Pro Bowl Announcement...

[Woy]

Jeff Fisher informs Marc Mariani of his Pro Bowl selection.

 

[Maynard]

no way hillis should be there. he is the mvp of the browns but not above the other choices at HB

 

[NAHSTE]

At least Hillis made first team RB on my All-Scrap Team.

 

[BigBucs]

Still need another one to tie VY. :smug:

Glad to see Babin and Mariani get in. CJ will replace one of the backs more than likely.

VY? Never heard of him. :yawn:

 

[BazookaJoe5]

Nice to see Billy Cundiff make it.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

10 Snubbed: http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2010/12/29/probing-the-pro-bowl-a-10-pack-of-serious-snubs/

10 Undeserving: http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2010/12/29/probing-the-pro-bowl-the-undeserving-10/

6. Steven Jackson, HB, Rams

He may have picked up plenty of yardage, but how much of that is down to his offensive line and amount of carries? Just 2.6 yards per carry after contact isn’t good enough and Jackson isn’t going to make defenders miss like the top running backs. If you don’t like Ahmad Bradshaw because of his fumbling, then how does LeSean McCoy not make it in?

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Whoever wrote this hasnt watched a Rams game all year. The Rams have a TERRIBLE run blocking offensive line, and i'd be willing to wager that Jackson has been blown up in the backfield more times than any RB in the league. Stat dorks have migrated from baseball over to football, and it's an annoying trend.

 

[DomePatrol]

I just wish Colston would make one pro bowl. He's been snubbed three times in his career this being the third year I think he could have squeezed in.

 

[Fox1994]

2nd best Kick Returner and best Punt Returner in the league sounds about like a pro bowler to me

Over the kick returner with more yardage and one more touchdown and the guy with less yardage but two more touchdowns?

Alright, we're all entitled to opinions.

 

[young2rice]

Over the kick returner with more yardage and one more touchdown and the guy with less yardage but two more touchdowns?

Alright, we're all entitled to opinions.

Well technically he has 302 more yards, but the same touchdowns

 

[NAHSTE]

6. Steven Jackson, HB, Rams

He may have picked up plenty of yardage, but how much of that is down to his offensive line and amount of carries? Just 2.6 yards per carry after contact isn’t good enough and Jackson isn’t going to make defenders miss like the top running backs. If you don’t like Ahmad Bradshaw because of his fumbling, then how does LeSean McCoy not make it in?

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Whoever wrote this hasnt watched a Rams game all year. The Rams have a TERRIBLE run blocking offensive line, and i'd be willing to wager that Jackson has been blown up in the backfield more times than any RB in the league. Stat dorks have migrated from baseball over to football, and it's an annoying trend.

Not to mention, averaging 2.6 yards per carry after contact would presumably get you at least 4.0 yards per carry, provided your OL doesn't suck. That seems like a horse shit stat to me, and even if it weren't, I'd guess that 2.6 is good enough, because it means you at least fall forward a lot.

Steven Jackson never gets the love he deserves, and it is criminal.

 

[Blick]

2.6 yards after contact seems pretty fucking weak for a guy that Warner hypes as "who has a better blend of size, power, speed, bla bla bla, etc."

Getting blown up in the backfield a lot? Well, shouldn't he be making impressive runs after contact then?

 

[Senser81]

2.6 yards after contact seems pretty fucking weak for a guy that Warner hypes as "who has a better blend of size, power, speed, bla bla bla, etc."

Getting blown up in the backfield a lot? Well, shouldn't he be making impressive runs after contact then?

Getting smothered in the backfield by 330 lb. defensive linemen is a bit different than Emmitt Smith gliding 10 yards before getting touched by a free safety. Steven Jackson regularly has to carry 3 guys on his back just to get back to the line of scrimmage...Emmitt Smith gets a full head of steam before making a move on a safety in the open field.

 

[Senser81]

2.6 yards after contact seems pretty fucking weak for a guy that Warner hypes as "who has a better blend of size, power, speed, bla bla bla, etc."

Getting blown up in the backfield a lot? Well, shouldn't he be making impressive runs after contact then?

