We see it pretty much every week. RB Laurence Maroney dancing behind the line instead of putting his head down. Or Maroney bounces a run outside instead of accelerating through the hole.
Well the whole country knows after ESPN's NFL Live highlighted two runs by Maroney where he didn't gain the available yards when the holes were right in front of him. In both instances, he didn't initiate contact.
Maroney needs to grow up and play this game like a man.
Laurence is guilty of repeating the errors of New Orleans RB Reggie Bush. Both try to make every carry a breakaway run. Sorry kids, that worked in college, but players at this level are grown. That rarely happens in the NFL. Better get what you can.
They were able to get away with it in college. They had more talent than most defenders trying to stop them in college. It was easy to turn the corner or accelerate towards the sideline before turning upfield.
But they are also a product of how they were used. Each were the half of a backfield duo and played the role of the explosive ball carrier. Bush electrified fans and frustrated defenders as he broke gains of 20+ yards constantly. Bush did his work after LenDale White leveled defenders like a 15-pound bowling ball pummels pins.
Maroney had the same luxury at the University of Minnesota. For three years Laurence waited for Marion Barber to knock defenders silly, then Maroney came in to run past defenses while they shook off the cobwebs.
With this two-back system, the players were designated specific roles. The thumpers moved the chains by running between the tackles. The speed backs took the long way around, going off-tackle or running the sweeps.
While Maroney and Bush were very productive in college, they never learned the art of running inside. If the play was up the gut, they had the freedom to change directions because new lanes almost always opened up, allowing them to take the scenic route to the endzone. Holes in the NFL are one way so they shouldn't try to create detours.
This problem is more understandable for Bush as his whole career with USC was spent sharing carries with White. Maroney had a season without Barber and had his best year. But while his yards were up, his yards per carry dropped by a full yard.
I'd like to include a disclaimer, but there's no defending Maroney. The 2005 season without Barber, Maroney was assisted by Gary Russell. Maroney had almost 100 more carries than Russell, but Maroney trailed Russell in the yards per carry stat by .9 yards. Even more telling was the fact that Russell lost just five yards that year while Maroney lost 60 yards.
It was a similar story in Maroney's sophomore year as he lost 65 yards. Surprisingly, Maroney lost only 18 yards in his freshman year.
It's a short pattern that indicates Maroney is being too patient. When the hole is there, he has to accelerate through it. If there's a defender nearby, drop a shoulder and try to run through him. Just pick a side and hope you deflect off the tackler for an additional yard or two.
If Maroney is playing carefully because of his reoccurring shoulder injury, he shouldn't. Players get hurt more often when they play cautious.
If L-Boogie doesn't get the message he will keep on losing carries to RBs Sammy Morris, LaMont Jordan (when healthy), and Kevin Faulk. I don't think it was an accident that had one more carry after he ran out of bounds a yard short of the first down.
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