Is anyone worried Stew might get burnt out?

[Shadow]

In a way it feels like the Dallas situation with DeMarco Murray.  Dallas at some point decided they weren't going to keep him so they basically ran that man into the ground with carries.  

[Jeremy Igo]

9 hours ago, stankowalski said:

Dude rode a bike for 3 straight years, he's in great shape.

A lot of truth in this. 

Sitting on a bike and splitting carries his entire career. You can basically take 3 years off his playing career in comparison to full time backs. 

[TN05]

No. I made a topic about this a while back, but Stewart actually gets much better as the season goes. From the first half of a season to the second, his YPC jumps about by at least 1.2 yards.

[the_philosopher]

Please rest him late in the 4th quarter of blowouts. RB is a brutal position. I haven't forgotten the 2005 playoffs. 

[Jeremy Igo]

10 minutes ago, TN05 said:

No. I made a topic about this a while back, but Stewart actually gets much better as the season goes. From the first half of a season to the second, his YPC jumps about by at least 1.2 yards.

Has more to do with the OL gelling imo

[shaqattaq]

11 hours ago, KB_fan said:

I tend to agree with wanting more carries for CAP and/or Wegher, espec. when we have a good lead.  Question:  who do you deactivate to make it happen?  Fozzy?  Bersin? One of the ST guys?  We seem to be keeping extra rotational guys for our defense, which means offense is getting fewer guys activated...  It's been working, and it's hard to figure out what might change to get CAP or Wegher playing time.

Would you deactivate Fozzy for CAP?  Fozzy doesn't seem to have contributed much this year, but he's not gotten alot of snaps either.

Tough dilemma.

I've heard Rivera say a couple of times that he wants to limit Stew's runs. CAP is supposed to be our future, and he isn't getting any touches.  IMO, we deactivate Bersin. With Funchess starting to step up some, Bersin is expendable.   Of course, this is a moot point once Philly is healed.

[Woodie]

This is the type of question someone that wasn't around or doesn't remember the true bell cow backs of the 70's and 80's asks.  It's only been about the last 10-20 years that you started to see RB's splitting carries.  Until that point, it was common for a RB to get 20-30 carries in a game.  And typically, they held up well and often did even better later in games because they were able to get in a rhythm and wear defenses down...something you don't see as much with all the splitting of carries nowadays.  

To be fair, that was one reason RB's careers were so short, and the basis for the idea that they are pretty much done at age 30.  But for a given season, no Stewart is not running the ball too much and should still be effective if we make it to the SB. 

[thefuzz]

2 hours ago, Jeremy Igo said:

A lot of truth in this. 

Sitting on a bike and splitting carries his entire career. You can basically take 3 years off his playing career in comparison to full time backs. 

I have always struggled with this thought pattern.  Yes, I agree that he has taken a lot less carries than a RB like him normally would, but I just think it's more about age, not numbers of carries.

When you are 21-27 or so, your body just heals faster, when you get above those numbers, it just takes longer for those nicks and bruises to heal...leading to lingering injuries, and favoring certain parts...leading to more injuries.

Either way, I said before the season to run the wheels off, and boy are they doing it.

[Leeroy Jenkins PhD]

I would not be upset if Rivera took Stewart out after the 1st quarter to see what CAP or Wegher paired with Tolbert could do as the primary backs. 

 

IMO, we should be using a faster back as the primary, and Stewart as the wrecking ball closer.  We lack explosiveness in the run game at this point.  Stewart runs hard, but he isn't going to break a long one.  Just doesn't have the high end speed.  

[carolinahiatt]

What happened to Wegher?  He was impressive in preseason.  I know it was preseason but dude is quick.  I think he could be a breakout guy but they don't play him.

[Nick_81]

Black & Blue Review ‏@BlackBlueReview  6m6 minutes ago

Jonathan Stewart's career high in rushing attempts: 221 in 2009 His rushing attempts through 11 games this year: 211

[CPcavedweller]

I had a dream last night that Cameron the Artist Payne broke off several long runs against the Saints. Now my dreams are usually irrelevant and i'm not a believe in foresight, but hopefully we see him get in the game this week. With Atlanta's loss this past weekend we have sealed the division. As long as Payne isn't having issues with holding on to the ball, I believe now would be the time to begin to lower Stews snap count to keep him fresh. 

Assuming we get a Wild Card bye, he could be in week 4 or week 5 shape by the time the divisional round starts. 

( I may be flamed for this post, but it is a well known fact that many runners will slow down as the season goes along, and if they don't, the next season is usually a grind.) 

[CPcavedweller]

3 hours ago, Leeroy Jenkins PhD said:

I would not be upset if Rivera took Stewart out after the 1st quarter to see what CAP or Wegher paired with Tolbert could do as the primary backs. 

 

IMO, we should be using a faster back as the primary, and Stewart as the wrecking ball closer.  We lack explosiveness in the run game at this point.  Stewart runs hard, but he isn't going to break a long one.  Just doesn't have the high end speed.  

In the NFL, you have to be able to drive the ball to win games. If you can't possess the ball for long periods of time, more often than not you will lose. I was actually encouraged by the first quarter of the Redskins game simply because they couldn't drive the ball and they wouldn't continue hitting home run plays. You don't need a home run threat in the running game. You need a battering ram. With a smaller back, the defense could rush 4 and know that he can be brought down by one person. Stewart always requires more than one tackler and if its a defensive back on the edge, he is almost always going to throw them to the ground. A speed rusher will get hit for a loss and thats not a formula for winning. 

[Leeroy Jenkins PhD]

52 minutes ago, CPcavedweller said:

In the NFL, you have to be able to drive the ball to win games. If you can't possess the ball for long periods of time, more often than not you will lose. I was actually encouraged by the first quarter of the Redskins game simply because they couldn't drive the ball and they wouldn't continue hitting home run plays. You don't need a home run threat in the running game. You need a battering ram. With a smaller back, the defense could rush 4 and know that he can be brought down by one person. Stewart always requires more than one tackler and if its a defensive back on the edge, he is almost always going to throw them to the ground. A speed rusher will get hit for a loss and thats not a formula for winning. 

The joys of having Tolbert at fullback and Cam at QB is that teams will still have to account for their ability to run the ball.  This kind of negates your point.