Player Spotlight: Shaun Alexander (1 Viewer)

[Crusaderfan]

Answer me this:Name me 1 RB whose avg per carry dropped 1.5yds and then rushed for 1000yds the next year.

One who didn't have a broken foot the previous season or one who did?

Yeah - that broken foot thing sure caused Westbrook a lot of problems the following year didn't it?

 

[texasheat]

Answer me this:

Name me 1 RB whose avg per carry dropped 1.5yds and then rushed for 1000yds the next year.

One who didn't have a broken foot the previous season or one who did?

Anyway - here's one. No broken foot though, and he actually dropped 1.7 ypc and then rushed for over 1500 yards the following year.This one only had a .9 ypc drop and then came back to put up over 1300, but I'm sure there was an injury there.

I got Muncie backward, so I owe you another one....let's see...

Well this guy only dropped 1.3 ypc but still managed to put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.4 ypc, but also still put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.1 and put up 3 more seasons of 1000 plus rushing.

I'll finish with this guy He had a 1.4 ypc drop, somehow he muddles through though....

Last year with a broken foot/recovering from a broken foot Alexander put up .8 less than his career ypc.

I'd go on, but you don't really have a point and I've got other stuff to do.

 

[Dt's Mules]

Answer me this:

Name me 1 RB whose avg per carry dropped 1.5yds and then rushed for 1000yds the next year.

One who didn't have a broken foot the previous season or one who did?

Anyway - here's one. No broken foot though, and he actually dropped 1.7 ypc and then rushed for over 1500 yards the following year.This one only had a .9 ypc drop and then came back to put up over 1300, but I'm sure there was an injury there.

I got Muncie backward, so I owe you another one....let's see...

Well this guy only dropped 1.3 ypc but still managed to put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.4 ypc, but also still put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.1 and put up 3 more seasons of 1000 plus rushing.

I'll finish with this guy He had a 1.4 ypc drop, somehow he muddles through though....

Last year with a broken foot/recovering from a broken foot Alexander put up .8 less than his career ypc.

I'd go on, but you don't really have a point and I've got other stuff to do.

no kidding, that's one of the biggest ownings in SP history, no?

 

[Chaos Commish]

sounds like everyone has a whole lot of excuses. keep rationalizing. keep the blinders on.

backatcha

 

[Chaos Commish]

Answer me this:

Name me 1 RB whose avg per carry dropped 1.5yds and then rushed for 1000yds the next year.

One who didn't have a broken foot the previous season or one who did?

Anyway - here's one. No broken foot though, and he actually dropped 1.7 ypc and then rushed for over 1500 yards the following year.This one only had a .9 ypc drop and then came back to put up over 1300, but I'm sure there was an injury there.

I got Muncie backward, so I owe you another one....let's see...

Well this guy only dropped 1.3 ypc but still managed to put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.4 ypc, but also still put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.1 and put up 3 more seasons of 1000 plus rushing.

I'll finish with this guy He had a 1.4 ypc drop, somehow he muddles through though....

Last year with a broken foot/recovering from a broken foot Alexander put up .8 less than his career ypc.

I'd go on, but you don't really have a point and I've got other stuff to do.

no kidding, that's one of the biggest ownings in SP history, no?

It almost seems we should target backs with a significant drop off in ypc!

 

[cacksman]

Alexander is poised for another superstar season. He is healthy, as is the whole team. I would be VERY suprised if he didnt gain 1400+ rushing and 15+ TDs this year. I bet a guy 200 bucks today that the Seahawks would have a better record than the 49ers! He seems to think that the 9ers will win the division easily this year. I will take those odds any day of the week as I'm sure would many other people that like money.

The reason for writing that was to point out how much people are underestimating the Hawks this year, and also SA. One bad injury plagued year which they were one FG away from back to back NFC title apperances and everyone is writing them off. Dont make that mistake.

 

[Snotbubbles]

Since I see Alexander as having a 3.7 avg it is easy for me to forsee Morris, Weeks, or Scobee being just as or more effective.

Yeah Maurice had that blistering 3.8 ypc average last year in 8 starts, no touchdowns either. Did I mention he DIDN'T have a broken foot?Answer me this:Name me all the running backs who completely broke down the season after they put up 108 yards for a 4.2 ypc and 2 tds against the best defense in the NFL in the last game they played the previous season.I don't know if it's worth considering along with that but he also put up 140/2 for a 4.5 ypc against the #9 rush defense a couple of weeks prior to that as well.Stick a fork in him.

Answer me this:Name me 1 RB whose avg per carry dropped 1.5yds and then rushed for 1000yds the next year.

