a factor, but there was something else going on.

He seemed to lose a little focus last season, was making mental errors, dropping passes, hearing footsteps etc...

Much of the struggle seemed to be in his head last year until the injury.

He was also taking some pretty good shots running up the gut. I wonder if that was getting inside his head?

Yeah of course, but despite that he still was running well until the injury. So I don't think its going to be a big leap for him this year as long as he is healthy and focused.

 

[Guitarzan]

improved indeed

the next MVP candidate from the Saints... good luck taking that distinction from where it currently sits and rightly belongs... Drew Brees

 

[saintsfan342000]

I still contend that he's not been given the opportunity to shine. How many big plays can a guy be expected to make when he only gets to handle the ball on draws, screens, and flat passes. When he was supposed to step up as #1 with Deuce out, I still feel like SP didn't even try to use him like a typical RB. I have said it numerous times here at sr.com that people (not necessarily yall, but football fans everywhere) are wrong when they assume that he can't be a full-time, 20-25 carry per game RB.

 

[dtc]

CHI-TOWNSAINT, hit it right on the head, he doesn't trust his O-Line....I think we will see more consistent running this year from Reggie since he is training with the team, you cant learn to be an NFL Running back if your not training to be one, last year Reggie trained to be more flexible and to keep his speed up, Free Flo Duh, doesn't teach you how to avoid a 250pd linebacker, or how to get lower than the defender to protect the ball and your body.

he needed to practice with his RB Coach, his Oline and the rest of the team, to build camaraderie and to know each others habits, its almost like he just showed up to play, you could tell on some of his run plays he would just take the ball and run, no technique or discipline in his running.

You guys may be right, but if he doesn't trust this OL he clearly didn't trust his OL at USC. He has always run for the sideline and I don't personally see it as a trust issue except that he mistakenly believes he can beat everyone to the sideline. His "trust" of his own speed has allowed him to be lazy and one dimensional as it did in college. The speed of the NFL defenders and the change in hash mark placement exacerbates the problem so I don't really blame his lack of run production on trust of the OL. He's never trusted an OL so its actually just Reggie doing what Reggie does. To be successful in the NFL, he's going to have to develop trust in someone other than himself, slowdown = or rather let the game slow down around him - and hit the holes where they are instead of trying to outrun everyone to the corner. jmho

 

[CitySaint]

I would like to see not only Reggie improve but the coaching staff also in their creativity when it comes to drawing up plays for Reggie specifically. Reggie is a rare talent and not a prototypical running back. They can design plays for him that Deuce/Stecker/P.T. would not be able to pull off.

 

[fish321]

I think CHITOWN SAINT hit it on the head. Maybe it isn't a trust thing so much as it's that he aborts the play too fast. The holes may be too small initially, but it does eventually open up. DOOOCE had the same problems though. Too many times he ran up the back of the OL cause he hadn't cleared the lane fast enough. The difference is that DOOOCE stays with it a bit longer and hits the hole (when/if it actually opens up).

I think Reggie just comes out of his stance so fast that it's just not enough time for the blocks to develope.I don't want him to continue to compensate that with tap dancing though. I want him to just slow it down until his gifted speed is really needed.

I agree and would also like to add a thought, Deuce and Reggie go at 2 different speeds. Reggie is going full blast when he takes the handoff and just keeps going where as deuce seems to be a bit slower, maybe patient and then bursts, it seems like the oline would have some problem adjusting to that. For deuce you would have another second or two to open that hole because he is taking that studder step and waiting for something where as reggie is using all his speed to get there and try to blow through which means that hole needs to be there sooner or he has to bounce it. It seems like it would hurt them both if the oline is trying to work at two different speeds.

 

[robsmith32]

loved the george rogers... statement. just found out he hangs in a club up here occassionally, they have an old pic of him in a saints uni, autographed hanging up. I was kind of surprised that it wasn't a redskins photo. I hated bum for letting him go to the skins to keep an OLD Earl Campbell, granted Earl was the superior back early on in his career, but by time he got to new orleans.. he wasn't any better than the young george rogers. you have to go with the youth, when they are fairly equal.
apparently, he's cleaned up fromt he drugs too.

Reggie had many attributable problems last year.. personally, i think the legal distractions he has, is more a problem with distracting him than the Kim K thing. people need to let that go. plus he was playing injured a bit as well, not a good thing.

Wish that lawsuit thing would get taken care of and done with prior to the season starting.. just don't see it happening.

 

[basilisk]

I still contend that he's not been given the opportunity to shine. How many big plays can a guy be expected to make when he only gets to handle the ball on draws, screens, and flat passes. When he was supposed to step up as #1 with Deuce out, I still feel like SP didn't even try to use him like a typical RB. I have said it numerous times here at sr.com that people (not necessarily yall, but football fans everywhere) are wrong when they assume that he can't be a full-time, 20-25 carry per game RB.

i tend to agree with you... i'll take it a little further, i think he needs to run more on 2nd and 7, 2nd and 8, down/distance usually seen as passing downs... most big running plays come on those, or on the 3rd and inches that just busts wide open... i'd run him at least 20, 22 times a game

 

[saint hdawg]

I just have high hopes for this kid...his 2nd year was definitely plague by injuries and we really haven't seen his full potential as the feature back. However, I would like nothing more than to see the same 1-2 punch from Deuce and Bush. (maybe a 1-2-3 punch with PT included )