Fast Willie demise overstated or real? (1 Viewer)

[Smiledog11]

I'll agree he seemed to be dancing quite a bit Thursday night but Tennessee's defense was getting serious push on the Pitt O-Line all night (whose run blocking is mediocre at best again this season). Bruce Arian's aversion to using a true fullback to lead the way thru the tackles could be another issue. Steelers homer here so maybe I'm a tad jaded but is everyone buying that FWP has totally fallen off the map?

This is obviously a team built on defense and plays a LOT of close games so I don't see them abandoning the running game. Mendenhall still hasn't shown much in his opportunities and Mewelde isn't a guy they're going to run between the tackles 20+ times a game.

I simply don't see FWP losing his touches, so at worst isn't he a decent flex option with blow-up possibilities against weaker defenses?

 

[FavreCo]

Bad OL and he's not Fast Willie anymore. He's average Willie.

 

[FFdork]

I'm curious as to why he would be falling off physically? He hasn't been in the league that long. Is this related to a past injury?

My eyes saw the same thing everyone else did. He looked very tentative and lacked explosiveness. He also wasn't getting much help.

He'll get his chances to redeem himself in the next few weeks, but I'd be very concerned right now if I had him.

 

[Two Deep]

Willie runs with blinders on if the O-line opens a hole he can hit it and go, but he won't find any on his own.

 

[Chaka]

yes/no

 

[CrossEyed]

FWP will still have some nice games against lesser defenses. TEN has one of the better run Ds in the league, so I'm not ready to write him off just yet. He looked pretty good late last season when he was healthy.

 

[jon_mx]

He is not a stud RB anymore. FWP should only be used on weeks with very favorable matchups or bye week fill in.

 

[Maroney=Sped]

The Pittsburgh offense is now firmly built around Ben's arm and not the running game, something that's very much at odds with the history of that franchise which is obviously taking many people some time to figure out. That's the least physical o-line that that team has had in quite some time.

FWP may or may not be in physical decline, but the point is that that o-line is really not giving him much help.

 

[Mmen of Steel]

He is not a stud RB anymore. FWP should only be used on weeks with very favorable matchups or bye week fill in.

Agreed. Unfortunately, he in my #2 RB. Hoping to dump him off @ wk 5 vs the Lions.