Why not use both Sellers & Duckett in goal line situations?

Here's my thought on Duckett's absence, thus far:

As the season progresses running backs take a pounding, their bodies wear down. So too, do the defensive players trying to stuff the run. TJ Duckett is a very big body that runs extremely well and guess what? He's fresh. I seriously doubt this was/is the plan but it works extremely well to our advantage now.

Time to face reality guys, if we haven't seen much of Duckett to this point chances are we're just not going to. Gibbs is comfortable with Portis and Betts and on occasion, Sellers.

See ya next week for the next installment of "Where's Duckett?"

During short yardage how could Gibbs be comfortable with sending Portis up the middle of line over Betts or Duckett?

Betts at 260 lbs, Duckett at 254 lbs and Portis at 205 lbs, Hell my 13 year old daughter could tell which two out of the three is going to have a bigger impact between the tackles.

Now, getting to the outside I would give it to Portis all day long, but up the middle, you have to go with a big load.

Didn't Gibbs coach when Riggins was playing?

Maybe he just didn't watch all those short yardage plays back in the day.

Just like him not watching Novak kicked on Sunday.

well at least Ive really enjoyed having him on madden. i break huge runs with this cat getting him 1-1 with a db & plowing them over to race toward the endzone...

I do think its kinda shitty of us if we picked him up only because we didn't want to have him play against us in philly and keep them one dimensional.

I understand why, though...Can you imagine if philly had a bruiser back and westbrook line up in a split back set with mcnabb back there too? You wouldn't know what the hell to do. Right now, at least you know they ain't pounding it up the middle...


but still its a shitty thing to do to a player...

It doesn't matter how much a RB weighs if the offensive line gets blown off the ball, which is what happened against Dallas.

And Betts did have a shot down there too and was stuffed.

Let's not over-react - Portis is a damn-fine goal line back.

It was just one bad series - where most of the blame should be on the o-line. Sellers and/or Duckett wouldn't have had much more luck in those scenarios.

I will pose the question, though - why don't we ever have Portis jump to the outside in goal line situations? Priest Holmes made a career of this - and if they're stacked up in the middle - Portis definitely has the speed to beat them to the outside...

As far as Duckett, I'm with Matty - it's not going to happen this year - if we stop talking about it maybe, just maybe we can forget about what we gave up for nothing...

I agree with you that Portis should go outside way more at the goaline. Why not, he has the speed and the middle is clogged with bodies. If he gets outside he might just have to avoid one person.

I will disagree on your assessment that Portis is being a great goaline back. I think he is an average goaline back. The rest of his skills are excellent, but i have thought since he got here that he was average at the goaline, even last year.

I agree with you that Portis should go outside way more at the goaline. Why not, he has the speed and the middle is clogged with bodies. If he gets outside he might just have to avoid one person.

I will disagree on your assessment that Portis is being a great goaline back. I think he is an average goaline back. The rest of his skills are excellent, but i have thought since he got here that he was average at the goaline, even last year.

He was a pretty good goaline runner in Denver where he scored 29 TDs in 2 seasons. The offensive line makes or breaks you in those situations. Sure a back can make a great play by going over the top or bulling his way in every now and then, but 9 times out of 10 if the line doesn't open a crease the back is going nowhere.

Let's not over-react - Portis is a damn-fine goal line back.

It was just one bad series - where most of the blame should be on the o-line. Sellers and/or Duckett wouldn't have had much more luck in those scenarios.

I will pose the question, though - why don't we ever have Portis jump to the outside in goal line situations? Priest Holmes made a career of this - and if they're stacked up in the middle - Portis definitely has the speed to beat them to the outside...

As far as Duckett, I'm with Matty - it's not going to happen this year - if we stop talking about it maybe, just maybe we can forget about what we gave up for nothing...

portis is in fact a damn fine back, and yes the o-line deserves the brunt of the blame, but lets not kid ourselves- portis is NOT a better goalline back than TJ. Portis is more likely to run it in from 5 yards out than he is from 1. As for seeing TJ, i too am with you guys, if we haven't seen him yet, chances are we aren't going to...unless the coaches become as DISGUSTED as we are that we have been smashing a Ferrari into the wall when we have a bulldozer on the bench.

[quote=Mattyk72;242070]It doesn't matter how much a RB weighs if the offensive line gets blown off the ball, which is what happened against Dallas.


I seen many "big" backs over the years move piles.

Not many "little" backs have had an impact moving people.

How many times have seen big backs like Earl Campbell, Czonka, Gerald Riggs, Riggins and last years Sellers send linebackers backwards once the made it past the line.

Like all the women say "size matters"

It all starts up front. The size of the RB is overrated.

It doesn't matter how much a RB weighs if the offensive line gets blown off the ball, which is what happened against Dallas.

And Betts did have a shot down there too and was stuffed.

You're right about that. I still think that Duckett may be a slightly better goaline back than Portis, plus we could save wear and tear on Portis which has been a problem this year and probably will be more and more in the future.

If Tiki can give up the goaline carries, Portis can too.