Emmitt Smith in 1993 had a 5.3 average.Emmitt Smith in 1994 had a 4.0 average.Emmitt Smith in 1995 put up: 377 1773 4.7 25 | 62 375 6.0 0Ladainian Tomlinson in 2003 had a 5.3 average.Ladainian Tomlinson in 2004 had a 4.9 average.Ladainian Tomlinson in 2005 put up: 339 1462 4.3 18 | 51 370 7.3 2 Clinton Portis in 2003 had a 5.5 averageClinton Portis in 2004 had a 3.8 averageClinton Portis in 2005 put up: 352 1516 4.3 11 | 30 216 7.2 0Do you need any more?

 

[The Man with the Plan]

I don't think that Alexander is done because he had one bad season when he was injured. At the same time I can't act like last season never happened and he'll go back to rushing for 1600 yards and scoring 20 TDS. There's gotta a middle ground here somewhere.

I think he'll play like he did when he came back from injury last season. Good but not great. He'll probably be top 10 and I could see top-5 maybe. I don't think I could ask for any more than that though.

 

[avoiding injuries]

He'll probably be top 10 and I could see top-5 maybe. I don't think I could ask for any more than that though.

Which is exactly what I want with the 4-7th pick. A top 10 with possible top 5 capability.

 

[Da Guru]

Alexander is one player I have been watching close.

After seeing him last week I am projecting 1400-15 TDs, the guy still has a nose for the stripe, plays in a soft division, and has a very favorable rushing schedule.

 

[anguskahn]

Answer me this:

Name me 1 RB whose avg per carry dropped 1.5yds and then rushed for 1000yds the next year.

One who didn't have a broken foot the previous season or one who did?

Anyway - here's one. No broken foot though, and he actually dropped 1.7 ypc and then rushed for over 1500 yards the following year.This one only had a .9 ypc drop and then came back to put up over 1300, but I'm sure there was an injury there.

I got Muncie backward, so I owe you another one....let's see...

Well this guy only dropped 1.3 ypc but still managed to put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.4 ypc, but also still put up a few 1000 yard plus seasons after.

This guy only dropped 1.1 and put up 3 more seasons of 1000 plus rushing.

I'll finish with this guy He had a 1.4 ypc drop, somehow he muddles through though....

Last year with a broken foot/recovering from a broken foot Alexander put up .8 less than his career ypc.

I'd go on, but you don't really have a point and I've got other stuff to do.

Last I checked .9, 1.3, 1.1, and 1.4 are all less than 1.5.

But you did find Clinton Portis. Kudos to you for that. There is indeed 1 player that did what you are expecting. We should know about 6-8 weeks from now how it turns out for Alexander. I wish Alexander the best as I have nothing against him (and I'm not worried about the team that owns him in my league) but I remain skeptical.

 

[Gr00vus]

Last I checked .9, 1.3, 1.1, and 1.4 are all less than 1.5.

You should be happy I took the time to even respond to your ridiculous question. What you're reaching for is meaningless anyway, but keep grasping for straws.

But you did find Clinton Portis. Kudos to you for that. There is indeed 1 player that did what you are expecting.

At what point did we even mention what I'm expecting? I was answering your silly idea that since he had a significant drop in his ypc WHILE HE HAD A BROKEN FOOT and the entire Seahawk offense was subject to major injuries you should expect him to fall off the table this season too.

What I'm expecting is something like 2004, or 2003, maybe a little less but not much - basically a return to his 4.4 career ypc average. 2005 isn't going to happen again, that was his career year. Grousing that he had a drop off from a 5.1 ypc season is silly in the first place when the guy's career ypc is 4.4. Regression to the mean was inevitable - the foot injury and problems on offense in general of course greatly exacerbated it.

Stats are important, but sometimes people use them as a complete surrogate for actually watching people play and evaluating them in that manner. I think you're very guilty of that here. I've watched him in preseason and he looks like the pre foot injury Alexander to me. The Seahawks offense also looks sharp to me as well - I realize they've been playing vanilla D's, but the blocking's been good, the routes have been crisp, guys are getting open, the throws have been on the money and the catches are being made. Seeing that makes me think they'll be back to being a top offense, there will be room to run, plenty of scoring, and Alexander, Hass, Branch and maybe one other receiver will have good FF seasons.

 

[The Jerk]

Since everyone keeps referring to statistics, and also Alexander's performance after injury, let's look at some from 2006 and the prior fiive years:

Alexander had 849 yards in his final 8 games, including the playoffs, even if it was 3.86 ypc during that span (220 carries). Note that all 8 of these games were against defenses in the top 20 against the rush, including 3 in the top 10. Two of these top 10 defense games were SD (31-140-2 TD) and Chicago in the playoffs (26-108-2 TD).

