The Answer to Hightower's fumbling problems: Marcus Allen's traction sleeves

[Timm Rosenbach]

I remember that Marcus Allen had a fumbling problem in Oakland that he seemed to rectify when he went to Kansas City and started wearing rubber sleeves that helped add traction on the ball.

Hightower seems to have all of the tools to be a very effective NFL back if he can just stop fumbling. Will someone in the organization please get Hightower the same type of sleeves that Allen is wearing in the attached photo.

 

[Early]

TH is a beast. He is so much better than Beanie, it's not even close. Blocking, catching, vision, everything.

He still has fumbling issues and that's the easiest stuff to teach, we just don't have coaching to do that obviously.

We don't use him correctly. Warner knew more how to use him with blocking and catching, but even as pure runner, he is a very good back.

We should never have picked Beanie with a back like Hightower.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

TH is a beast. He is so much better than Beanie, it's not even close. Blocking, catching, vision, everything.

He still has fumbling issues and that's the easiest stuff to teach, we just don't have coaching to do that obviously. .

Like you said, it should be a correctable issue with the right coaching. look at Tiki Barber

 

[Proteus]

TH is a beast. He is so much better than Beanie, it's not even close. Blocking, catching, vision, everything.

He still has fumbling issues and that's the easiest stuff to teach, we just don't have coaching to do that obviously.

We don't use him correctly. Warner knew more how to use him with blocking and catching, but even as pure runner, he is a very good back.

We should never have picked Beanie with a back like Hightower.

It looks like there's now competition for the title of Hightower's #1 fan.

Hightower was the worst start running back in the NFL when we drafted Beanie.

 

[Early]

It looks like there's now competition for the title of Hightower's #1 fan.

Hightower was the worst start running back in the NFL when we drafted Beanie.

Says who?

He is one of the most complete backs in NFL. I can name a few that are more complete than him. He excels in catching. Blocking. And he runs the ball hard inside. And he can take it to the next level just as beanie can. He is so much better than Beanie it's not even funny.

Wells is a wasted pick. TH is a very good back and we still don't know how to use all his skills, the offense would be so much better with someone who knew how to use that.

 

[Proteus]

Says who?

He is one of the most complete backs in NFL. I can name a few that are more complete than him. He excels in catching. Blocking. And he runs the ball hard inside. And he can take it to the next level just as beanie can. He is so much better than Beanie it's not even funny.

Wells is a wasted pick. TH is a very good back and we still don't know how to use all his skills, the offense would be so much better with someone who knew how to use that.

He averaged 2.8 yards per carry back in 2008.

 

[Early]

He averaged 2.8 yards per carry back in 2008.

Is that definition of who is the best RB? The YPC, aren't they also just as much influenced by the 5 lineman? TE's? The leadblocker? Playcalling? Scheme? Our scheme was based on draws and short gains.

Also, how about blocking and recieving, where is that in the YPC?

Sorry, but i look at the tape. He is a complete back, besides of fumbling, period. That can be coached, but nobody from our coaching staff can do that obviously.

 

[conraddobler]

Is that definition of who is the best RB? The YPC, aren't they also just as much influenced by the 5 lineman? TE's? The leadblocker? Playcalling? Scheme? Our scheme was based on draws and short gains.

Also, how about blocking and recieving, where is that in the YPC?

Sorry, but i look at the tape. He is a complete back, besides of fumbling, period. That can be coached, but nobody from our coaching staff can do that obviously.

He reminds me a lot of Priest Holmes, always has, minus the pro bowlers blocking for him.

People need to chill out on his stats to a degree, he's great when he has even a small hole, and he rarely does.

He can also get the corner and catch the ball, our line sucks so bad so many times no one has good stats back there.

 

[Stout]

Says who?

He is one of the most complete backs in NFL. I can name a few that are more complete than him. He excels in catching. Blocking. And he runs the ball hard inside. And he can take it to the next level just as beanie can. He is so much better than Beanie it's not even funny.

Wells is a wasted pick. TH is a very good back and we still don't know how to use all his skills, the offense would be so much better with someone who knew how to use that.

That is a joke. I like the guy, and he's a good underdog running back, but he is in the bottom tier as far as starting RBs go. He can't hold on to the ball, can't catch it any more, it seems, and can't outrun people.

 

[Mulli]

That is a joke. I like the guy, and he's a good underdog running back, but he is in the bottom tier as far as starting RBs go. He can't hold on to the ball, can't catch it any more, it seems, and can't outrun people.

He was going pretty fast yesterday. Almost step for step with Bailey (or at least wasn't noticeably ridiculously slower).

 

[Shane]

and can't outrun people.

Who the hell are you watching play nowadays?

 

[Mulli]

Who the hell are you watching play nowadays?

I think he is saying THT should have had at least 200 yards yesterday.

 

[thephoenixson28]

If hightower had acceleration, I think he would be a pro bowl back. Hightower is real good when he gets to the 2nd level.

 

[Stout]

He was going pretty fast yesterday. Almost step for step with Bailey (or at least wasn't noticeably ridiculously slower).

Who the hell are you watching play nowadays?

I saw Champ Bailey without a real pursuit angle, and I knew he'd catch Tim anyway, because he isn't that fast. He rarely outruns anyone, and champ ran him down with ease.

It's not his fault. He just doesn't have that speed. He gets huge yardage when there's a huge hole. He also picks up tough yardage when there isn't a hole. He's a decent rotation back, but a bottom-third starter.

