This is going to be long because ESPN reporters and their lazy, lazy, lazyyyyyyy analysis bugs the hell out of me. So skip ahead if you so desire.
This article by Jeff Legwold on ESPN, and specifically this quote below drive me crazy:
So far, as the No. 2 back, both in practice and games for most of the season, Hillman has made 17.1 percent of the carries and 19.2 percent of the snaps. Anderson has made 11.1 percent of the carries and 8.3 percent of the snaps.
Week 1:
Ball - 66 snaps; 23 carries, 2 receptions
Anderson - 8 snaps; 4 carries
Hillman - Inactive
Week 2:
Ball - 37 snaps; 12 carries, 3 receptions
Anderson - 12 snaps; 5 carries
Hillman - 0 snaps (though active)
Week 3:
Ball - 54 snaps; 14 carries, 2 receptions
Anderson - 3 snaps; 2 carries, 1 reception
Hillman - 14 snaps (and I'm not 100% sure on the counts since I can't find them by quarter, but I watched this game and at least 6 of Hillman's snaps came in the final Manning drive -- others felt very sporadic); 2 carries, 1 reception
First Half - Week 5:
Ball - 7 carries, 2 receptions
Hillman - 1 carry
Anderson - inactive (so DEN could activate another DB, as stated by Fox)
How can you take all of that data from the first three games and the first half of the fourth, and conclude that Ronnie Hillman is the guy? Much less, how severely do you skew the snap count stats by including the second half of week 5 -- utilizing a full half of data in which the situation had radically changed, Hillman got 14 of his 15 touches, and played the vast majority of his 39 snaps -- POST BALL INJURY?
Hillman was inactive week 1, he didn't touch the ball week 2, and week three he touched it a grand total of 3 times despite getting 14 snaps, the majority of which were in desperation comeback mode where DEN likely wanted him in the screen game as he's a more productive receiver, e.g. better chance to take it to the house if they got him in space. Obviously that's my speculation, but it's not that far a stretch logically.
In the first half Sunday, before Ball got hurt early in the 3rd Quarter, Hillman had a grand total of 1 carry...for -1 yards...with :48 left in the first half... when DEN was running out the clock to head to the locker room. Ball, in the first half, had 6 carries, 2 receptions, and 3 targets.
Second half starts, and Ball is still the guy, getting the first carry, then getting injured on Denver's second play of the second half. At that point, Hillman proceeds to rack up 15 carries, but still cedes 3 carries (including goalline work) to 4th stringer Thompson who hadn't touched the ball all year. Numbers Legwold quoted in the article are much, much more accurate when used to depict the number of snaps and touches players had through the first 3 weeks when Denver didn't deactivate Anderson for a specified reason, are they not? << "Am I Wrong?" -- Walter Sobchak>>
Ball - 157 snaps; 56 touches (80.9% of the snaps; 79% of the touches)
Anderson - 23 snaps; 12 touches (11.9% of the snaps; 17% of the touches)
Hillman - 14 snaps; 3 touches (7.2%; 4% of the touches)
Through the first 3 weeks Anderson out touched Hillman 4-1, yet we're now supposed to buy that Hillman has had "17% of the carries and 19% of the snaps" as "the No.2 back both in practice and games for most of the season." Gimme a break, ESPN. And frankly, for all the talk Hillman is this special receiver the team needs to get in space? Ball has outpaced him in targets 11-4 and receptions 9-1. Anderson has even equaled Hillman in receptions 1-1.
Keep pimping Hillman... let's see how many times Charlie Brown tries to kick the football.