Of course, there is risk with Alexander. Will he have the burst and stamina he had (pre-injury and a couple years younger) in 2005?

Will the Seattle offensive line be able to stay healthy and be more effective?

Will the Seattle offense get close to their 2005 level?

While it's foolish to ignore these questions, I believe it might be more foolish to ignore Alexander's track record:

From 2001-2005, he scored no fewer than 16 total TDs each season.

From 2001-2005, he gained no fewer than 1635 total yards each season.

From 2001-2005, he averaged 1770 yards and 19.6 total TDs each season.

Including 2006, he still has averaged 1632 yards and 17.5 total TDs each season from 2001-2006.

While recovering players are risky, passing a proven performer, albeit with questions, for unknowns with potential is a risky proposition of a different kind.

 

[WarRedbirds]

SEATTLE (Ticker) - The Seahawks Seahawks suffered a pair of potentially costly injuries in their 19-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders in the preseason finale on Thursday night.

Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs hurt his right knee in the first quarter and did not return.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren termed the injury a "significant" one, calling it "really unfortunate."

http://www.sbrforum.com/Headlines/NFL/51339.aspxThis injury has me a bit worried as far a Alexanders stats go. If Seattle can't stop the run, there will be fewer offensive series for the Hawks...

Anyone else believe this should knock Alexanders value a bit?

To measure Tubbs impact:

Perhaps the best news on the defensive front is that Marcus Tubbs is back. And, true to form, he had an impact. While he contributed little to the pass-rush - despite being a very acceptable pass-rusher for the role he occupies - he was able to man-up against double teams from two perennial pro-bowlers: C Matt Birk and LG Steve Hutchison.

Link: http://seahawks.scout.com/2/672198.html

But it’s not just the Seahawks’ pass defense that needed mending. Opponents averaged 126.8 yards rushing and 203.5 yards passing against Seattle. Seattle’s ability to stop the run improved just with the return of Marcus Tubbs, who at 318 pounds is the Seahawks’ biggest gap-plugger.

Link: http://www.theolympian.com/sports/story/203770.html

"We need to have them be good," Holmgren said. "Last year people had us a little bit on the running game. A part of that was holding up inside."

Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs is recovering from microfracture knee surgery but is expected to play. His presence, Holmgren said, makes the defensive line potentially formidable.

"I feel good about all those guys when Tubby's there," Holmgren said.

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian...&thispage=2

 

[mad sweeney]

SEATTLE (Ticker) - The Seahawks Seahawks suffered a pair of potentially costly injuries in their 19-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders in the preseason finale on Thursday night.

Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs hurt his right knee in the first quarter and did not return.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren termed the injury a "significant" one, calling it "really unfortunate."

http://www.sbrforum.com/Headlines/NFL/51339.aspxThis injury has me a bit worried as far a Alexanders stats go. If Seattle can't stop the run, there will be fewer offensive series for the Hawks...

Anyone else believe this should knock Alexanders value a bit?

To measure Tubbs impact:

Perhaps the best news on the defensive front is that Marcus Tubbs is back. And, true to form, he had an impact. While he contributed little to the pass-rush - despite being a very acceptable pass-rusher for the role he occupies - he was able to man-up against double teams from two perennial pro-bowlers: C Matt Birk and LG Steve Hutchison.

Link: http://seahawks.scout.com/2/672198.html

But it’s not just the Seahawks’ pass defense that needed mending. Opponents averaged 126.8 yards rushing and 203.5 yards passing against Seattle. Seattle’s ability to stop the run improved just with the return of Marcus Tubbs, who at 318 pounds is the Seahawks’ biggest gap-plugger.

Link: http://www.theolympian.com/sports/story/203770.html

"We need to have them be good," Holmgren said. "Last year people had us a little bit on the running game. A part of that was holding up inside."

Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs is recovering from microfracture knee surgery but is expected to play. His presence, Holmgren said, makes the defensive line potentially formidable.

"I feel good about all those guys when Tubby's there," Holmgren said.

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian...&thispage=2

While it's a significant loss, they drafted Mebane to back up Tubbs. He has the size but he's a rookie. They'll most likely put Tubbs in IR and comb the cuts for a big body. It shouldn't hurt too much as the rest of the D is solid and deep, and they have one of the best LB corps in the league. It won't affect Sa too much, especially if they continue to involve him on the passing game. I think he had 5 targets vs Minn last week and had at least 1 target in each of the previous games.