That O-line was giving him 3 yards on nearly every run. Add into this the level of competition on some of his better games and I'd say you have your answer. Again, it isn't like the guy isn't talented, but let's say Sankey and Hyde (and I'm not suggesting Sankey is better or taking a "Brewtown" angle here) switched places; do you expect their YPC to remain the same?
I don't.
Last year he played four ranked teams and ran for 113+ yards in all of them except Wisconsin, which he averaged 5.0 YPC in.
His 246 and 226 yard games came against Illinois (giving up 3.3 YPC) and Michigan (giving up 3.8 YPC).
Pro level RBs don't get *drafted* unless they post a 5.0 YPC at a minimum. And again, not to tout Sankey, but the guy also ran it up against Illinois--and with a much worse O-line. The yardage is great, but I'm still not sure this is talent or a strong O-line. Maybe I'll re-read Waldman's take on it through his notes in the RSP...
There are certainly things you can knock Hyde about, but some of these statements are just plain silly. He wasn't talking about his season ypc (which was a ridiculous 7.3), he was talking about the one game vs. a ranked opponent where he didn't reach 113+ yards. Sankey had a great game against Illinois, but his 5.9 ypc and 2 total TDs pales in comparison to Hyde's 10.3 ypc and 5 total TDs vs. them. Trying to play the competition angle is just absurd.
Again, I don't buy Hyde having anywhere near that game with UW's O-line. I'm not sure why YPC would even be in the discussion for comparing the two unless Sankey had a higher YPC. Watch the two games and tell me how often Sankey is hit in the backfield vs. Hyde having 3 yards untouched.
Again, not a Sankey fan. I'm just not buying the Hyde hype based on what I'm watching (full games, not highlights). If your opinion differs that's great--but the argument needs to be something other than YPC for me to be a believer. It sounds like that wasn't the case in your evaluation and that the hype is merited. We can agree to disagree.
You can "not buy" anything you want since there's no way of knowing, but this isn't about Hyde per se, it's about your arguments. YPC would obviously be in the discussion for comparing the two when you bring them up as a comparison ("the guy also ran it up against Illinois"). Now you're trying to say that Sankey had that game while being constantly hit in the backfield while Hyde had truck sized holes to run through? Just stop. We get it, you don't like Hyde, but this argument is ridiculous.
Here's the video of the game (not the highlights, all of his carries):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFMliUhe_EQ
When the line blocks he gets yardage but he isn't creating on his own. You can keep calling my argument ridiculous without actually having an argument, or you can try to point out where I'm wrong. He has a great run where he actually stops and has the vision to find the right cut around the 2:20 mark and excellent power around the 3:23 mark.
Here's Sankey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmBRwlTx8Y
Without even watching the RB I suggest just watching the lines and whether they are pushing forward or getting pushed back. Hell, maybe I'm only seeing what I want to see and everyone else is right, but I don't think that's the case between the lines.
Look, I'm trying to have a conversation so just saying it is "ridiculous" without any additional information isn't constructive. If you don't want to have a constructive conversation then just admit as much. I'll be happy to be wrong on this if you can show me what you're seeing...
I've already watched those. Care to point out all of the times Sankey had to run for his life behind the LOS? Where are all of the monster holes that Hyde had? If you're being objective, they both had pretty good O-line play in those games, and they both had some pretty easy runs along with some impressive ones. Neither was harassed much behind the LOS, a couple of times each.
No one is arguing that Hyde didn't have a better O-line to run behind last season. No one is saying that there aren't legitimate things to knock/question him about. What I am saying is that you seem incapable of being objective here, and these particular arguments you've made are incredibly weak- seriously, you don't know why YPC would be in the discussion when evaluating performance (unless the other guy's was higher)? You're holding it against him that he performed well against weaker opponents (without acknowledging that pretty much everyone does that, and that he had good games against tough opponents as well)? Every time someone refutes one of your claims, you ignore it and try to come up with another one.
Actually, all I've said the entire time is that YPC is indicative of how the team has functioned, not the skill of the RB alone. Well, that and I don't see any elusiveness/vision from Hyde. Alternatively, you keep saying YPC means more and for me to point out what's in the videos.
Fine.
Hyde clip #1: pass blocking
Hyde clip #2: pass blocking
Hyde clip #3: O-line gets two yards of blocking, Hyde gets an additional 5 yards after contact
Hyde clip #4: Hyde untouched for 8 yards, gets two falling forward
Hyde clip #5: Hyde gets nothing from the line, tries to bounce it outside for nothing
Hyde clip #6: Hyde gets nothing from the line, powers forward for 4
Hyde clip #7: Hyde catches in flat and takes it into the endzone for 18 yards. Runs away from the defender to make him miss in the open field.
Hyde clip #8: Hyde goes 6 yards before an arm tackle, continues for an additional 23 (caught from behind)
Hyde clip #9: Designed play outside, Hyde slips trying to elude a tackler. No gain.
Hyde clip #10: O-line gives Hyde 2 yards and he gains an extra 2 falling forward.
Hyde clip #11: Hyde bounces the run outside (excellent vision + defender takes a bad angle) and scores from 8 yards out.
Hyde clip #12: Line gives him nothing and he loses a yard.
Hyde clip #13: Line gives him nothing and he's patient (!!) gets 11 or so.
Hyde clip #14: Line gives him nothing and he gets ~3.
Hyde clip #15: Line gives him 2 and and gets an additional yard
Hyde clip #16: Line gives him nothing and he gets 2.
