Better Play design probably helping Mcfarland

https://steelersnow.com/steelers-name-starting-kick-returner-anthony-mcfarland/

I'm sure we can all agree, let's hope he doesn't lay an egg.

 

Austin would be a better option but I guess they have to do something with McFarland to justify keeping him on the roster

 

I wonder if they think punt and kick off returns is too much. Plus, I would imagine they plan to use him quite a bit on offense as well.

 

Some have already labeled him as a failure..The Coaches and his mates our very positive about his growth and potential..

 

Exactly

And putting McFarland on punt return heck we could have had Green do that as well

 

I think based on his growth rate and potential he will be an excellent player within 15 years

 

As a 2nd. or 3rd. string RB his first 2 seasons he probably got like 5 reps a week..Plus those years was the Ben Offense he had zero value in that type..

Last year he got cut went to the practice squad there he probably got 40 to 50 snaps a week pretending to be the opponents RB all of those went against our 1st. Team Defense ..So his growth could be like those 15 seasons you speak of,, he may have already done it last season...

 

If you go back in this thread, I'm not one of the guys labeling him a failure. In fact, I tried to make a case for using him in certain situations. However, you simply can't ignore his lack of production up to this point and the fact that he may feel he has something to prove in the kicking game. He already made a bad decision in preseason to bring one out and that was likely because he felt he needed to prove he deserved a spot on the 53. That can't happen in a regular season game. This offense cannot afford to be backed up because of stupid decisions like that.

 

Apparently, you don't quite understand the meaning of the word comparison. When you wrote that McFarland is bigger and faster than Sproles, that was a comparison. You also brought what Harris said into the discussion, so yes, you were comparing him to Sproles. You also did it in this very post, claiming that they are going to use him in that type of role and suggesting that it is possible that he might even be better at it. Everything in McFarland's history as a pro makes that a laughable claim, especially since returning kicks was such a big part of Sproles's game and McFarland has sucked on kickoff returns.

Parker ran for over 100 yards in the final regular-season game as a rookie. He had nearly 3,000 yards rushing in his career before the beginning of his fourth season. He had 1,494 yards and 13 touchdowns in his third season alone. McFarland enters his fourth season with 146 yards rushing for his career. No wonder you want to backtrack from such a laughable comparison now.

 

Yup. That was the opening kickoff in the Atlanta game. He made a terrible decision, then didn't do much with the return. That is a good way to characterize his full body of work as a kickoff returner in the NFL. He makes poor decisions and shows now real explosiveness. Compare him to Austin, who looks dangerous every time he has even a little room on a punt return. McFarland just doesn't do that despite his speed.

 

Yes since 90% of kickoffs go into the end zone for a touchback it's a safe place to put McFarland. Especially with the new rule that he can call a fair catch on a kickoff now and the ball will be placed on the 25. If McFarland does something dumb like try and bring a kickoff out the end zone and gets tackled on the 15 then the team will have to put someone else back there.

 

All I know in comparison of Austin, and McFarland is.....I've seen about 4 plays by McFarland in 3(including preseason)years where I went well that looks good, and I seen more than that by Austin3 in just this preseason. I'm not sure if I have seen a faster guy....maybe cheetah in now Miami. I was one of the guys picking at him last year for not playing a lick, but A3 is so fast He messes up angles. I hope He is everything I seen in preseason ....in the regular season, and He stays healthy.

 

Maybe his Coach told him to in a effort to evaluate the return Team .. We have no way to know bad decision or not...Mayne he could have scored if 1 guy makes his block? Again we have no ideal.

 

I do agree with preseason returns. I'm not the coach, but I would want everyone to attempt a return for evaluation.

 

Here are his actual stats/production.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/4241941/anthony-mcfarland-jr

His ypc is even lower than Najee's. 3.5. Whenever I've seen him he falls down from trying to make a cut all on his own, sans anyone even touching him. Hopefully he improves on not falling down.

 

Punt returning and kick returning are different. However, it will be nice to have a real threat back there returning punts. We haven't had a legit threat since Diontae's rookie season when he took one to the house. AB was obviously a huge threat when he had the opportunity, he just didn't take a lot of chances (rightfully so with how important he was to the offense).

In reference to the Atlanta game, I was glad he took that out. He was still fighting for a chance and needed to try to make a play. It didn't work out, but taking the fair catch would've been pretty weak for a guy who needed to make some plays. Fair catch needs to be called there in-season, but fighting for a roster spot you take it out. I remember in the first preseason game Jordan Byrd took a fair catch and I was surprised. He likely was given just that game to make a play and try to make the squad as a returner and he couldn't be throwing opportunities away to a fair catch.

 

To be fair and accurate, McFarland has had three seasons worth of opportunities to earn a larger role on the team and he failed in all three of those seasons.

Austin didn't fail for three years. He suffered an injury that wiped out his rookie season. He was never cut from an NFL roster as McFarland was last season. He didn't lose his job to an undrafted free agent as McFarland did last year.

Eight yards per catch isn't nothing, but it's not good. Also, an average of a half yard per carry is a big difference, so no, 3.5 yards per carry is not slightly less than 3.9.

I'm aware that he might get some opportunities. I just think those snaps and touches should go to Warren, Austin, or Heyward. Those are the three players I think are likely to lose opportunities if the Steelers give them to McFarland. Warren is a much better player. Austin is more explosive and offers a more complete route tree. Heyward isn't a great blocker, but he isn't as bad as McFarland, and he has actually proven his ability to make big plays in a a regular-season NFL game.

 

In 2022, according to data provided by our partner website Quirky Research, 73.5% of kickoffs reached the end zone, with 59.5% of them resulting in a touchback.

 

I'm aware that punt and kickoff returns are different, but I was talking about how they look on returns. Even when Austin doesn't break a long return, he looks dangerous. McFarland doesn't. There is a little bit of an eye test going on there, and when I watch McFarland, I don't think for a second that he is going to break loose for a long return. I know there is the potential for Austin to do it any time he has a little room. Part of earning a spot on the roster should be the ability to make good decisions. McFarland showed he is capable of making a really bad one against Atlanta.

 

"Quite a bit on offense?" I don't see that. I just don't. I see Warren with an increase in touches, not McFarland. He just doesn't produce, not up until now any how. Add in more balls to Pickens, Austin, Muth.

 

Harris had 700 and some snaps last season as his contact gets closer I am sure he wants to cut that number way down.. His future money depends on it...

 

https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/reports/snap-counts/rb.php

2 guys couldn't get paid the other not even on the Team McCaffrey traded after his Rookie Deal..So I am sure Harris has talked to his Coach about a desire to cut his snaps..