Alfred Morris - It seems some are all of a sudden getting scared of hi (1 Viewer)

[lukinrats]

I was wondering what everyone thinks about Alfred Morris for the remainder of the season. It seemed like every analyst that you heard from was on the bandwagon. Everyone thought he was running in a system that maximizes his talents and would continue his success. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and now I keep noticing little things here and there suggesting that some think he is about to hit a decline. One example is the FBG weekly match ups article. Those guys list his match up vs the Panthers as neutral??????? If this was last week, and he had NOT just had a sub-par game vs the Steelers, they would have listed that match up as a GREAT MATCHUP. They also go so far as to say that his production is declining. 122 yds vs the Giants the week before?

I just traded for Morris a couple of weeks ago, based on all the praise, and now that I am seeing people jump from the bandwagon at an alarming rate I have to wonder.

 

[Wally Cleaver]

After their first four games, Carolina has shown steady improvement against the run. That is the only red flag in this situation. Morris's situation has not changed and he will still be the bell cow on a very good run team. They fell behind last week but he still averaged 4.5 per carry in a so called down week. He didnt have opportunity last week, that is all.

If people are predicting that he is about to hit the rookie wall, then that is a possibility however I have seen no signs of this...

 

[Sylira21]

Amazing how many RB's have a "declining production" noted right after they play the Steelers...

Morris will be fine, just don't expect too many TD's, RGIII vultures many.

 

[SameSongNDance]

CAR is now not only a neutral match-up, but actually a slightly negative one. Since week 5 and especially after their bye, they've been holding RBs in check. It's important to analyze stats as a whole of course, but also analyzing quarterly data and comparing said rankings can give you better insight into possible trends.

Since week 5, CAR has held RBs to 243 yards on 73 carries (3.33 YPC) and 1 TDs. They've faced Lynch, Felix/Tanner and Forte in this time frame. The game vs. DAL skews the YPC but it's still worth taking note of the lack of TDs and overall yardage compared to the first quarter of the season.

All that being said, I would still expect something like 80 total yards and a TD from Morris this week. I think it'd be pretty irrational to sour on Morris after one sub-par game where he still averaged 4.5 YPC. 13 touches will almost certainly be a season low.

 

[Concept Coop]

I didn't realize people were jumping off of the bandwagon. I'm still on. He has been about as consistant as any RB this season. One below standard game shouldn't scare people.

 

[Oscar]

Amazing how many RB's have a "declining production" noted right after they play the Steelers...Morris will be fine, just don't expect too many TD's, RGIII vultures many.

And actually if you look at TD statistics for RBs, he's tied for 2nd with 5. Morris plugged in a very respectable game against the Steelers, especially considering the Redskins were down the whole game. I would guess the Redskins take an early lead and let Morris run the show.

 

[lukinrats]

All of the replies here echo my thoughts for the most part. I just thought that this sentence from the FBG article was out of line, so I thought I would see what others are thinking "other players on the team had a total of two rushes at Pittsburgh - but he's starting to taper off in production."

As far as the last few games for Carolina go, I think that the Dallas game can be removed. I am not that impressed with either of those guys. Lynch was pretty bottled up, but he seems to suffer through that sometimes. I thought Forte was looking great last week vs the Panthers, but Chi did not use him enough, and I think his production dropped later in the game. To start with though, I can remember the commentators raving about Forte's game, and they were baffled why Chi was not using him to slow down the rush.

I guess we will see, but I did not think there had been enough signs of decline to support the statement made in the FBG article

 

[lukinrats]

I didn't realize people were jumping off of the bandwagon. I'm still on. He has been about as consistant as any RB this season. One below standard game shouldn't scare people.

Like I said, the football guys article was one such source, and then I saw one of the ESPN guys say that Morris was about to hit the wall in one of the chat sessions. Not widespread by any means, but....

 

[Prinefan]

Nothing to worry about.

 

[Phlash]

Dude has been very good all season. I'm starting him where I can.

 

[simey]

He has been my most consistent RB.

 

[lukinrats]

Well it seems they were right! At least for this week anyway.

 

[drfeelgood]

Well it seems they were right! At least for this week anyway.

Right about what? He played well, but when the Skins got behind they had to pass.

