Coach Knapp Media Session
On using all of the healthy running backs:
“We’ll see. We can only suit up so many in a game. Marcel’s [Reece] done a fine job that if Darren [McFadden] or Mike [Goodson] can make it back, you’ll still see Marcel primarily as a halfback in this game because those other guys will still need some time to get their legs back underneath them.”
On Darren McFadden’s recovery:
“First of all, his energy on the field has been a positive. Sometimes if a guy comes off an injury and is still struggling a little bit he’s quiet and doesn’t show much. But his energy has been great on the field and his attitude. He’s been into the meetings. I do little pop-quizzes quite often in the meetings, and he’s done a great job with that this week. He’s shown us that he’s, mentally, getting his mind to the spot of playing.”
On McFadden physically and his burst:
“It’s good, but not 100 percent yet. He’s definitely shown improvement from what was being displayed in front of the trainers for the past couple of weeks, which I didn’t see as much. I did see improvement in day one to day two as far as progress for him.”
On Reece’s playing time at halfback this week:
“He’s earned the right to make you ask that question, and for us to ask the question - is he worth playing at halfback more? As a play caller, as a coordinator, I want to be able to use him in many facets. There’s an advantage to having as a fullback. If you’re the defensive coordinator, and he plays fullback, they’ve got to keep a base defense on the field. Then we can get him matched up on linebackers and safeties. Whereas, if we just put him at halfback, they treat him as a third wide-out sometimes. I threw out the phrase to the guys on the field, ‘Here comes our renaissance man, he does a little bit of everything.’ He’s done a fine job of it. I’d like to keep him in that flexibility role for us where he can play fullback for us, and can play halfback. If we go to displaced sets, he can be outside and get a one-on-one matchup.”
On why McFadden struggled in the first half of the year:
“You know what? I thought the same thing. I self-reflected this week, made some progress in the run game, and I’ll go back to what I mentioned at the beginning of the year. It is so hard to start your offensive line when your center doesn’t get any reps in the off-season. He only got two weeks of reps in training camp then he got hurt. I’m going to give credit where credit is due. The O-line, [stefen] Wisniewski has really made progress in the run game for us to help spot us right, and his technique. The fact that we got our starting right tackle back in Khalif Barnes, rather than playing with a right tackle that we picked up right before the season began, has really helped our run game more than anything else. Fortunately for us, the backs have benefitted from what’s happened up front. They’ve done an excellent job of executing the run game up front.
On if zone-blocking was an issue:
“No, just like I said back at the beginning of the year, you don’t change two-fifths of the front line and expect to have a great run game to begin, and protection. That’s a major deal. The starting center of your group makes all the calls in protections and the run game.
I'm surprised more people don't get this.
I think by Week 14, as long as DMC just gets a few+ carries and holds up this weekend, you'll be really happy you held if you drafted DMC early and made the playoffs. If you make it to Week 15, he rounds out the fantasy season home vs. KC and @ Carolina.
I've also got Christopher Ivory (plays Thursday), Donald Brown (plays early game Sunday), and Cedric Peerman (Sunday afternoon). If McFadden (Sunday afternoon) is a late scratch, Peerman is as good as any of my other guys 
Work him in on Thursday night against a tough matchup, Denver. Then have him ready against easier matchups, KC and CAR.Wouldn't be wise to have him come back in this weather.
