Ivory's stats Week 2 vs Patriots: Att - 12 Yds - 52 Ypc - 4.3 Just using the eye test he looked really good running the ball, and when you look at the stats you see he was quite effective. He did all this while never being able to get a rhythm due to being subbed out every series he was in and missing multiple series back to back. He was also ran into obvious running situations with the Pats preped for a run. Yet he was still able to pull off 4.3 ypc. As I watched the game I found myself yelling at the TV wondering why Marty was pulling Ivory just as he would rip of an 8 yard run, or seem like he was getting the least bit comfortable. It seemed so Tebowesque from last year, and almost gimmicky. I really want to believe after 2 horrible OC's we've landed someone competent but he sure does have me scratching my head. Is he just out smarting himself or what? I read earlier in a thread where someone asked if they thought we would've won Thursday if a healthy Sanchez had start. (this is not a Sanchez related discussion) My response was that he was asking the wrong question. I asked if we would've won had we ran Ivory 20-25 times.
I have not been happy with Marty through two games and I don't think Ivory is a good fit for Marty's offense either. He's not a great pass catcher, and that's what Marty likes out of his RBs, which is why Powell plays over him (even though Bilal has dropped a pass in each of the first two games.) Ivory needed more carries on Thursday
PJ is right. Unfortunately you can't ask to have a power guy be the main RB in a Marty type offense. To make matters worse, once Goodson comes back, the situation becomes muddier because Goodson really was the guy tailor made with his game breaking speed and good hands out the backfield. Ivory literally will be filling the same role he did with the Saints.
I can't wait to see Goodson in this offense. He's a better version of Powell, as long as he can pass block, which I admit I'm not too sure about. All along I've been saying people are overrating Ivory and underrating Goodson. I think he may end up being the starter, with Ivory as the change of pace, and Powell relegated to the bench.
Ivory's goal, I think, is to do so well that the coaches can't justify not giving him a lot of carries. He's got 2 more games before Goodson is able to play, and if he plays really well and makes some catches, I think that's what he's aiming for. There's really nothing else he can do, just try his best with however many carries he gets. I think Goodson will be the main guy if he's in good enough shape, and is playing well, but Ivory and Powell will still get some carries as well, I think. Hopefully Goodson does very well; if he can be out there on most downs, and if he can block and catch as well as run, I think that'll help Geno a lot and hopefully help the offense a lot.
Maybe they're platooning him cause they don't trust him to be healthy. But yeah he finally showed some of the form we thought we'd be getting from him when we made the trade. And it's not like Bilal Powell's the RB of the future.
The fact that MM couldn't make good use of CI knocks MM down a peg in my eyes. Clearly he is 'system' guy who lacks flexibility. You need to be flexible regardless of your system and when you have a guy like CI who is reeling off 5+ yards a carry and you go away from him to stick with you 'system' is not a good thing. MM had an opportunity to really wear down and demoralize that Pats D. There was not a single point in which they showed they could stop CI and yet he decides to go away from him. It was really disappointing for me.
I think I saw somewhere that Ivory had one carry in the fourth quarter. When watching the game I thought he must have picked up a knock, but I haven't heard anything about that. In those conditions, with the game so close, and with Ivory running as well as he was, if he was healthy I cannot for the life of me understand why the game wasn't turned over to a two-headed running attack along with Powell (who was also running well by the end of the game after a shaky start). I firmly believe we could have ground out a win with a couple of field goal drives with that approach. Instead, we put the game into the hands of a rookie QB who threw three interceptions.
You know that Marty likes to throw the ball. However, considering the drops, weather conditions, and the success of the running game I would have loved to have seen Rex take charge and force Marty to run the ball more.
Am I the only one who thinks that Ivory may not have been ready to carry the ball more? I hear a lot of complaints about MM but Ivory missed a lot of practice and preseason, which is why he hardly got the ball week 1. It's possible we're just trying to ease him into a bigger role.
It's like Murphy's Law; We either ground and pound and almost never run the ball, or we throw it all day long and barely run it. I think I speak for all of us when I say we need balance, keeps the defense honest. Really do like the way we are heading though as a team. Only thing that bugs me about the Patriot game is that when then Pats SUK THAT BAD, U HAVE to win that kind of game....
Didn't do the stats, but Thanx! Still didn't seem like it, both watching, and as this thread points out. Perhaps I should have agreed more with Ivory not being able to get into a rhythm. Perhaps as the season goes on and the O line continues to gel (not that they aren't doing a good job now, but I believe they are only beginning to become cohesive, with great things to come). we will see a stronger running game. Stats tell truth, it just APPEARS that we are throwing a lot...:grin::gpc:
It's MM reputation of never abandoning the pass, even with a rookie on a rainy night, that kept NE playing back the whole game and the running lanes wide open. It's also why Geno outplayed Brady in almost every QB category even giving Brady 4 extra possessions. That being said, having Geno pass late in the game when we're in FG range, and with CI running very well, was inexcusable. But MM was not playing for a tie. If Geno had picked up that 1st down, it probably would have been Ivory and Powell all the way to victory.
^ My point was that it SHOULDN'T have been balanced. I would have much rather seen a 60/40 split run to pass ratio in those conditions. Both the condition of the weather and the way the Pats were playing, it only makes sense to grind out those games. Forcing the Pats back against the wall to make mistakes. Alas for whatever reason it was thought to be a better idea to let a rookie with accuracy concerns have a shootout with Tom Brady in a torrential downpour.