Hyde clip #17: Line gives him nothing and he gets nothing.
Hyde clip #18: Catch in the flat for 10. First defender doesn't bring him down.
Hyde clip #19: pass blocking
Hyde clip #20: pass blocking
Hyde clip #21: Line gives him 2 and get powers through 2 players for an additional two.
Hyde clip #22: 1 yard TD untouched
Hyde clip #23: untouched for 5 yards, trips on O-lineman's leg and falls for four.
Hyde clip #24: pass blocking
Hyde clip #25: Lines gives him nothing and he gets 2.
Hyde clip #26: Blocks for QB draw
Hyde clip #27: Blocks for QB draw
Hyde clip #28: Runs for 12 untouched, tackled from behind and falls forward for an additional 4
Hyde clip #29: pass blocking
Hyde clip #30: Runs for 8 untouched, gets an extra 2 after contact
Hyde clip #31: Good cut at line, makes another person miss after 5 yards and tackled for a total of 12. Great run.
Hyde clip #32: pass blocking (and holds his man well for a long time)
Hyde clip #33: untouched for 12, falls for an additional 3.
Hyde clip #34: untouched for 25 and runs through some extremely weak arm "tackles" for an additional ~28. TD. Made a good cut in the face of a defender.
Hyde clip #35: untouched for 25. Smaller defender tries to knock him down instead of form tackling; he runs for an additional 40 for the TD.
That makes the "uncontested" total ~114 yards. Additionally, he gained ~90 yards due to poor tackling; one might conclude this is part of the power aspect so I don't want to dismiss it but 40 of those yards should not have been had at all. That leaves about ~60 yards or so he created on his own then?
Now here's Sankey:
Sankey clip #1: runs untouched for 11, falls forward for 3. Makes a man miss at ~3 yards in
Sankey clip #2: pass play, route into the flat
Sankey clip #3: line gives him 3, he gets an additional 2
Sankey clip #4: line gives him nothing, he gets 8
Sankey clip #5: line gives him nothing, he gets 4
Sankey clip #6: pass block (and not a good cut block)
Sankey clip #7: line gives him a yard, he gets an additional 3 on a good cut
Sankey clip #8: outside play, line gives him 1 he gets an additional 2
Sankey clip #9: line is pushed back and he is contested -1 yard, gets 5 total
Sankey clip #10: pass blocking
Sankey clip #11: pass blocking
Sankey clip #12: catch in the flat and runs untouched for 31, TD.
Sankey clip #13: defender in the backfield, bounces it outside and goes untouched for 3 before getting hit, falls forward for an additional 3.
Sankey clip #14: line gives him nothing, powers for 2 (not terribly impressive power)
Sankey clip #15: line gives him nothing, he bounces it outside and turns upfield for 3 before getting hit; gets an additional 3.
Sankey clip #16: line gives him nothing, he bounces it outside and turns upfield for 14 before getting hit; gets an additional 6 dragging two defenders.
Sankey clip #17: catches a shovel pass in the short middle and runs for 11. Slips trying to make a defender miss.
Sankey clip #18: pass blocking
Sankey clip #19: line gives him nothing, he gets 4
Sankey clip #20: contested in the backfield (-1), makes man miss and gets 2 total.
Sankey clip #21: pass blocking
Sankey clip #22: sweep right, and contested in the backfield. Gets 5.
Sankey clip #23: line gives him nothing and a defender is in the backfield. bounces it outside and gets 25 before going OB. Great WR blocking on the outside to seal off their guys.
Sankey clip #24: line gives him nothing and he gets 8.
Sankey clip #25: line gives him 2 and he makes a good cut and takes it 20 more yards to the 1. Would have liked to see him run through the defender that makes the stop.
Sankey clip #26: Untouched for 1 yard TD.
Sankey clip #27: line gives him nothing, he gets nothing.
Sankey clip #28: pass blocking
Sankey clip #29: line gives him about 1, bounces outside and gets 4 more.
Sankey clip #30: sweep right and contested in backfield (-1), gets 4 total
Sankey clip #31: gets about 4 from the line and an additional 4 from a good cut. Looks like one of the linemen was holding on the play to get him the first 4.
Sankey clip #32: line gives him nothing, he bounces outside for 4.
Sankey clip #33: line gives him 2 and he gets an additional 2.
Sankey clip #34: line gives him nothing and he gets 3
Sankey clip #35: line gives him 1 and he gets an additional 4
Sankey clip #36: contested in backfield (-2) but make the defender miss, gets positive 2 yards.
Sankey clip #37: pass blocking (picks right guy)
Sankey clip #38: catch over the short middle and goes for 12 before getting hit, falls forward for 4 more.
Sankey clip #39: line gives him nothing and he gets 3.
Sankey clip #40: line gives him nothing and has first contact at LOS, gets 4.
Sankey clip #41: line gives him 8 and he gets an additional 1
Sankey clip #42: contested in backfield (-2) and he loses an additional 1 trying to escape
Sankey clip #43: line gives him 1 and he gets an additional 1
Sankey clip #44: line gives him little and he bounces outside, goes untouched for 25.
Sankey clip #45: line gives him 2 he gets an additional 2
Sankey clip #46: contested in backfield (-1) and ends up losing a yard
Sankey clip #47: line gives him 6 and he gets an additional 4
That makes the "uncontested" total ~35 yards for Sankey. ETA: One thing is for sure: Sankey bounces too much outside and he's not going to get away with that in the NFL.
So now what do you want to do? Refute what each clip is giving Hyde?