I know there are a couple Alstott threads already, but I felt that this deserved its own notice. Pretty sweet!
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2363506
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2363506
Alstott signs one year deal
- Thread starter JoeV
- Start date
i am very happy that he will come back, hopefully he can get those 80 yards he needs for 5k plus at least 5 TDs and go out with a bang!
also great move by Bucs was resigning Hovan, he was huge as a run stopper for TB's top defense
also great move by Bucs was resigning Hovan, he was huge as a run stopper for TB's top defense
Alstott still needs 83 yards to get to 5,000. Considering that he only had 80 rushing yards last year and that his coach is an "Aryan" disciple of the Caste System, there's no guarantee he'll reach what is now a modest milestone.
In the days of Jim Taylor 5,000 yards was significant, but the increase of the schedule from 12 to 16 games, the elimination of the running role of the fullback in favor of all the running done by a single halfback, and a fixation with getting "X" amount of yards by backs and receivers as status symbols in the "new" black NFL, made the old ways of achieving statistics in the game passe.
If used as a featured tailback, Alstott would have gained well over 10,000 yards and could easily have led the league in rushing yardage on at least one occasion with his bruising style that would have regularly worn down defenses in the second half of games. Instead he was used as a change of pace back with Warrick Dunn, which greatly negated the effect of regularly making use of his bull-like strength combined with decent speed, elusiveness and moves.
In the days of Jim Taylor 5,000 yards was significant, but the increase of the schedule from 12 to 16 games, the elimination of the running role of the fullback in favor of all the running done by a single halfback, and a fixation with getting "X" amount of yards by backs and receivers as status symbols in the "new" black NFL, made the old ways of achieving statistics in the game passe.
If used as a featured tailback, Alstott would have gained well over 10,000 yards and could easily have led the league in rushing yardage on at least one occasion with his bruising style that would have regularly worn down defenses in the second half of games. Instead he was used as a change of pace back with Warrick Dunn, which greatly negated the effect of regularly making use of his bull-like strength combined with decent speed, elusiveness and moves.
white is right
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I think if he was used more Alstott would have accumulated stats similar to Taylor or Csonka. I don't see 10K yards. But he was heavily under utilized, maybe if Tampa had a real line back in the late 90's he could have got a few 1k seasons..........
Alstott had 846 rushing yards in '98 and 949 in '99, and that was sharing carries with Dunn. Alstott's yardage those two seasons came from just 215 carries and 242 carries. In those same two seasons Dunn had a combined 440 carries, only 17 less than Alstott.
What do you think Alstott's yardage would have been if he gotten the great bulk of Dunn's carries? 1,500+ yards easily in both seasons and maybe as many as 1,800 to 2,000 when you consider the factor that his freakish strength and all-out style of running would have worn down defenses, allowing him to pile up big fourth quarter stats. He often did that anyway sharing carries with Dunn. He had a number of long TD runs, and they were usually fourth quarter back-breakers against a worn-down defense.
What do you think Alstott's yardage would have been if he gotten the great bulk of Dunn's carries? 1,500+ yards easily in both seasons and maybe as many as 1,800 to 2,000 when you consider the factor that his freakish strength and all-out style of running would have worn down defenses, allowing him to pile up big fourth quarter stats. He often did that anyway sharing carries with Dunn. He had a number of long TD runs, and they were usually fourth quarter back-breakers against a worn-down defense.
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I posted earlier a scouting report by the late Joel Buschbaum on Alstott. Buschbaum wrote that Alstott would "bring back the days of Larry Csonka and John Riggins." The thought was that Alstott would be a featured TB as he was at Purdue, which didn't happen.
Incidentally, most long runs are made after the defense is worn down. This is how O.J. Simpson got most of his long runs. Simpson would break lose late in the game after 20-25 carries. John Riggins made his long run in Super Bowl XVII in this way. Alstott would have had this dimension if he had been given that many carries.
Incidentally, most long runs are made after the defense is worn down. This is how O.J. Simpson got most of his long runs. Simpson would break lose late in the game after 20-25 carries. John Riggins made his long run in Super Bowl XVII in this way. Alstott would have had this dimension if he had been given that many carries.