Opportunity to Run

This could be the opportunity he’s been waiting all season for. Don’t blow it, BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

After being deactivated last week, the running back known as Law Firm could get his first carry of 2009. But that depends on the performance of the players ahead of him on the depth chart, particularly Laurence Maroney.

Patriots leading rusher Fred Taylor will be on the shelf for an unknown period of time as he recovers from ankle surgery. This opens up the opportunity for Maroney to get the ball and run with it.

Maroney gets the short straw week after week. Though the team won’t say it, everyone believes it is performance related. It’s hard to argue against the numbers. Since getting 10 carries in the season opener, Maroney carried six, four, and seven times.

Tougher to stomach is what Maroney did with those touches. He gained more than half his yards on one carry (12 yards) against the New York Jets. The other five totaled eleven yards. Last game against Baltimore, Laurence gained seven yards on six carries. On one carry in particular, Maroney could had gained a few yards, but instead bounced outside and lost a yard.

Maroney averages just 2.9 yards per carry because he loses yards too often. He’s lost 12 yards in four games already. That’s unacceptable. It would explain why Maroney has only eight carries in the second half, three when excluding his five second half carries in the season opener.

That means Laurence has got get off to a fast start. It’s no guarantee that Maroney will get more carries with Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk running aggressively. If Laurence isn’t performing well early, he will assume his regular spectator position on the sideline.

And Maroney would have a great view of Green-Ellis making the most of the carries that could had been his.

Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com.