Getting smothered in the backfield by 330 lb. defensive linemen is a bit different than Emmitt Smith gliding 10 yards before getting touched by a free safety. Steven Jackson regularly has to carry 3 guys on his back just to get back to the line of scrimmage...Emmitt Smith gets a full head of steam before making a move on a safety in the open field.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

2.6 yards after contact seems pretty fucking weak for a guy that Warner hypes as "who has a better blend of size, power, speed, bla bla bla, etc."

Getting blown up in the backfield a lot? Well, shouldn't he be making impressive runs after contact then?

First of all, the writer praised and gave credit for Jacksons yardage to the Rams OL, which right off the bat shows he's talking out of his ass, because even casual Rams observers will tell you that the offense line has had issues run blocking all season.

Second, if anyone thinks Steven Jackson isn't good after contact, based on that statistic, then they are lost. Yards after contact is probably his best area of strength. He's a notoriously hard runner who is hard to take down, and initiates contact in the open field.

Here is what the writer did. He needed to justify including Jackson somehow, but couldn't attack his rushing yards or total yards, so he found a contrived statistic, and used the old "his offensive line has done a good job" excuse...which ended up exposing him, because the line has been bad.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

And if we are talking snubs, lookk no further than Browns C Alex Mack. Undersized guy who pulls and traps like a G out of the 70's, and holds his own is pass protection. Bigger snub than Hillis.

 

[Aso]

Maybe Jackson is just having a down year? The Rams have definitely been passing the ball more.

 

[Aso]

Scroll down to the second table. ESPN uses PFF's stats to show the 2009 and 2008 leaders in Yards After Contact on a per carry basis. So you have something to compare Steve Jackson's 2.6 YAC to. Without comparison it's hard to say whether 2.6 is good, bad or whatever.

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=nfldk2k10advancedstats

Just a btw, PFF ranked the Rams offensive line the 14th best at run blocking after the 2009 season and Jackson averaged 4.4 YPC that season.

 

[Blick]

First of all, the writer praised and gave credit for Jacksons yardage to the Rams OL, which right off the bat shows he's talking out of his ass, because even casual Rams observers will tell you that the offense line has had issues run blocking all season.

Second, if anyone thinks Steven Jackson isn't good after contact, based on that statistic, then they are lost. Yards after contact is probably his best area of strength. He's a notoriously hard runner who is hard to take down, and initiates contact in the open field.

Here is what the writer did. He needed to justify including Jackson somehow, but couldn't attack his rushing yards or total yards, so he found a contrived statistic, and used the old "his offensive line has done a good job" excuse...which ended up exposing him, because the line has been bad.

I admittedly haven't seen many Rams games. He was however irrelevant and unimpressive in the game against the Chiefs that I watched. That's obviously a small sample...but still. 3.7 ypc for the season is fucking awful...I don't care how bad the line is. That's Larry Johnson territory.

EDIT: Also, I like how Senser is getting nostalgic and pretending like Emmitt Smith still plays in the league.

 

[Obst]

Good to see MJD make it since he carried the team on his back. Too bad he wont play due to surgery. Hopefully Gates backs out so Marcedes can start.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Scroll down to the second table. ESPN uses PFF's stats to show the 2009 and 2008 leaders in Yards After Contact on a per carry basis. So you have something to compare Steve Jackson's 2.6 YAC to. Without comparison it's hard to say whether 2.6 is good, bad or whatever.

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=nfldk2k10advancedstats

Just a btw, PFF ranked the Rams offensive line the 14th best at run blocking after the 2009 season and Jackson averaged 4.4 YPC that season.

It's a flawed statistic.

When does the "contact" take place? There is a big difference between a RB getting blown up in the backfield, or a RB not getting touched until a failed arm tackle by a DB 8 yards down the field on a 20 yard gain. However, the first RB is punished with 0 YAC, while the second RB is credited with 12 YAC.

Here is a typical game sequence from the Rams this season:

St. Louis Rams at 05:41
3-J.Reed kicks 66 yards from SF 30 to SL 4. 16-D.Amendola to SF 12 for 84 yards (59-T.Gibson).

1-10-SF 12 (5:28) 39-S.Jackson right guard to SF 10 for 2 yards (94-J.Smith).

