NFL Championship Games: The Running Backs
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by user Josh Q. Public
Josh Q. Public: Is it getting better? Or, do you feel the same? Will it make it easier on you, now you got someone to blame? -U2
Public Service Announcement:
OK, here we go. One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do. LaDainian Tomlinson. Larry Johnson. Shaun Alexander. Tiki Barber. Best running backs in the National Football League. LaDainian Tomlinson. Larry Johnson. Shaun Alexander. Tiki Barber. Done for the year. It takes two to make a thing go right. It takes two to make it outta sight. Hit it! The Chicago Bears. The New Orleans Saints. The New England Patriots. The Indianapolis Colts. They all employ dynamic duos. They all are playing for it all.
Chicago Bears: Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Thomas Jones. You stick around, I’ll make it worth your while. Got numbers beyond what you can dial. Maybe it’s because I’m so versatile. Numbers and versatility. That’s Thomas Jones. He’s run for over 1,200 yards the past two seasons. He can pass block. He can catch passes. He is elusive. He broke Tiki’s all time rushing record at the University of Virginia. He is coupled with Cedric Benson. Fourth overall draft pick. The Punisher. Powerful and bruising. Hard- they’re calling card. With these two totally different styles, it makes it hard for defenses to adjust. Very hard indeed.
New Orleans Saints: It takes two baby, to make a dream come true. Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush. Deuce McAllister. The Deuce is loose. Coming back from a knee surgery. Coming back with a vengeance. The thunder part of the backfield. Saints all-time leading rusher. He moves the pile. He can deek if he needs to. He gets the tough yards. The rough yards. In his first-ever playoff start, McAllister rushed for 143 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. He had 4 catches for 20 yards and another touchdown. He has help. Reggie Bush. Lightning. Mr. Excitement. St. Reggie. He reverses field, woop! He fiddles, woop! He diddles, woop! Gone!
New England Patriots: Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney. Corey Dillon. Driving dirty. Corey Dillon has a tattoo on his chest. The ink says: Down & Dirty. How apropos. Down & Dirty. That’s how this cat plays. Bone-crushing, will breaking, smashmouth football. 14th all-time leading rusher in the NFL. Leads all active backs. He’s been to the Promised Land. He has a ring. He knows what he’s doing. He’s leading the charge. Right behind him? Laurence Maroney. The Kid. Tick, tick, tick, boom! He’s big. He’s fast. He’s an explosion waiting to happen. He loves the stiff-arm. He is the future of the New England Patriots.
Indianapolis Colts: Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai. Dominic Rhodes. The little fella. Coming up big. Getting the big yards. The first undrafted player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards as a rookie. Last week against the Ravens during the Colts’ final clock-eating possessions, he was the featured back. The featured back that led the squad to a field goal with 23 seconds left. The featured back that ran the rock five consecutive times to start the drive and 11 of the 13 snaps. Nothing flashy. Just effective. Leave the flash for Joseph Addai. The Colts’ number one draft pick. The NFL rookie rushing leader. The NFL rookie rushing leader without starting a single game. He starts now. He starts in the playoffs. He started against the Chiefs. Rushed for 122 against the Chiefs. Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack gets through the hole lickety-split.
The NFL is a copy cat league. Four teams left in the playoffs. Four teams with a two pronged running attack. How long before every one is copying these cats?
Peace out homies. Six two and Even! josh q. public
