Tauscher & Clifton

[FrankRizzo]

We all know how much better A-God was protected once Tauscher and Clifton were back together healthy.

But check this with Ryan Grant:

Grant WITHOUT Clifton or Tauscher (8 games): 147 carries, 604 yards (4.1 YPC). 3 TDs.

Grant WITH Clifton and Tauscher (8 games): 135 carries, 649 yards (4.8 YPC). 7 TDs.

A strong finish in 2009 should lead to a promising 2010 - especially with Bryan Bulaga on the roster.

This doesn't count the playoff game apparently. I just read this somewhere else.

 

[Ted's Zombie Army]

Good point! The red zone productivity stands out.

 

[PackersRS]

I've posted this stat already, took it from walterfootball.com

Yeah, and that's not due to Clifton and Tauscher per se. They're not good run blockers.

But it's the line settled. It just goes a long way.

 

[NYPacker]

I know I'm gonna get torched for saying this but here it goes, I believe Grant is overrated. I really don't like his running style and he's pretty much average. I know that everyone will counter with Grant having 1200+ yards this season but I feel those stats are a bit inflated. A lot of them are "garbage yards" in which we just gave him the ball to simply run out the clock in games that we already won. Plus add to the fact that Grant really had noone to take away his carries in Jackson and Green. This may sound a bit unresearched but if someone has facts to prove me wrong please feel free to share.

 

[Green_Bay_Packers]

Ryan Grant had a huge year last year, oh wait he didnt. Im not too fussed about his numbers cause he sucks seriouslly he is ok at best

 

[ivo610]

I know I'm gonna get torched for saying this but here it goes, I believe Grant is overrated. I really don't like his running style and he's pretty much average. I know that everyone will counter with Grant having 1200+ yards this season but I feel those stats are a bit inflated. A lot of them are "garbage yards" in which we just gave him the ball to simply run out the clock in games that we already won. Plus add to the fact that Grant really had noone to take away his carries in Jackson and Green. This may sound a bit unresearched but if someone has facts to prove me wrong please feel free to share.

I pretty much agree with you. I dont like his running style at all. I also dont think we need anything better with our offense. It would be nice to have a playmaker but not needed.

 

[NYPacker]

I pretty much agree with you. I dont like his running style at all. I also dont think we need anything better with our offense. It would be nice to have a playmaker but not needed.

Yup pretty much the thing I really don't like is that Grant has lost some of his "flashes" in the last couple of years. Compare the plays he made in '07 and '09 and you'll see a huge dropoff in where he eludes the defender, trucks LBs and safties, and outruns the next guy. I was also basing his inflated stats on numbers I read from profootballfocus.com. Grant had a lot of minus yardage plays that seem to be overlooked. But to be fair I think a lot of those fall on the offensive line. As Jersey Al pointed out in his articles from a while back in his article: Jersey Al's Green Bay Packers Blog: Green Bay Packers’ Ryan Grant and Offensive Line Struggling to Find Their Way

Grant lacks the ability to consistenly find the open running lane. Sometimes the Guard/Tackle or Center/Guard are blocking perfectly but Grant fails to recognize where the play is going.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Would you rather have the bull Marion Barber, who can't outrun McCarthy, and who is always nicked up?

Would you rather have the fast, electric Darren McFadden, who's missed about half of the games he's been in the NFL for?

Our would you rather have Marshawn Lynch, who many Packer fans wanted in the 2007 Draft?

Run DMC and Marshawn were premium draft picks.

Me personally, I'll take the 1200 yards, 4 yards and a cloud of dust, no fumbles, very durable, and no trouble with the law like Lynch has.

Style means nothing.
Production and reliability is the bottom line in this business at this position.
I can't say for sure what Grant will do going forward, but his last 2 1/2 years of work has been Pro Bowl production. Give the brother his due.

 

[Pugger]

I don't know why Grant doesn't get any love from fans either. He isn't elite who can get yards out of zero blocking, like Steven Jackson for instance, but not many are. He was ranked the #7 RB in the league at the end of last season (not including playoffs). He is in nice company.

NFL Stats: by Player Category

With the league so pass happy these aren't bad stats. If he was a better receiver out of the backfield he'd be even better.

 

[DILLIGAFF]

Grant does not have a fumbling problem and is reliable as far as health. He may not read everything perfectly but does have the speed to hit the home run in the running game that teams have to account for.

IMO Grant's field vision will get better as he gains more confidence in our O-line. Our O-line struggled last year and finally was able to get the pass blocking down, the same can't be said for the run blocking and I am not sure if Grant ever gained confidence in that O-line.