2-8-SF 10 (4:48) 39-S.Jackson right tackle to SF 9 for 1 yard (98-P.Haralson).

3-7-SF 9 (4:03) (Shotgun) 39-S.Jackson left end to SF 10 for -1 yards (22-N.Clements, 99-M.Lawson).

Timeout #1 by SF at 03:54.
4-8-SF 10 (3:54) 3-Josh.Brown 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-45-C.Massey, Holder-5-D.Jones.

Rams up 22-17, Amendola with a big kickoff return, Rams can essentially end the game with a TD. Instead, Spagnuolo, in his usual ultra conservative fashion, brings in the TE's, calls for three consecutive predictable runs, in which the 49ers stack the box and blow up Jackson three consecutive times.
Spags settles for a FG. Everyone in the dome boo's Spags after the third run.

Notice on all three plays, 49er DL are in on the tackle. Jackson has three runs, for as total of zero YAC. Is this because he's a soft back who wilts when hit, or is easy to bring down? Of course not. He is known as a powerful runner who THRIVES on contact. But what can you do, behind a finesse pass blocking line, and being hit immeditately at or behind the line?

Here is the very next Rams possession, up 8 points, needing 2 first downs to seal the game:

St. Louis Rams at 02:19
1-10-STL 46 (2:19) 39-S.Jackson right tackle to SL 43 for -3 yards (94-J.Smith).

Timeout #2 by SF at 02:15.
2-13-STL 43 (2:15) 11-B.Gibson right end pushed ob at SF 43 for 14 yards (22-N.Clements).

1-10-SF 43 (2:07) 39-S.Jackson left end to SF 41 for 2 yards (99-M.Lawson).

Two-Minute Warning
2-8-SF 41 (1:59) 19-L.Robinson right end to SF 46 for -5 yards (30-R.Smith).

3-13-SF 46 (1:19) 39-S.Jackson up the middle to SF 43 for 3 yards (91-R.McDonald).

Timeout #3 by SF at 01:13.
4-10-SF 43 (1:13) 5-D.Jones punts 24 yards to SF 19, Center-45-C.Massey, fair catch by 19-T.Ginn.

Again, Spags brings in the jumbo package, calling 5 runs, 2 of which go for losses behind the soft Rams run blocking line. Jackson is again blown up by defensive lineman on his three runs.

Three carries, 0 YAC.

The Rams have trouble run blocking as it is (as evidence by Jackson's low YPC this season), but they are downright terrible when the opponent knows the run is coming. The Rams have had trouble closing out games all season due to this, and Spags has yet to adjust.

Yards after contact is a garbage stat with no context.


...And here is my favorite sequence of the season from Spags. This was AFTER the two minute warning of a 19-6 game. Ken Wisenhunt had stopped calling his timeouts, conceding defeat. Take three knees? Of course not. Bring in the jumbo package, and needlessley run Jackson into the teeth of a 10 man front for no apparent reason:

1-7-ARI 7 (2:00) 39-S.Jackson left end to ARZ 4 for 3 yards (27-M.Adams, 51-P.Lenon).

2-4-ARI 4 (1:17) 39-S.Jackson right end to ARZ 8 for -4 yards (53-C.Haggans).

3-8-ARI 8 34) 39-S.Jackson up the middle to ARZ 14 for -6 yards (78-A.Branch).

Gains of 3, -4, and -6, Jackson getting blown up AGAIN, thanks to a clueless Spags leaving both Jackson and his overmatched OL out to dry.

3 carries, -7 yards, 0 YAC.

I can post these types of sequences all day long. Spend 5 minutes on any Rams board, and you will see tons of threads on Spags curling up into a ball with any sort of lead, and leaving the running game out to dry.

The point, is ripping Jackson for a contrved stat like YAC, and crediting his OL with his production, is a clear indicator of a lazy writer who doesnt have a clue. If you want to tell me he doesnt belong in the Pro Bowl, i'll listen, but you will lose me the moment you give credit to his OL in the first sentence, and use a stat with no context.

It's easier to be lazy, and say "3.7 yards per carry? That sucks!". To me, Jackson is having his best season since 2006.