Maybe you'll remember that article from last year. I'm not fan of PFF, but mostly b/c of their OL and DL grades that put an over emphasis on a made up stat "hurries" that hurts some and helps others based on scheme.
But that article didn't use any made up stats, and actually took a look at what defenses were doing against Langford and came out w/the right conclusion. So ya i'm sticking w/he didn't earn that starting job. 2.6 ypc against base defenses and sub 4ypc over all.
Forte had a sub 4 ypc his rookie year as well. He turned out pretty good. And none of what that says refutes the other points I made about deciding who to start. Howard isn't going to know the offense as well as Langford or Carey. For all we know Howard may have been struggling in camp.
I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this. It's not like Howard would have turned the season around by getting in a couple games earlier.
Did you not watch Langford this year? Dude wasn't close to being a #1 RB. Heck he struggles at being our #2 guy. He was clearly there because he was Fox's man. Howard was the better choice...
Maybe you'll remember that article from last year. I'm not fan of PFF, but mostly b/c of their OL and DL grades that put an over emphasis on a made up stat "hurries" that hurts some and helps others based on scheme.
But that article didn't use any made up stats, and actually took a look at what defenses were doing against Langford and came out w/the right conclusion. So ya i'm sticking w/he didn't earn that starting job. 2.6 ypc against base defenses and sub 4ypc over all.
Forte had a sub 4 ypc his rookie year as well. He turned out pretty good. And none of what that says refutes the other points I made about deciding who to start. Howard isn't going to know the offense as well as Langford or Carey. For all we know Howard may have been struggling in camp.
I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this. It's not like Howard would have turned the season around by getting in a couple games earlier.
Forte had a garbage OL his rookie year, and you could see he was something special his rookie year.
Btw, people at the practices were talking about how they could see how Howard was going to be something special, and another teams scout was asked about bears players after a pre season game and they said they had something special in Howard and that the Bears would figure it out eventually(reported yesterday on 670). So ya apparently it was only our staff that couldn't figure it out.
Howard, Whitehair, and Goldman have been the impact players from Pace's first two drafts with Floyd looking like he may be by next year if he can add some size and stay on the field.
Anytime a GM can come up with two guys in each draft that have the look of future All Pros that's a good draft and we've need some after all those years of misses from JA and Emery.
I have no issues with Pace's ability to judge talent. Any issues I have are based on other things which I hope he'll outgrow.
Some of these runs are great to watch. The man doesn't go down and fights for his yards...
Am I the only one who sees a little Marshawn Lynch in him?
I did after the first few times I saw him run. He's quite a bit niftier than Lynch too IMHO. He's a bigger back who can make himself small when he needs to.
Forte had a sub 4 ypc his rookie year as well. He turned out pretty good. And none of what that says refutes the other points I made about deciding who to start. Howard isn't going to know the offense as well as Langford or Carey. For all we know Howard may have been struggling in camp.
I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this. It's not like Howard would have turned the season around by getting in a couple games earlier.
Forte had a garbage OL his rookie year, and you could see he was something special his rookie year.
Btw, people at the practices were talking about how they could see how Howard was going to be something special, and another teams scout was asked about bears players after a pre season game and they said they had something special in Howard and that the Bears would figure it out eventually(reported yesterday on 670). So ya apparently it was only our staff that couldn't figure it out.
We've heard the same shit every camp about this person or that. 9 times out of 10 those players rarely amount to anything. So just because someone happens to be right this one time means we have poor coaching? Should Belichick be criticized because he didn't play Tom Brady right away when he was "obviously" better than Bledsoe? Everything is easy in hindsight.
Who has ever been quoted as saying that Brady was showing to be better then Bledsoe in TC his rookie year?
A Scout for another team saw it during a PS game, and a radio host was talking about it before PS. If you got quotes from Brady's rookie year please post them.
