@ballpeen said:

Back can also have a role. Inside the 20's, between the 20's, catching passes, etc...

Ideally you like a back who plays all 3 downs and is spelled here and there. That is not a luxury we have with Lewis because he is not a gamebreaker, he is a wear you down kinda back. Problem is the Ratbirds and Stoolers don't wear down, so we need plays made at that position. I like Lewis' attitude and drive - a lot! But I am not sure Harrison and Davis are beating the aforementioned teams anytime soon.

We will have to make due this year with whats on the roster. How bad is Harrisons injury?

Barry Sanders had a whole bunch of 2 yard gains in a game and a few 40 yarders. You start splitting reps and you might have the guy on the bench when the right play is called and the line makes the blocks as drawn.

Backs get in to a rhythm too...they get a feel for when players over pursue...they have to feel the game.

@kosar_for_president said:

07 = 4.4 YPC

08 = 3.6 YPC

09 Preseason = 2.8 YPC

See a trend?

So tell me about how a bad ankle, and an offensive line that was a disaster in 08,.... effect those numbers. As for 09.. we are talking about 14 preseason touches, vs an entire years worth of carries in the prior season(s) comparisons. This preaseason the OL is in flux with whole bunch of new players, New center, new right guard, new right tackle.. They have not played together as a unit, guys are getting shuffled in and out. There is no game plan. The whole team played better in 07... we had a passing game in 07.. We had how many different qb's in 08? All of those things effect a RB's numbers.

. ... Those numbers are bogus and don't mean squat. that is not a trend.

Same reason James Davis went from a 2nd/3rd round prospect 2 years ago to where he got drafted this year..His team and coach took a crap on him.

@beefjerky said:

Like Thunder and Lightning.

@brownindian said:

I don't think it's James Davis being impressive, its J Lew being so unimpressive. I just think he needs more spells then he is used to getting. Harrison and Davis would be a good change.

@inspecta said:

A smaller more agile RB with more "spunk" say ohh I don't know a Jerome Harrison would of taken it outside and burned the D.

You have to remember defenses are pinching when JL takes it up the middle, so in those cases the middle is going to be clogged and that will be the case no matter who the OL are. A RB has to have his eyes and head up and hitting the holes that ARE there..

My exact point. He doesn't have the strength to do what he used to and is hurting the offense. He at least needs to bounce it out once and a while.

@jadbf said:

It's not possible................is it...............?

@jadbf said:

I will eat my proverbial hat if that's the actual distribution. It's a distribution I'd like, too.

But I'm skeptical. Perhaps I need to just get myself out of the "Crennel Mode" I've been stuck in for the last few seasons.

@jadbf said:

Most any UDFA can do that.

@jadbf said:

It's not the bounce outside that Davis has over him now. It's that one cut juke within the hole that Lewis has lost. but that doesn't mean Lewis is done.

If that is indeed the case, what are the advantages to starting Lewis over a guy like James Davis?

@kosar_for_president said:

07 = 4.4 YPC

08 = 3.6 YPC

09 Preseason = 2.8 YPC

See a trend?

I do. Of course in watching the team, I have seen a trend where the run blocking has been worse than it was in 07'.

Certainly JL is on the down side and numbers are going to drop. But it's hard to say where his drop off is to, when there have been little to no running lanes since 2007.

Masters said:

Nope. Nothing on You Tube.

07 = 4.4 YPC

08 = 3.6 YPC

09 Preseason = 2.8 YPC

See a trend?

@kosar_for_president said:

I am not talking holes, I understand that, he's not sheeding tacklers. 5 in this video.

I have yet to see him get arm tackled by a CB. You have a clip of that, as I have missed that (last year and this preseason).

Masters said:

He's getting armed tackled by CB's. You think this is the same J Lew. Dude I am a big fan, but he just doesn't look the same. Now and at the end of last year.

I am not talking holes, I understand that, he's not sheeding tacklers. 5 in this video.

@kosar_for_president said:

When there are no holes to run through, every RB looks like that.

@ytownbrownsbacker said:

What do you think J Lew was doing? He looks old. No matter how hard he chops his legs, it's not enough anymore. He looks like a Retard trying to scrum in rugby. They need to split carries.

@timugen said:

I get more than enough of that in "real life."

As for my "high horse" comment, your post did come across as rather condescending......something like "Yo, mz the pussy.. not to burst your bubble but <insert incorrect assertion about what constitutes a statistic.>"

Followed by "here's why I think I know so much more than you do re: statistics/mathematics."

Nope. No equestrian activity there whatsoever.

I will stay out of the statistics debate as I avoided that stuff like the plague when in school.

Whether Davis starts or not doesn't really matter to me as i don't think Lewis is garbage as some claim. I do however think as the season numbers are totaled, Davis should gather more carries than does Lewis.

If anybody has their touches reduced, it should be Lewis.

I guess it is fair to say Lewis is a better bet to gain 3 yards while Davis is a better bet to gain more than 3.

I wonder how statistics would reflect that??

@daddybull1 said:

LOL....no thanks.

I get more than enough of that in "real life."

As for my "high horse" comment, your post did come across as rather condescending......something like "Yo, mz the pussy.. not to burst your bubble but <insert incorrect assertion about what constitutes a statistic.>"

Followed by "here's why I think I know so much more than you do re: statistics/mathematics."

Nope. No equestrian activity there whatsoever.