Has Cedric Benson Really Become An Elite Back?

The fact that I have to address this question is exactly what is wrong with the notion of the running back position in the NFL.

Over a year ago, I wrote an article where I compared every opening day starter in 2007 to their primary backup. After researching and analyzing the statistics, I found that 25 out of the 32 opening-day starting NFL running backs were replaceable with running backs on their own team.

I concluded that 11 backups outperformed their starters, with 14 performing as well as their starters.  Not surprisingly, 21 of the starters from 2007 have been replaced.

Cedric Benson was one of the starters replaceable then, and despite leading the league in rushing, he definitely still is now.

Has Benson improved? Yes, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone, because generally experience and maturity will make you a better player? But has he improved into an elite or even very good back?

I believe the answer is obviously no.

I don’t judge running backs by their raw stats, because that can be misleading.

The one thing that can’t actually lie is the actual footage of the player.

Here is is a link to a video of Benson’s best highlights from his 189 yard rushing performance this past Sunday.

Before watching the footage, it’s important that you look for several things.

First of all, you should notice the gaping holes that even my grandmother could run through.

Second you will see that Benson practically breaks no tackles, jukes any defenders, and gets any tough extra yards. Thirdly, If you watched the game closely, you would have seen that Benson leaves plenty of yardage on the field because of his vision and especially poor balance. 

However since we only have the video of his best highlights, it makes it harder to notice.

There are two plays I specifically remember that I don’t have the highlights of, where Benson got tripped up by an almost fully blocked defender sticking his arm out in the trenches, instead of keeping his balance and likely gaining a long run like a real elite back would do.

What truly separates a great running back is their vision, their cutting ability, their speed, their ability to break tackles, and their ability to fight for those extra yards.

Does Benson have any great attributes? 

He has decent speed for a back his size, but his vision and cutting ability are mediocre, and despite his size, he truly lacks real power.

I can only imagine the numbers great open field backs like Darren Sproles, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, and Adrian Peterson would have done with those glaring holes. If Adrian Peterson had the holes Benson was given on Sunday, he would have likely broken his own single game rushing record.

It’s obvious that the Bengals offensive line has improved tremendously, and they are now one of the best in the league in run blocking.

Even so, now many people are saying that the Bears were smart after all for taking Benson with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft.

Sorry Benson fans but Benson is still a bust in my mind. All Benson did this past Sunday, like he has been doing most of this season, is run through open holes and gain the yardage he is suppose to get.

Besides a few select plays, in general, Benson hasn’t done anything extra that we should expect from  a fourth pick in an NFL draft.

If you want to see what a true elite running back does do separate themselves from everyone, then watch these highlights of Adrian Peterson against the Chargers his rookie year.

 

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Why It’s Better to Be a Good Returner Than a Great Returner

While it might seem ridiculous, it really is better to be just a good special teams returner, than a great one.

But how can this possibly be true?

Well let me start by saying that a special teams returner is the only position that can practically be completely taken out of the game by the other team.

The two greatest kick returners in my mind are Dante Hall and Devin Hester. As I was watching the top 10 kick returners of all-time, on the NFL network, I was surprised to see Dante Hall at number 10.

According to the NFL Network, Dante Hall was number 10 because his career as a great returner was so short. However, how can a man who is tied for second all-time in return touchdowns be number 10?

Dante Hall’s 12 regular season return touchdowns (13 including postseason) are tied for the second most all-time. However, nine of these came in a three year period from 02-04.

It seemed as though, especially early in the 03 season when Dante Hall had four straight return touchdowns in four games, and was even the front runner for the MVP award, that he was destined for greatness. Hall was on pace to shatter the touchdown return record and it looked like nothing could stop him.

However, Dante Hall was so dominant that it backfired. For the rest of the season and the next few seasons, Dante Hall would rarely get any real opportunities to return the ball for a touchdown. Whenever he did get the opportunity to run the ball back, it was generally a very short kick, with no room to run.