I'm not going to read through all 3 pages of this because there are probably multiple posts I'd quote, but I'll say the following:
Which of you in the pre-season ever made a thread saying Howard should be the starter? Anyone? Beuhler? None jump out in my memory.
Two, coaches are always ultra hesitant to put rookies out there because the majority of rookie running backs struggle in pass pro. I don't necessarily agree with this theory, but its done...LEAGUE WIDE. The Giants best running back is Paul Perkins, it's evident to every Giant fan...he just started his first game this year last week.
Three. Take a look at Howards pre-season performances...where exactly did he scream out he was so much better than Langford or Carey?
I'm not going to read through all 3 pages of this because there are probably multiple posts I'd quote, but I'll say the following:
Which of you in the pre-season ever made a thread saying Howard should be the starter? Anyone? Beuhler? None jump out in my memory.
Two, coaches are always ultra hesitant to put rookies out there because the majority of rookie running backs struggle in pass pro. I don't necessarily agree with this theory, but its done...LEAGUE WIDE. The Giants best running back is Paul Perkins, it's evident to every Giant fan...he just started his first game this year last week.
Three. Take a look at Howards pre-season performances...where exactly did he scream out he was so much better than Langford or Carey?
This is all revisionist history here.
Actually he had 2 games w/10 + carries and he shined very nicely.
Also, this offseason it was thought that since Forte was sent packing that it would be a legitimate RBbC approach and the hottest hand would get the ball as the game progressed, so the starter thing was irrelevant. That didn't turn out to be the case though, it was Langford and everyone else until he got hurt, then it was Howard shortly after he proved he was far better then Langford and Carey combined.
Many were extremely high on Howard though.
One teams scout told a Bears reporter that Howard was clearly their best back and the Bears would figure it out in time. So it was pretty obvious to at least 1 scout.
I'm not going to read through all 3 pages of this because there are probably multiple posts I'd quote, but I'll say the following:
Which of you in the pre-season ever made a thread saying Howard should be the starter? Anyone? Beuhler? None jump out in my memory.
Two, coaches are always ultra hesitant to put rookies out there because the majority of rookie running backs struggle in pass pro. I don't necessarily agree with this theory, but its done...LEAGUE WIDE. The Giants best running back is Paul Perkins, it's evident to every Giant fan...he just started his first game this year last week.
Three. Take a look at Howards pre-season performances...where exactly did he scream out he was so much better than Langford or Carey?
This is all revisionist history here.
Actually he had 2 games w/10 + carries and he shined very nicely.
Also, this offseason it was thought that since Forte was sent packing that it would be a legitimate RBbC approach and the hottest hand would get the ball as the game progressed, so the starter thing was irrelevant. That didn't turn out to be the case though, it was Langford and everyone else until he got hurt, then it was Howard shortly after he proved he was far better then Langford and Carey combined.
Many were extremely high on Howard though.
One teams scout told a Bears reporter that Howard was clearly their best back and the Bears would figure it out in time. So it was pretty obvious to at least 1 scout.
Did a quick google search for a quote from a scout and came up with nothing. I did find an MMQB article from Bears camp about the running backs in which Howard was not discussed much if at all, and when discussing stand out rookies his name wasn't mentioned either.
As for the pre-season:
Game 1: 5 carries for 12 yards (Langford 4 for 7) Game 2: 11 carries for 46 yards (Langford 8 for 55 and a TD) Game 3: 4 carries for 8 yards (Langford 6 for 17) Game 4: 16 carries for 107 yards (Langford DNP)
So this idea he was so clearly the better back in pre-season doesn't seem to hold weight to me. Either way I don't remember people screaming that Howard was far and away the best back in the pre-season. Remember also this is a guy who didn't get to go through OTA's because he hurt his hamstring as well. So aside from getting up to speed with the plays he had to jump over 3 other veteran backs. So yeah, he had a great game in the 4th pre-season game...it doesn't change anything I've previously stated about coaches and rookie running backs.