 

[Run It Up]

Not worried, onwards.

 

[Marvelous]

I am a Morris owner and I am a little worried. Morris still looks like the real deal to me. But the offense has not been as effective. RGIII's passes are off a little. WRs are dropping passes, though not as much this week. And the defense is just terrible, which is a negative since Morris comes out on passing downs.

I definately see the opportunities for touchdowns decreasing, which will hurt Morris' value.

 

[lukinrats]

I am a Morris owner and I am a little worried. Morris still looks like the real deal to me. But the offense has not been as effective. RGIII's passes are off a little. WRs are dropping passes, though not as much this week. And the defense is just terrible, which is a negative since Morris comes out on passing downs. I definately see the opportunities for touchdowns decreasing, which will hurt Morris' value.

Yep, that's what I mean

 

[lukinrats]

I guess we will see, but with the guy on bye next week, it will be hard to feel good about him coming out of it

 

[voiceofunreason]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

 

[Marvelous]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

I would be shocked if Morris became the backup to Royster. Shanahan loves Morris. Morris left today's game with an injury for maybe 5 plays. Royster came in and the Redskins passed on every down. That was very telling.

 

[Run It Up]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

Spoken like a man who hasn't seen any of his games.

 

[lukinrats]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

Spoken like a man who hasn't seen any of his games.

Yea, I was not trying to say anything like this. I'm just curious to see how everyone else is thinking. Try to move him with someone for Ridley? Try to do something else to package him up for Mcgahee. Stuff like that. I think he has already proved he is not average

 

[oukurt]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

Said the guy that wasted a draft pick on Royster. Even if he didn't do a thing the remainder of the season what a gift of a RB this season. I am not selling in redraft or dynasty. One cut, hits the hole, runs north and south, and protects the ball. Don't be hatin just because you didn't land him on any of your teams.

 

[bweiser]

i don't think there is a ton you can do. you can't trade him. your value of him is probably going to be higher than your trade partner's.

he is an interesting conundrum in keeper leagues. is he olandis gary/mike anderson, etc., guys who look great in shanahan's system or is he long-term viable?

i mean, i'm holding, but i have been tempted to shop him.

 

[doubletrouble]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

When Almo went down for a few plays and Royster was in he got blown up on 2 blitz pickups and RGIII got rocked and almost int to Anderson...so if they want to go to their backup QB also then I expect Almo to be starting...

 

[cstu]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

Spoken like a man who hasn't seen any of his games.

Yea, I was not trying to say anything like this. I'm just curious to see how everyone else is thinking. Try to move him with someone for Ridley? Try to do something else to package him up for Mcgahee. Stuff like that. I think he has already proved he is not average

The only real concerns with him are his lack of receiving and the potential of his TD's being vultured. Those two things limit his upside but he's a very safe RB2.

 

[Clifford]

Well it seems they were right! At least for this week anyway.

Right about what? He played well, but when the Skins got behind they had to pass.

Didn't he have close to his end-game total at the half? Seems like they stopped using him completely for half a game. That's a bit troubling.

 

[lukinrats]

Well it seems they were right! At least for this week anyway.

Right about what? He played well, but when the Skins got behind they had to pass.

Didn't he have close to his end-game total at the half? Seems like they stopped using him completely for half a game. That's a bit troubling.

Yes. He got injured, and then by the time he came back in, they were in full catch up mode

 

[bonesman]

The announcing team (Kenny, Moose and Goose?) were drooling all over Morris this week. Kept talking about how it looked like there was nothing there but he'd just find a hole and squirt through for 5 yards.

He definitely runs determined... like he has some beast mode in him.

 

[Clifford]

Well it seems they were right! At least for this week anyway.

Right about what? He played well, but when the Skins got behind they had to pass.

Didn't he have close to his end-game total at the half? Seems like they stopped using him completely for half a game. That's a bit troubling.

Yes. He got injured, and then by the time he came back in, they were in full catch up mode

OK I can live with that. It happens to the best of em.

 

[just_want_2_win]

Does Shanny's comments about looking at what they have for next year worry you? Will they look at Royster?

 

[Mile High]

Does Shanny's comments about looking at what they have for next year worry you? Will they look at Royster?