You could blatantly see Dante Hall’s frustrations after every play because he was no longer able to do the one thing he excelled so much at. Although, it was disappointing, the Chiefs didn’t mind it that much because they were getting great field positions from all of the short punts and kickoffs.

Dante Hall, although not as dominant after his four game touchdown streak in 03, still did what a kick returner is suppose to do. He gave great field position to his team.

A returners’ team’s field position is a stat that truly tells how great a kick returner is. The problem is that this stat is virtually impossible to find.

After a couple years went by, Dante Hall eventually was no longer that “x factor” he once was. It seemed as though the lack of touches on the ball, and the frustrations of not being able to be the “x factor”, had taken a toll on him.

Dante Hall didn’t seem like he was having any fun anymore, and was putting too much pressure on himself. Teams realized that he was no longer as good as he was before, and people started kicking to him like they did before.

But by then, Dante Hall wasn’t the same player he was once. He had lost his so called “Mojo”.

In the past two seasons, injuries have kept Dante Hall, who is currently a St. Louis Ram, out for most of the last two seasons. At one time Dante Hall was destined for greatness, but he was robbed of it by being too great.

If he was not great, but was just good like the number two player on the top 10 list, Brian Mitchell, he wouldn’t have been the number 10 player on the list.

Brian Mitchell never had more than two touchdown returns in one season and never had to worry about not getting a good return. He lasted 13 years as a solid kick returner and ended it with 14 career return touchdowns, which is the most all-time.

Was Brian Mitchell really a more dominant return man then Dante Hall?

The answer is obviously no. Dante Hall is not getting the recognition he deserves as great return man, and you have to fear that Devin Hester who is number one on the NFL network list, may not in the future either.

Devin Hester, who currently is third behind Dante Hall for the most return touchdowns all time was number one on the list.

I can’t really disagree with that, but his career is looking like it could shape up to be similar to Dante Hall’s.

While Dante Hall may have had the greatest four game stretch ever, Devin Hester clearly had the best two year stretch of any returner with 11 return touchdowns in two seasons, despite having only 20 kickoff returns in his first season.

However, for the last season and a half, like Hall, Hester had stopped getting the ball as much, and when he did, just like Hall had, their was no room to run.

Hester had zero return touchdowns last year. I fear that Hester, like Hall, was too great in his first two seasons. Hester has a chance to redeem himself this year, but history tell us that Hester most likely won’t ever be the “x factor” he once was.

Five years from now, it could be Hall at number 10 and Hester at number nine on that list, despite how unfair it may be.

Sometimes greatness really can be a curse.

Original article can be found at sportsscribes.net

Favre’s Un-Retiring Won’t Cause As Much Backlash

When Brett Favre retired, there were doubters out there who said they didn’t believe him. I’ll admit I wasn’t one of them.

After an embarrassing end to Favre’s 2008 season, there was no way I could see him playing for the Jets in 2009. 

The Jets didn’t seem to want him as their quarterback, and Favre didn’t seem to want to be there anymore either.

Even if Favre wanted to play somewhere else, since he was under contract, he wouldn’t have been able to choose the place he would go to. There was no way Favre was going to go through the same fisasco as the one last summer.

Thus it seemed as though Favre, although still wanting to play, retired. I always assumed that if Favre’s doubters were right and he suddenly decided to come back again, there would be even more backlash than we saw last year against Favre.

However, it seems that since the Jets have released Brett Favre from the reserve-retired list, effectively allowing the future Hall of Famer to sign with any team, people don’t seem as upset as last year at the idea of him un-retiring.

When he un-retired last year, most people were not really as upset about him changing his mind as much as they were mad about the trouble he caused the Packer’s franchise.

They had already moved on and had named Aaron Rodgers their guy, and suddenly Favre wanted the team to be his again. 

Now that his return doesn’t have any affect on anyone besides his family, a lot of people including me support Brett Favre’s return.

The man can still play and up until his lingering shoulder injury, he was playing like a Pro Bowler.

It seems to me that it is almost a guarantee that he is going to un-retire and end up with Minnesota Vikings. If  it does happen, I will be definitely be watching the Vikings-Packers matchup on Monday night in week four.

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