Better Play design probably helping Mcfarland

LoL. It was supposed to be a joke My friend.

 

Yeah, mine too. I didn't figure I needed the green font.

 

Who

 

No, I said they shouldn't have McFarland get snaps or touches ahead of better players. You can try to play games with the semantics all you want, but Washington has value when he is on the field even when he doesn't get the ball. McFarland doesn't.

I never wrote that McFarland couldn't pull off a receiver's block, but the only reason to play him over one of those receivers is the threat of moving him into the backfield. That he is worthless as a pass blocker makes that threat less of a concern for opposing defenses. Do you want him to take snaps away from Austin because he might be a better blocker? That makes no sense.

I'm not being coy. I brought up Willis and Green to illustrate the danger of overvaluing physical traits while not putting enough focus on what these players actually do on the field. I think that is where you and I differ in our evaluation of players. That is why you liked Willis more than Pickett. You were blinded by the big arm and ignored the massive flaws in his game. I never claimed that the Titans made a mistake using a third-round pick on Willis. I wrote at the time that if the Steelers hadn't gotten Pickett in the first round, I'd have been okay with them rolling the dice on Willis in the third. That's what he is, though, a huge gamble. I don't hate taking a high-risk, high-reward player in the third round, but taking him in the first would have been a huge mistake. Obviously, the entire NFL agreed with me and his performance so far backs up that evaluation.

I'm not sure what you mean by pinning things on Green's athleticism. I don't think you understood my argument. I think you are too caught up in his physical tools to see just how bad he has been. It isn't just bad snaps. The guy gets shoved into the backfield consistently. He ends up on the ground way too often. This has happened even when he played guard in preseason games. Make excuses for him all you like, but the guy has been an absolutely terrible player.

 

Wow it sounds like we had Barry Sanders on our team the last 3 years and no one knew it. But that was just Tomlin playing chess while the rest of the league was playing checkers. He privately told McFarland after he drafted him to pretend to suck his first 3 years in the league and then in year 4 it will be time to unleash hell on the rest of the NFL. I truly pity our opponents this year trying to stop the unstoppable force Anthony McFarland.

 

STOP!!!! Hating on McFarland.

Damn dude, are you a Steelers fan or not?

You are going to be one of those fans who pays good money to go to a game and spends all his time booing his own team. As someone who sees more road Steeler games than home; I just have never understood those "Hater" fans that show up just so they can Boo their own team.

 

Good luck with that

 

Last year I had to force myself to stay away from the Larry-O thread, because it was turning me into a hater.

I haven't been down that "Hater Path" since WrongWay Tommy Maddox, and I promised myself never again. I want to root for my team

 

I don’t believe anyone thought you were a hater with Larry-O

Certainly not me and I harassed you about him

It was your conspiracy theory about his physical that was ridiculous

That’s not hate

 

Did anybody else picture Brice screaming this with a bright-red face and his fingers shoved in his ears?

I'm as passionate as any fan here. Don't question my fandom just because yours is irrational and childish. I see the Steelers for what they are, not what I'd like them to be. I see McFarland as a decent third-stringer who should never see the field unless there are injuries because that is what he has shown himself to be for three-plus seasons. I would be very happy to be wrong because that would make him an actual asset to the team, but I'm far more interested in the team winning than I am in his redemption. That means I want the ball in the hands of better players, of which the Steelers have many. Stating as much isn't hating, so please spare me your nonsense.

 

Exactly. It was ridiculous nonsense, but not hate.

Calling someone a hater usually just means they made an argument you don't like and you lack the knowledge and skill to counter it.

 

Like being called a homer here by a few

 

That is exactly what I was saying I even hit the great joke button as well,...The truth is maybe just maybe I understand.. He needed time and he needed a hole ..So my take is he had the time and they spent the off season trying to find guys who could create a hole ..Foster he is not ..He improved to a 4.57 guy ,our guy was a 4.44 guy coming off multiple injuries .. Stating a 4.3 as a official time and a sub 4.3 as a hand held time..

The morale to the story is he is Fast not only fast ,but Faster than most peeps in the whole NFL .. Not just his position ,but the entire league .. This means something all jokes aside.. His ability to run routes means just as much...Having good hands is the cake on top the cake on top the cake with all the icing on multiple levels .. So you get ready to eat the crow you so much desire and see how many hilarious ranks you get when he has his coming out party ....

 

I take this another step forward and really get out on the limb.. If McFarland was polished at reading blocks and understood his role in the slot and and had the desire to run down hill coupled with the now how of when to do that verses when to go Jets he would have been a 1st. rounder ..

What pushed him down the boards was those flaws no doubt about it , not only has he worked those flaws out he has also elevated his game in route running and how to control his speed .. It takes time and humbleness to hone talent , he needed both and all that is left is to watch the result of that..

This is why I keep saying if he can stay healthy ..I have no doubt he has done all the work, so as such I hope the Football Gods allow him to reap the rewards...

 

Stopwatch superheroes have a way of looking good in practice and preseason, then disappearing when the games start to count. That is his history. That is why he was cut a year ago. I certainly hope you are right, but hey, Dri Archer had that sort of speed, too.

 

So it will be the football gods who failed if he continues to do next to nothing when the real games start?

 

Actually I would be happy if you are right and I am wrong about McFarland. If he turns out to have the season you hope he does, I'll eat crow feathers and all.

 

I hope the two guys ahead of him do not get injured.

Should they stay healthy, I doubt McFarland gets many touches.

I’m glad he’s looking good. It’s his 4th year, he should be. Otherwise, the Khan Artist mantra needs to take a step back. RBs are available as UDFAs. But they don’t last long. Hence why awesome players like the one from the Colts can’t get a contract.

 

McFarland should be a footnote in this offense, nothing more. He doesn't run well between the tackles so that limits the playcalling with him on the field. i.e. sweeps and outside runs.

 

https://www.steelers.com/video/highlight-mcfarland-scores-5-yard-td-vs-falcons

You must have missed this run ..He cut back and got North and South and first contact was #74 at the 4 he ran thru that tackle contacted again at the 3 kept on going contacted again at the 1 and powered across the GL.. Not exactly looking like a guy not capable of running inside...

 

Running backs shouldn't take four years to look good. It is the position where rookies are usually ready to go. Maybe they need to learn to block because they never had to in college, but McFarland still hasn't learned to do that.

 

Yup. He ran right through No. 29 for the Falcons, a defensive back who didn't make the team. Yay?

 

Steelers just signed Quadree, RB who played at Pitt. Does anyone else think he could be better than "I fall down from a touch" McFarland?

 

should this not read "Jenna Jameson" ?
I thought this was the "go to" in RB evaluations?