Brian Leonard 23

jaxvid · Oct 21, 2007

mr.wonderfull said:
Yeah his versatility is supposed to be his biggest asset. Not having him on 3rd down makes no sense.

He gets a lot of work running the ball, they may want to rest him and have another guy out there for the passes. Other teams do it, alternating the pass catching guy, usually a fullback, with the lead runner. I think Leonard will go back to being the pass guy when Jackson comes back.

For a white guy to remain the main ball carrier the following things have to happen.
1) injury to all decent black running backs
2) gain 100 yds nearly every game
3) team has to win

St. Louis poor record will mean changes have to be made, that means the white guy has to go. He would anyway when Jackson comes back so maybe he'll get another shot sometime in the future.

Kaptain · Oct 22, 2007

Jaxvid, why would any professional RB need a rest from a pultry 12 carries? What other starting RB has to go in and out nearly every other play and then also play fullback on occassion? I don't know of one. Today Earnest Graham, a guy that was not drafted and started the year about fourth on the depth chart got 19 carries and 13 receptions. Not using Leonard on third down makes about as much sense as splitting Mike Alstott out as a wide receiver did.

BTW, it probably wouldn't matter because that offensive line is terrible in every way.

Guest · Oct 22, 2007

Leonard is doing about average for an NFL back, which for a white player is not nearly enough.

devans · Oct 22, 2007

I agree. He's had a good game, a bad game, and an OK game, on a poor offense with sub par blocking. For a Rookie that's seems a good start to a career to me. But he is a white rookie running back in the NFL - so I'm worried. He's had his one bad game, and I don't think a second will be tolerated - even in St Louis. The fact he is doing better than Jackson will not be mentioned - except here.

WHITE NOISE · Oct 22, 2007

Leonard did not have a bad game yesterday. He had some very good runs, broke tackles and made positive yardage. Which is why for the life of me I could not fathom taking him out of the game on specific downs like they did. Why have the black backup come in on a passing down? Brian catches passes just fine. And why spell Leonard at all. They should have given him time to adjust to the defense and get into the game. Each time they took him out, they shot themselves in the foot. Hell at one point, I said, did Leonard get hurt?, why else would anyone take a productive back out of the game. Jeeezus! just think what he could do if they actually let him play in a full game. That obviously won't happen. BTW, thanks J.C. Pearson for reminding us that Leonard is a fullback each and everytime he was praised by the other announcer. Edited by: Don Wassall

GWTJ · Oct 22, 2007

I watched the Vikings game and probable Rookie of the Year Adrian Peterson was constantly running in and out of the game. He only had 12 carries and 1 catch while Chester Taylor, who isn't nearly as good had 10 carries and 3 catches. Peterson kept coming out on 3rd down and sometimes was only in the game for 1 of the 3 downs the Vikings had the ball. No wonder they punted so much. They also lined him up as a WR at times. Maybe this desire to save young RB's is an NFL thing, protecting their investments. Because holding Peterson and Leonard on the sidelines is not helping to win ball games.

Don Wassall · Oct 22, 2007

With Peterson it might have to do with being able to pick up blitzes on third downs and otherwise still learning the team's offensive system. I don't think that's the case with Leonard though, as Scott Linehan noted months ago what a fast learner he is. Linehan just seems to be in over his head. If he thought the starting o-line he put together was going to be adequate to allow the offense to function the way it was supposed to, he was obviously in for a big surprise.

But then again Brad Childress comes off as more incompetent than Linehan. Starting Tarvaris Jackson (Spurgeon Wynn Jr.) along with a clown posse of "professional receivers," what a joke.

GWTJ · Oct 22, 2007

Don, the only system the Vikings seemed to have was deciding which receiver Jackson was going to overthrow or deciding which receiver was going to drop any of his rare good throws. Childriss really is taking affirmative action to a new level.

Don Wassall · Oct 22, 2007

GWTJ said:
Don, the only system the Vikings seemed to have was deciding which receiver Jackson was going to overthrow or deciding which receiver was going to drop any of his rare good throws. Childriss really is taking affirmative action to a new level.

It's defies belief that following the team's "Love Boat"-Mike Tice era, the Vikings would hire even more of a Caste System incompetent in Childress, but it happened.I wonder if North Dakota State could beat the Vikings a week after beating the University of Minnesota? It might be a good game.

Guest · Oct 22, 2007

When I see the Vikings, I start to wonder how far away "the best players are on the field" is from becoming an outright lie, like other modern sayings such as "diversity is strength" and so forth. Slogans that are obviously false, but are repeated and vigorously defended until they cannot even be discussed in public without backlash.

sal_paradise · Oct 22, 2007

Even Troy Aikman was questioning the ability of Tarvaris Jackson toward the end of the game. Jackson's performance was an embarrassment and his receivers are crap.

Guest · Oct 22, 2007

Stats to ponder...

Leonard 62 carries and an average of 3.9 ypc. 8.9 carries per game.