Royster had better start blocking or they will be looking for a QB next season. He was terrible on the blitz from what I saw.

 

[jbz]

Nothing to worry about with Morris himself IMO. Dude runs hard, finds the holes and hits them. Problem is the Skins offense (the line and WRs are below average) and the defense is on some historically bad pace.

 

[Sidewinder16]

Does Shanny's comments about looking at what they have for next year worry you? Will they look at Royster?

No. Royster was there before Morris. They know what they have in Royster, and Morris is still the overwhelming favorite.Shanahan clarified his post-game comments, basically saying he wants to see who has heart, fight, determination, etc. for the remainder of the season. Morris shows that every time his feet touch the field.

“When you talk about your backs being up against the wall, and those type of things, what you’re looking for is guys this week – each week that we have, the remaining seven games we have, each game – is kind of like a playoff game,” Shanahan said. “What you want to do is see how your players respond.”

 

[lukinrats]

If Royster is missing blocks then why is he the 3rd down back? Why don't they give Alfred Morris a chance to catch some balls. In Matt's RSP, he talks about Morris' pass catching and pass blocking ability being very good

 

[Sidewinder16]

If Royster is missing blocks then why is he the 3rd down back? Why don't they give Alfred Morris a chance to catch some balls. In Matt's RSP, he talks about Morris' pass catching and pass blocking ability being very good

He may not be the 3rd down back after the bye because of the misses. He's been the 3rd down back, though, generally because he has speed that Morris doesn't have. He's more of a homerun threat as a receiver.

 

[dehaven123]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

u dont watch many skins games or follow the team, this much is apparent.if u did, ud understand how uninformed ur comment is.

 

[TxBuckeye]

u dont watch many skins games or follow the team, this much is apparent.if u did, ud understand how uninformed ur comment is.

This post was brought to you by the letter "U".

 

[dehaven123]

u dont watch many skins games or follow the team, this much is apparent.if u did, ud understand how uninformed ur comment is.

This post was brought to you by the letter "U".

r u the word police? ive heard bout u guys. shud i be concerned or expecting a knock on the door? back to the thread, no reason to not expect a decrease in production for ALF, since the O seems to have regressed.i dont attribute that to ALF tho, but more indicative of the offense being less productive overall lately.

 

[Badgers Fan]

Alf looks the same to me. His ypc have been phenomenal the past two games, he's still running hard and running over guys. If the Redskins keep the game close, he will be an rb1. If they don't, he's a low-end rb2. Simple as that.

 

[Marvelous]

Does Shanny's comments about looking at what they have for next year worry you? Will they look at Royster?

If they start looking at Royster, he is playing for roster spot, not the start job. Note that Royster is currently the 3rd down back. When Morris was injured for maybe 5 plays, Royster came in and the Redskins did not run on a single down. When Morris came back in, Morris ran the ball on the first play.It was very telling what the Redskins think about Morris and Royster.

 

[Marvelous]

If Royster is missing blocks then why is he the 3rd down back? Why don't they give Alfred Morris a chance to catch some balls. In Matt's RSP, he talks about Morris' pass catching and pass blocking ability being very good

He may not be the 3rd down back after the bye because of the misses. He's been the 3rd down back, though, generally because he has speed that Morris doesn't have. He's more of a homerun threat as a receiver.

I actually thought the Redskins signing Keiland Williams could be an ominous sign for Royster.

 

[TxBuckeye]

u dont watch many skins games or follow the team, this much is apparent.if u did, ud understand how uninformed ur comment is.

This post was brought to you by the letter "U".

r u the word police? ive heard bout u guys. shud i be concerned or expecting a knock on the door?

No. But you should probably be worried about being so thin skinned and devoid of any sense of humor.

 

[Assani Fisher]

He's an average talent at best plus he has no receiving skills. They've lost 3 in a row as well so don't be shocked if he's all of a sudden the backup to Royster.

Disagree completely. From a November 2nd article on PFF:

Workhorse Morris (717 rushing yards) has joined the long line of unheralded backs that have thrived in Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme, and ranks in the Top 5 in nearly every PFF metric for running backs. He has forced 23 missed tackles on the ground, and gained an impressive 2.86 Yards After Contact per Attempt, on his way to an Elusive Rating of 45.8, fourth-best among all running backs.

