Hey, look. Ryan Grant really did play at Notre Dame.My first glimpse of Ryan Grant in NFL action was Week 2 this season against the Giants. I believe he had one run and caught a swing pass. I remarked that he looked decent and should be in the mix of the Packers crappy running back competition. Week 4 when the Packers had all but won the game against the Vikings, Grant fumbles at the end, giving the Vikings some hope and sending Grant to the bench for a while. Then in that Broncos game, DeShaun Wynn gets injured, who ever saw that coming!, and the rest is history.
As has been well documented, Grant is the leading rusher in the NFL since week 8. He has looked better as the weeks have gone by. He went from running mostly outside deception plays to showing he can blast up the middle and gain some yards.
Granted,Oakland is #30 in the NFL against the run, but yesterday was the first time I really felt that Grant should be the running back of the future for the Packers. After a couple nice weeks in a row, I thought he was a good back and should certainly be considered to be the starter next year, but I wasn't sold on him being the next Ahman Green. The more and more I see of him, the more I think he will be The Back for the next 3 or 4 years. I think his biggest drawback right now is that he moves his feet too fast. It looks like sometimes he is making quick little cuts and his upper body leans forward causing him to lose his balance when hitting the hole.
But, as a whole, I am sold on this guy.
21 comments:
Nice time to say your sold on the guy after 150 plus yards on the ground against a horrible run defense team.
It's not so much his 150 yards against a crappy run D, which I noted. It's the way he runs. He has the burst when needed and he usually falls forward when tackled, unless the line allows Warren Sapp to get in the backfield the moment the ball is handed off.
So, no, it wasn't one game that made me think this, it was a series of games that showed this guy has what it takes to be a #1 back. Getting over 150 yards and averaging over 5 yards a carry against a crappy D just solidified this thought in my mind.
i think tom brady should be the patriots quarterback.
Goldy,
I hear all your points and they are well founded, but this is simply not the time to forecast Grant as the Packers running back for the next 4 years to come.
Samkon Gado had several exceptional games with the Packers a few years back and people were saying the same thing. Where is he now?
F- notre dame
Wrigleyville- That's insane. Everyone knows that Drew Bledsoe should be the Pats QB. At the very least, Steve Grogan or Tony Eason.
Travis - I understand what you are getting at, but I don't recall too many people, outside of people who wear cheeseheads, thinking Gado was the long-term fix. Am I jumping the gun, maybe, but I like his running style, and at 25 years old, he could be the guy.
Also, when I said the next Ahman Green, I may have set my sights too high. I meant Ahman Green in the fact of being the horse. In terms of production, I was thinking more along the lines of Dorsey Levens.
Gado couldn't hold Grant's jock. Grant has done well vs Minny, Dallas, and the Lions defense....all top 10 vs the run. Plus, he has the ability to catch the ball.
Oh, you mean another good pickup by TT. Got him for a 6th round pick.
Nice point, Brad. I seem to remember everyone in WI bitching that TT didin't address the RB situation in this past offseason. He traded for Grant & drafted Jackson in the 2nd round, all that after trading the illustrious Gado for Morency the yeart before. Seems like he's payed plenty of attention to the backfield over the last year.
insane like a fox!
I don't think you can really congratulate TT yet on the RB situation - Grant has 5 or 6 games under his belt and I'm not sure I'd be bragging about Brandon Jackson as a 2nd round pick.
Take my opinion with a grain of salt, however, because I still hate TT. If he'd have had his way, Favre would have retired this past offseason and we'd be watching Craig Nall play quarterback for our team right now. He just got lucky that Favre came back.
Not to mention last week against the Boys if you take out the long run Grant was a pathetic 32 yards on 13 carries. Hardly anything to get excited about.
Tony - As a Bears fan you should be used to 13-32...that's a banner day for Ced Benson!
Too bad stats are not done by taking away 65 yard runs...
This talk of Grant this/Grant that is just premature in my mind. I agree with Matt- 5 or 6 games into this doesnt say a whole lot.
I think one of the main reasons Grant has excelled is the passing attack has opened up doubt in the opposing defenses thereby leaving wholes where the OLB's are committing to the passing game. Cause we all know Colledge is clearing the way for Grant.
Also unsung is our fullback- Korey Hall is just plowing people over not to mention playing solid on ST's.
Actually, I think Kuhn is playing a lot more at FB these days than Hall.
I've always felt they should start Prince Fielder at 1B.
-mz
Its so typical to see this Goldy guy jump on the Grant bandwagon. Its all about what have you done for me lately.
4 weeks from now in the playoffs if Grant fumbles or has a sub par game the first article to be written from Goldy will be-Ship Grant Out? followed by 5 or 6 reasons why he should not be starting.
I think Goldy is a sad panda
If they take out all runs over 6 yards, he averages under four yards a carry, thats not a running back I want.
Go Tony!
This is what I think: Ryan Grant
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