Jackson 69 carries and an average of 3.4 ypc. 23 carries per game.

ToughJ.Riggins · Oct 22, 2007

I hope Leonard can get at least 10 carries a game when Jackson comes back. I somehow doubt it though. I kind of hope Jackson keeps averaging 3.4 or so a carry and Leonard can come in for a series a game and get a few change of pace carries and average 4 and change a carry. Maybe the fans would realize just how good Leonard is and when Jackson is up for free agency after next season they let him walk and implement Leonard as the starting HB for 2009!

Do any of you guys think Leonard will get 10 carries or so a game when Jackson comes back? I'm worried they will only run Leonard from the FB spot, which will reduce his yards per carry w/o a lead blocker.

Edited to add: BTW Leonard had a pretty good game on Sunday considering the circumstances!

Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

backrow · Oct 22, 2007

i doubt he will get 10 carries, or even touches as long as Linehan is a coach, this guy simply doesn't know how to use him. maybe he doubts his ability, i don't know what it is. i sure think he needs at least 10 touches a game, carries, passes etc to display his skillset. i don't know why they'd even use Minor once Jackson comes back when Leonard does the same thing as him, only better.

ToughJ.Riggins · Oct 22, 2007

backrow said:
i doubt he will get 10 carries, or even touches as long as Linehan is a coach, this guy simply doesn't know how to use him. maybe he doubts his ability, i don't know what it is. i sure think he needs at least 10 touches a game, carries, passes etc to display his skillset. i don't know why they'd even use Minor once Jackson comes back when Leonard does the same thing as him, only better.

I kind of sense the same thing about Linehan. I am dreading Leonard being used as the primary FB, with Jackson back, and only getting dump off passes on third downs or occasional short yardage runs.

lumsdenpower · Oct 22, 2007

Leonard is gonna come back at FB I think..that's sad..

lumsdenpower · Oct 23, 2007

Jackson is back for the next game...against The Browns, 27th defense against the run...Is that a coincidence?

Don Wassall · Oct 23, 2007

It's still far from certain that Jackson will be ready to go. Overly optimistic assessments of injuries are commonplace in the NFL, as fantasy football players know. Gary Kubiak has been issuing happy talk about Andre Johnson ever since he was hurt in Week 2, and now it appears he may not be back until Week 11 or even later.

If Jackson is practicing fully by Friday, he'll probably play. If not Leonard should get a shot tostart against the Browns after previously playing against nothing but tough run defenses.

Colonel_Reb · Oct 24, 2007

I would expect Brian to get several carries this week even if Jackson is back. We'll see what happens over the next couple of days.

Colonel_Reb · Oct 24, 2007

In case anyone was wondering, my veoh video of Brian has 275 views right now. Not bad considering its not on youtube and he has played in just a few games, most of which less than half the country has seen. I hope the Rams can play in a nationally televised game soon (other than the NFL package), and that Brian gets to show his talent!

Here's the link:
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1286169Gw8SmKDx

backrow · Oct 29, 2007

more bad news for Brian: even with Jackson injured again, he will run behind a o-lin without their best player: Richie Incognito is almost certainly out for the season with a knee cap injury.

Colonel_Reb · Oct 29, 2007

I just checked my veoh video of Brian and noticed it has been downloaded by 4 different people this afternoon. Pretty cool! One person downloaded it a week and a half ago. The views are almost up to 330.

JTJTJT · Oct 30, 2007

Steven Jackson 77att/274yds.1TD,3fum, long 22; 10catches for 66 yds.

Brian Leonard 77att/276yds, 0TD, 0fum, long 31;18 catches for129yds.

I think Leonard has done great considering the Rams have the worst oline in the league, he is a rookie, all defences probably hate him, he has produced equal to the topback in the league in the same situation, and the Rams playcalling is atrocious......Anyway, I hope he gets to be the #1 preseason TB on a decent team 2 or 3 yrs. from now and he will produce at the level of a top 10 RB. In the meantime, I hope he gets 5 to 10 touches per game for the next yr or 2, produces numbers similar or better thanJackson, and most importantly never gets casted out.

White Shogun · Oct 30, 2007

JT, are those the season numbers for both guys?

That's awesome, if so! Steven Jackson was the consensus #2 back in the league coming into this season, and here it is Leonard has done better than he in every category, on the same number of carries!

I wouldn't be surprised if this lowers Jackson's rep a great deal, instead of boosting Leonard's. I mean, how good can Jackson have been, really, if he can't even beat out this white boy?

Bart · Oct 30, 2007

White Shogun said:
JT, are those the season numbers for both guys?

That's awesome, if so! Steven Jackson was the consensus #2 back in the league coming into this season, and here it is Leonard has done better than he in every category, on the same number of carries!

I had to check on those numbers. They are this year's totals for both. Who would have guessed? Not only that, but Brian has 0 fumbles compared to 3 for Jackson.

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