 

[Assani Fisher]

u dont watch many skins games or follow the team, this much is apparent.if u did, ud understand how uninformed ur comment is.

This post was brought to you by the letter "U".

lol

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Just traded away Morris.

He got dinged, Royster got the TD & 1/3 the HB carries (+ 3 receptions), and the prior week was fairly mediocre too, albeit at PIT. He also has just 5 catches on the year.

Weirdly, 4 other players got 4 other carries, so it was Morris with 13 carries (same as last week), Griffin with 11 (last couple weeks this has been almost a 50/50 quasi-QB/RBBC timeshare), and 8 by Royster and others.

And then Shan's comments about moving on and accepting a poor season and trying out prospects.

 

[Sidewinder16]

And then Shan's comments about moving on and accepting a poor season and trying out prospects.

FTR, Shanahan clarified his comments the next day when he saw the way they were being portrayed/taken. He said it would be ridiculous for the team to consider this season lost and start playing younger players, etc., at this point in the season.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

And then Shan's comments about moving on and accepting a poor season and trying out prospects.

FTR, Shanahan clarified his comments the next day when he saw the way they were being portrayed/taken. He said it would be ridiculous for the team to consider this season lost and start playing younger players, etc., at this point in the season.

Or he meant what he said the first time, got a phone call from Upstairs about the negative public implications of the comments (why should fans go see a team that has thrown in the towel?), and went back to cover himself.

 

[Sidewinder16]

If Royster is missing blocks then why is he the 3rd down back? Why don't they give Alfred Morris a chance to catch some balls. In Matt's RSP, he talks about Morris' pass catching and pass blocking ability being very good

He may not be the 3rd down back after the bye because of the misses. He's been the 3rd down back, though, generally because he has speed that Morris doesn't have. He's more of a homerun threat as a receiver.

I actually thought the Redskins signing Keiland Williams could be an ominous sign for Royster.

Good point, and I agree.

 

[Sidewinder16]

And then Shan's comments about moving on and accepting a poor season and trying out prospects.

FTR, Shanahan clarified his comments the next day when he saw the way they were being portrayed/taken. He said it would be ridiculous for the team to consider this season lost and start playing younger players, etc., at this point in the season.

Or he meant what he said the first time, got a phone call from Upstairs about the negative public implications of the comments (why should fans go see a team that has thrown in the towel?), and went back to cover himself.

Or, not. Who really knows.The exact quote everyone wants to read in to was this:

“When you lose a game like that now you’re playing to see who obviously is going to be on your team for years to come. Now we have a chance to evaluate and see where we’re at. Obviously we’re not out of it statistically. Now we find out what kind of character we have and how guys keep on fighting throughout the rest of the season.”

I don't see anything in there that says he has "accepted a poor season" and will be "trying out prospects". To do so is to read between lines that are drawn based on tenuous assumptions. I find it far more consistent and logical that he actually meant what he said when he clarified and expounded on his comments the next day.

“The first thing is, that’s very tough to go through that type of adversity when you lose a game like that,” Shanahan said. “Everybody puts so much into it. It’s very tough because you put everything you have into that game and adversity does strike, you want to see how guys handle that adversity. When you talk about your back being up against the wall, what you look for is guys this week, each game that we have the remaining seven games, each game is kind of like a playoff game. What you want to do is see how your players respond. I don’t care if it’s a first-year player or a second-year player or a five-year player or a 10-year player or a 15-year player. We will see how they play now through the rest of the season.”

Shanahan admitted that he could have stated it more clearly.

“I’m not saying I did a great job of explaining it, but when you talk about five games left in the NFC East and two in the AFC, to think we would just play young players or suggest we would play young players and the season is over with is completely ludicrous,” Shanahan said. “We want to see how [everyone] plays from now on through the rest of the season. We better get their best shot. I expect this team to step up and play at a high level. We made a number of cuts over the last couple years to get these type of guys. I think our players will respond the right way.”

 

[bweiser]

he hasn't scored in four straight games, but he apparently played on 9 of 11 third-down snaps sunday.