Chris Rainey's role on offense

This guy is going to present matchup problems for opposing defenses I can see him running reverses, I would like to see him used on wheel routes out of the backfield covered by a linebacker advantage Steelers. I was reading a article and the writer makes a good point they need to stop running him between the tackles he's too small get him in the flat in open space.

 

Yep I think Rainey coud be a real steal in this draft!

 

The Steelers will have to be very selective in how they use this young man.
He is not to big in stature.

 

EXACTLY.. This is what I was saying on another thread. He is very small. He is extremely quick but I dont think he could take the pounding.. I could be wrong

 

Rainey can be very explosive for us if he is handled right. An example of how not to handle him is how Willie Parker was made a starter and got banged around. An good example would be how Tom Landry refused to give Tony Dorsett more than 20 carries per game, often less than that, because of his size.

 

I think he should be used somewhat sparingly this year if the other backs are healthy. Definitely use him though.

Players often bulk up a some in their second and third years, which will help him. Parker put on wight after his first year; I think he went from the low 190's to the low 200's and then to about 210 and still fast. If Parker did not break his leg, he would still be here. The break was in the open field, and not an inside run.

 

I was thrilled that he came back into that game, and while that's a good sign, the bad sign isn't just that he fumbled, but that he got knocked out in the first place... He shouldn't have been. It wasn't really a vicious shot. It was a medium sized hit that he didn't really see coming. That happens to running backs all day every day when they run between the tackles (that was an end-around, but he turned it up the middle).

I'm not doubting he's tough, and he has a way of slithering out of tackles you might not expect him to, but I absolutely buy into the theory that he shouldn't get too many touches. And he shouldn't be run up the middle very much. Maybe the occasional draw, but not the way we use our other backs. "If it's blocked properly" is like saying "If the defense has 11 simultaneous heart attacks," because that just never happens. It would be way more common for Chris to get the crap knocked out of him than it would for him to get through to the safeties with perfect blocking.

Let him return punts and kicks, let him play some passing downs, get him some snaps at WR, some touches outside, and on screens, and let him be a diversion. That will be plenty of touches. Our other RBs are dangerous too. We don't need to lose a major weapon by running him up the gut when we've got 3 guys who are great at that.

 

Very much agree with the last 2 posts.
The kid is fast, and has talent.
I think Haley is licking his chops at possible plays for him, and I HIGHLY doubt, other than POSSIBLY a delayed draw, any of them involve running him up the middle.
I think that was simply because it was preseason, and we really didn`t have many backs to use, to practice those plays, after injuries.
They probably still wanted to see how the linemen would do on those plays, and if it was regular season, they would have chosen different plays, if Rainey was either our only, or next to only, runningback available.
I agree, that even IF our linemen blocked PERFECTLY, he would still not have as good of a chance up the middle, where he would have to face ILb`s, that rarely, can ALL be blocked, as he would, on the outside, where he can use his speed to outrun the heavier players, and take the hits from safties, and cornerbacks, who are at least closer to his size, and couldn`t just crush him into the turf, with their size/momentum.
Not that safteys and corners can`t hit hard, but first they will have to catch him, and using him to the outside gives you a chance to set up screens, etc, with leading blockers, and when the secondary catches him, they won`t be hitting him with 250 +pounders, head on, it will be the 200 pounders catching him from the side/behind...
I like those odds much better for his continued health!
Edit, After re-reading my post, it dawned on me... If they have to catch him from behind... they probably WON`T...
After re-watching those punt returns... wow... that kid is "lightning in a bottle"!
Design the play right, block it halfway decently(ya could probably even miss one or two blocks)...
And no one is gonna catch him in the first place!!!
efff... ayyyy... essss... teeee... FAST is what he is...
Great pick, I think...

 

9 td's this season.

 

That would be awesome!

 

I am not doubting Chris Rainey's toughness, no way, he is tough or he
wouldn't have gotten this far. Its just if he runs into a 250 LB LB 50 times a year
it will take its toll on this 175 pounder. Haley will figure out where and how to use him
for the greatest benefit of the team.

 

I think he'll be used wisely. Tomlin was careful w/ him in camp. He'll be the rtn specialist and he will be used for some wild reverses and sweeps.

 

This play's a perfect example of what I'm talking about. That was not even close to being a vicious hit. The only thing vicious about that hit is the way Rainey's body reacted to it. The hit itself was nothing substantial at all, and would have looked like the nothing it was if Redman, Mendenhall, or Dwyer had taken it. They simply would have gone down normally, not fumbled, and not have been bent in half like that.