 

[Shane]

I saw Champ Bailey without a real pursuit angle, and I knew he'd catch Tim anyway, because he isn't that fast. He rarely outruns anyone, and champ ran him down with ease.

It's not his fault. He just doesn't have that speed. He gets huge yardage when there's a huge hole. He also picks up tough yardage when there isn't a hole. He's a decent rotation back, but a bottom-third starter.

Funny considering how often he is able to get the edge which is considered impossible to do in the NFL for a slow RB.

Not to mention the # of long runs and runs for TD's he has in his short three year career.

You probably rate Beanie fast enough and in the upper 3rd right?

 

[Divide Et Impera]

A few suggestions on the RB position:

-Find a way to bring in Jason Snelling (a VERY effective backup to our permanent starter, Hightower)
-Trade off Wells for pick or player
-Bring in Tiki Barber as an assistant RB coach, or something (he had fumbling problems and greatly overcame them by adjusting his technique)
-Give our RBs these sleeves

 

[Stout]

Funny considering how often he is able to get the edge which is considered impossible to do in the NFL for a slow RB.

Not to mention the # of long runs and runs for TD's he has in his short three year career.

You probably rate Beanie fast enough and in the upper 3rd right?

Beanie IS fast enough to be in the upper third...but isn't good enough yet to be

 

[Shane]

Beanie IS fast enough to be in the upper third...but isn't good enough yet to be

Whne was the last time you saw Beanie actually get around the edge like we see Hightower do regularly? Seriously?

Nobody is ever gonna mistake Timmy for AP or CJ etc... But to refer to him as slow is a just a little silly. JMO

 

[Mulli]

Whne was the last time you saw Beanie actually get around the edge like we see Hightower do regularly? Seriously?

Nobody is ever gonna mistake Timmy for AP or CJ etc... But to refer to him as slow is a just a little silly. JMO

Brian Billick said THT was the speed back in the offense.

:iwin:

 

[Duckjake]

Still too many 1,0,-1 runs and fumbles for me to think that any back on our roster is a quality running back.

 

[Shane]

Still too many 1,0,-1 runs and fumbles for me to think that any back on our roster is a quality running back.

OL

 

[SuperSpck]

Neat idea w/ the sleeves.

 

[Mulli]

Still too many 1,0,-1 runs and fumbles for me to think that any back on our roster is a quality running back.

Why? Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson have their share of those runs. As did Barry Sanders.

I would say THT is quality.

 

[kerouac9]

Funny considering how often he is able to get the edge which is considered impossible to do in the NFL for a slow RB.

Not to mention the # of long runs and runs for TD's he has in his short three year career.

You probably rate Beanie fast enough and in the upper 3rd right?

But he's not fast enough to get to the edge. When he gets those long runs, it's almost always because he cuts back against the grain after the defense has been sucked into the hole where the OL is blocking toward. One of the reasons that he has so many runs for zero or negative yardage is when he makes that cutback (which he almost always does), and the defense has properly set the edge on the backside and the angle just isn't there. When he tries to get to the edge on a designed run, it's rarely there.

When I was watching highlights of the Jags game yesterday, Lawrence Sidbury reminded me a lot of Hightower. Gained over 100 yards on like 5 carries. Hightower can gain yardage when there isn't much around him and he can get to top speed, but he doesn't have the consistent gains that would allow him to be a top tier starting back in the NFL.

There are easily 15 backs in the NFL, and maybe closer to 20, whom I would start ahead of Tim Hightower. He's like Marcel Shipp; a very good #2 back who can make the most of limited carries, but you can't have as your starter. He's a poor man's Chester Taylor.

And let's not pretend that he was facing off against the 1985 Bears yesterday, either. The Broncos are the 31st-ranked rushing defense in the NFL. They AVERAGE 150 yards/gm on the ground.

Hightower had 1 yard rushing in the first quarter. He had 13 yards in the first half. He had 40 yards through three quarters. He just doesn't consistently gain yardage like a good starting NFL back ought to. That puts us in more passing situations, which is going to put us in trouble when we play franchises who have their stuff together.

 

[Mulli]

But he's not fast enough to get to the edge. When he gets those long runs, it's almost always because he cuts back against the grain after the defense has been sucked into the hole where the OL is blocking toward. One of the reasons that he has so many runs for zero or negative yardage is when he makes that cutback (which he almost always does), and the defense has properly set the edge on the backside and the angle just isn't there. When he tries to get to the edge on a designed run, it's rarely there.

When I was watching highlights of the Jags game yesterday, Lawrence Sidbury reminded me a lot of Hightower. Gained over 100 yards on like 5 carries. Hightower can gain yardage when there isn't much around him and he can get to top speed, but he doesn't have the consistent gains that would allow him to be a top tier starting back in the NFL.

There are easily 15 backs in the NFL, and maybe closer to 20, whom I would start ahead of Tim Hightower. He's like Marcel Shipp; a very good #2 back who can make the most of limited carries, but you can't have as your starter. He's a poor man's Chester Taylor.

And let's not pretend that he was facing off against the 1985 Bears yesterday, either. The Broncos are the 31st-ranked rushing defense in the NFL. They AVERAGE 150 yards/gm on the ground.

Hightower had 1 yard rushing in the first quarter. He had 13 yards in the first half. He had 40 yards through three quarters. He just doesn't consistently gain yardage like a good starting NFL back ought to. That puts us in more passing situations, which is going to put us in trouble when we play franchises who have their stuff together.

I agree with most of what you say, but Marcel Shipp? Come on now.