(07-10-2021, 02:09 PM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(07-10-2021, 01:59 PM)SeldomRite Wrote: I keep saying why, I think if he's actually great at making explosive plays he'll get decent stats this season. If he's not then his stats might still be decent, but I think he'll be a bad draft pick and won't put fear into defensive coordinators.

Do you think there's going to be defensive coordinators up all night on Saturday thinking about how to stop him from getting 70 yards on 20 carries with someone running him down from behind on the off chance he manages to get past the linebackers?

No - I think that if he breaks off enough chunk yardage plays early in the season, then he becomes an element coordinators will have to consider while scheming against an offense that will likely already provide challenges for them. 

Coordinators don't simply look at production to determine how to match up with an offense. 

You hear the phrase "limit explosive plays" constantly from the mouths of DC's for good reason. 
If weeks one through four include 3 "explosive plays" from Etienne, then the week five opponent is going to look at the tape, determine which formations vs which coverages Etienne had success from and seek to counter that. All the while having to consider Robinson, Chark, Shenault and Jones. 

Etienne's impact could be significant without big production numbers and it's not that trough to see why.

Not 70 yds on 20 carries that you suggest.
That's not his role.
It's 50-80 yds on 8-10 touches with one of them being an explosive play that will get coordinators attention.

The only part I disagree on is that I think if he's able to get explosive plays then he'll keep getting them, and it'll mean he'll have much more yardage. I also want to say, I think 50 ypg is unrealistically low for someone that was taken in the first round and is breaking off explosive plays. If he's getting 50 ypg then he's probably not getting any explosive (20+ yard) plays, because I expect he'll get 10-15 touches per game between the rush and the pass, and I expect if he's any good to be able to get 4+ yards per rush without 20+ yarders. and 7 or 8 yards per catch without any long ones.

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