Reminds me of a friend of mine from when I was a kid. He would catch a perfect pass right in the stomach, and then dive on the ground. Everyone would be very impressed with his "diving catch." Obviously Chris didn't do what he did on purpose or for any reason or gain. But looking at what happened to him and looking at what actually happened on the play tell two different stories, and the stories are different because of how small he is. It was a CB that hit him. The CB was going half speed, overran him a little bit and basically had no momentum or power when delivering the hit. Rainey saw him at the last second and actually lowered his head in preparation for the hit. It was shoulder to helmet. To suggest that our other backs would have fumbled in this circumstance suggests that this kind of hit must almost never happen. Our backs had what, like 3 fumbles last year? 2 in the last game by Redman alone? And none of them caused by big hits, but instead by defenders getting hands directly on the ball and stripping it, right? It's my belief that that kind of hit happens many times per game, and many hits per game that RBs take are a lot worse than that, from bigger players, moving faster. And our RBs still don't fumble and they don't get bent in half or knocked out of games. Out of Mendy, Redman, and Dwyer, I can't imagine any of them fumbling from that hit. They'd have just fallen down, probably forward/sideways, gotten up, and stayed in for the next play.

Speaking very generally, kick and punt returns are filled with open field, and the chances of breaking a long one are higher and less dependent on blocking. Runs up the middle usually have no open field and are almost 100% dependent on blocking. Now, maybe that will be different for us this year with Colon and Haley (no DeCastro ), but let's at least wait and see before we stick Rainey in there to be killed.

 

they all would have fumbled if they carried the ball like that. rainey has been know to put the ball on the turf from time to time. mendy scares me to once in awhile when that ball gets out away from his body. he's not had a problem but it's not a good habit. one hand could knock it out of there. when either are trying to make a guy miss or make a move on the outside it hangs out there like a loaf of bread. i expect rainey heard about it. you don't drop MT's golden nugget.

 

Actually if you look at the play closely, the LB who Gilbert didn't block well at all got a hand in and jarred/stripped the ball loose initially. He also caused Raineys leg too plant in a very strange position. Rainey was bobbling/trying to regrasp that ball prior to the blow delivered to his head. But he could not in time and that is another reason why he was ill prepared for the hit.

If Gilbert stayes even somewhat engaged (finished the block -- see Heaths block on the same play and even Colons), that play turns out much differently. #50 is the entire reason that happened as Rainey never expected him to be ther and was getting ready to make a cut.

I am not defending him for the fumble, but just pointing out it was Gilbert's lack of an effective block that allowed the LB to get in on that play. Nearly every other Steeler blocked that play very well.

 

You're right that the LB's hand did start the fumble before the CB finished it. But that's on Rainey. I don't have a problem with the block. It wasn't great, but it was okay. I'd say it was good enough. Gilbert had to block that dude for a long time, and he did it well enough to the point where the LB barely got a hand on Rainey, and really had no shot of bringing him down. And all of that happened 5 or 6 yards downfield. Hell, the only reason the LB got away from Gilbert at all is because he gave up trying to get by him, turned around and ran away from him. Miller's and Colon's men didn't do that.

The only reason it turned out to be important was because Chris lost the ball. That's on him, because he needs to handle a defender slapping at him while falling down. Gilbert kept the dude at bay and Rainey was actually by him before he was touched. It wasn't a great block, but it was good enough to get the RB by the guy. It's the kind of thing that will happen every single play, regardless of how good the blocking is.

 

To be a pure scat type of player..After his display against Carolina ,Haley is looking for every play in the book to get him the ball in space at the right time...Quick pitches near the GL,Swing passes,Reverses,Screens and more...

We had a look a few years back when we ran Quads,I rember Logan as the deep Quad basically a sweep play I think we ran it twice and it worked great then we never seen it again...Such a play with Miller,Pope,Saunders, or Paulson whichever 3 we keep out front with Wallace spread wide on the other side would be a sweet play...IF they lean the D to the Sweep side we have Wallace if they slide some help to his side we have 1 on 1 blocking and 1 on 1 tackling on the Rainey side...

On a side note a Team called Surry Central was the king of that Quad set..Their OL sucked ,but they used big guys to block for there quick guys basically turning plays into punt return situations..It can be done on the NFL level as well IMO....

 

not to mention just a mere fake to rainey is going to leave some people unattended on the back side. tee hee.

 

Good point, Mac...
And I am not about to get in a debate with Snack, over whether Mendenhall fumbles too much... `Cuz I don`t think he does... But he sure DOES carry that balll out away from his body like a loaf of bread...
So far, he has only paid the price a few times...
He USUALLY seems to bring it back into his body, and cover it with both hands, before he gets hit...
But, It`s still a bad habit.