Grant is a good running back, I think he got and excellent contract because of the timing of the BF return that year that forced TT to get him signed right away. TT could not tolerate another public relations nightmare by having a long hold out from Grant coming off that amazing season in conjunction with that BF circus.

 

[NYPacker]

I never said that Grant was a bad RB, only that he isn't as good as many people say he is. For example I've read numerous packer blogs and website where they consider Grant a top 5 or 8 RB ahead of guys like Johnathon Stewart or Cadillac Williams. IMHO Grant is solid, and yes I wouldn't prefer many guys over him like Run DMC or the troubled Marshawn Lynch. All I'm saying is that Grant is definitely upgradeable. And RBs who are upgradeable are not in the top 5 or 8.

 

[FrankRizzo]

I never said that Grant was a bad RB, only that he isn't as good as many people say he is. For example I've read numerous packer blogs and website where they consider Grant a top 5 or 8 RB ahead of guys like Johnathon Stewart or Cadillac Williams. IMHO Grant is solid, and yes I wouldn't prefer many guys over him like Run DMC or the troubled Marshawn Lynch. All I'm saying is that Grant is definitely upgradeable. And RBs who are upgradeable are not in the top 5 or 8.

What you're talking about in terms of "upgradable" is "talent".
Talent or not, Grant simply has produced as a top-5 or 10 RB, plus factor in fumbles.
Coughing up the football is so damn important. Think back to all of Ahman Green's key fumbles. Think back to the Vikings losing to the Saints in the NFC title game. They outgained the Saints almost 2-1, they out-first downed them 31-15, held Brees to under 200 yards, in the Saints park. But all those fumbles killed them. Adrian Peterson is clearly an upgrade over Grant, but had they had Grant that day instead of butterfingers Peterson, they'd have gone to the Super Bowl.

I know Grant isn't the top 20 talent-wise probably.
But Justin Harrell might be.
I value durability and production first & foremost.

 

[PackersRS]

What you're talking about in terms of "upgradable" is "talent".
Talent or not, Grant simply has produced as a top-5 or 10 RB, plus factor in fumbles.
Coughing up the football is so damn important. Think back to all of Ahman Green's key fumbles. Think back to the Vikings losing to the Saints in the NFC title game. They outgained the Saints almost 2-1, they out-first downed them 31-15, held Brees to under 200 yards, in the Saints park. But all those fumbles killed them. Adrian Peterson is clearly an upgrade over Grant, but had they had Grant that day instead of butterfingers Peterson, they'd have gone to the Super Bowl.

I know Grant isn't the top 20 talent-wise probably.
But Justin Harrell might be.
I value durability and production first & foremost.

One might say that Grant is the Kampman of the offense???

(Please try to be educated when cursing me for what I said)

 

[Ted's Zombie Army]

One might say that Grant is the Kampman of the offense???

(Please try to be educated when cursing me for what I said)

That's a pretty fair way to look at it. You could put him in the overachiever category. But like Kampman, he's just a gamer. He has always been a back who got stronger in the second half of the season. That's huge for a team making a run at the playoffs. I think he has been one of the best foul-weather runners we've had. The guy was just awesome in that Seattle playoff game in the snow. And he finished huge again last year.

Having said that, a team can never stop looking for the next guy because running backs take such a beating.

 

[NYPacker]

One might say that Grant is the Kampman of the offense???

(Please try to be educated when cursing me for what I said)

Huh? I have no idea what that means.

 

[FrankRizzo]

That's a pretty fair way to look at it. You could put him in the overachiever category. But like Kampman, he's just a gamer. He has always been a back who got stronger in the second half of the season. That's huge for a team making a run at the playoffs. I think he has been one of the best foul-weather runners we've had. The guy was just awesome in that Seattle playoff game in the snow. And he finished huge again last year.

Having said that, a team can never stop looking for the next guy because running backs take such a beating.

Well said.
Enter: James Starks, a very similar RB, except him being as durable as Grant has been for 30 games is extremely unlikely.

 

[PackersRS]

Huh? I have no idea what that means.

That he gets by much more on heart, than on talent.

And that even though he may not wow you, the production and the numbers are there.

 

[olwig420]

He is a great team player. Teams win SB not players. We use his skill set when we need it and a good % of time he steps up and produces. Enough to have top RB numbers. Look at the Saints, they had 3 different RB with 3 different sets of skills and they used them to their strengths to win a SB. It's all in how the coaches use their players skills.