Vs Series: Rudi Johnson vs Ced Benson

[*ochocincos*]

I'm actually going to have to go with Cedric Benson.
While I also liked Rudi Johnson, I felt Benson was more of the focal point of the offense compared to when Johnson was the RB.
Plus, Benson helped get the Bengals to two playoff appearances whereas Rudi was only once.

[J24]

Cedric was the offense in 2009 and was playing against loaded boxes the whole season. Rudi wasn't the vocal point of the offense and played on a loaded offense. So of course his efficiency numbers were way better.

[wcu]

(04-02-2023, 11:41 AM)PCB Bengal Fan Wrote: I don't remember Rudi ever going more than 30 yards. 

You remember incorrectly. FYI Rudi’s career long was 54 yards vs 46 for Ced Benson.

https://youtu.be/JBy71PuRje4

[KillerGoose]

(04-02-2023, 02:23 PM)J24 Wrote: Cedric was the offense in 2009 and was playing against loaded boxes the whole season. Rudi wasn't the vocal point of the offense and played on a loaded offense. So of course his efficiency numbers were way better.

I think part of the argument isn't that Rudi's were "way better". I mean, they definitely were, but they also weren't very good in the grand scheme of things. Rudi wasn't an efficient back. Benson was a horridly inefficient back. There's definitely nuance there. They played with rather different teams around them and it's fine to contextualize it but I am of the opinion that the context simply doesn't change the outcome.

A more fair argument would be BJGE vs. Benson. 

[samhain]

I'll take Ced Benson.

He was the engine of that offense in 09. It was fun to watch him take his frustrations out on the rest of the division.

Not taking anything away from Rudi, but any number of backs probably could have succeeded in the 05 offense. I dunno how many could have with the 09 version.

[*bfine32*]

(03-31-2023, 07:29 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Both overrated, but I will take Rudi. Only time Benson reached 4.0 YPC was when they had 6 OL and 2 TE.

By who?

[PCB Bengal Fan]

(04-03-2023, 09:26 PM)wcu Wrote: You remember incorrectly. FYI Rudi’s career long was 54 yards vs 46 for Ced Benson.

https://youtu.be/JBy71PuRje4

WOW, looked like one run in that video over 30. Corey Dillon he was not.

[Nicomo Cosca]

(04-04-2023, 10:35 AM)PCB Bengal Fan Wrote: WOW, looked like one run in that video over 30. Corey Dillon he was not.

Few are.

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(04-03-2023, 09:42 PM)samhain Wrote: I'll take Ced Benson.

He was the engine of that offense in 09. It was fun to watch him take his frustrations out on the rest of the division.

Not taking anything away from Rudi, but any number of backs probably could have succeeded in the 05 offense. I dunno how many could have with the 09 version.

BScott and a washed-up Larry Johnson both went for 100 each in a game, in their minimal playing time.

The OL was the machine that ran the offense, not Ced.

[Shake n Blake]

(04-01-2023, 06:36 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Lopsided result.

Tbh, they've all been more lopsided than I thought they'd be. Especially this one. I've seen a lot of love for CedBen through the years and a lot of discrediting Rudi for having a great o-line, so I'm surprised this is so lopsided.

I thought Rudi would win, but not 92% to 8%.

[*rfaulk34*]

(04-05-2023, 02:27 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Tbh, they've all been more lopsided than I thought they'd be. Especially this one. I've seen a lot of love for CedBen through the years and a lot of discrediting Rudi for having a great o-line, so I'm surprised this is so lopsided.

I thought Rudi would win, but not 92% to 8%.

TBH, i didn't even realize that Rudi had three 300+ carry seasons in a row until i looked up his stats. That explains why his career was so short. 

[Shake n Blake]

(04-07-2023, 01:05 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: TBH, i didn't even realize that Rudi had three 300+ carry seasons in a row until i looked up his stats. That explains why his career was so short. 

Marv used to low key be a very run first coach, and we were also big on the "bell cow" thing back then.

This is why I thought it'd be interesting to compare the 2. They were the 2 biggest "bell cows" in the Marvin era, and arguably team history (talking strictly about carries, here).

Rudi from 2003 to 2006 averaged 20.6 carries per game, while CedBen from 2008 to 2011 averaged 19.8 carries per game.

Rudi was a bit more productive, but had a better o-line and weapons on the outside, while CedBen had a much better showing in the playoffs.

[C0de_M0nkey]

Rudi Johnson was a well respected power runner. He was also a beast in Madden. Cedric Benson had similar speed with less power. He never wowed me outside the playoff game against the Jets. He was just a guy who got the job done.

Cedric Benson was average, Rudi Johnson was above average.

[Shake n Blake]

(04-07-2023, 05:52 PM)C0de_M0nkey Wrote: Rudi Johnson was a well respected power runner. He was also a beast in Madden. Cedric Benson had similar speed with less power. He never wowed me outside the playoff game against the Jets. He was just a guy who got the job done.

Cedric Benson was average, Rudi Johnson was above average.

2008 vs Browns: 38 carries - 171 yards
2009 @ Packers: 29 carries -141 yards
2009 vs Bears: 37 carries - 189 yards - 1 TD
2010 vs Bucs: 23 carries - 144 yards
2010 vs Browns: 31 carries - 150 yards - 1 TD

These were just 5 of his 15 100 yards games (out of 56 games played as a Bengal). None of them impressed you?

I'm not arguing in favor of CedBen at all, I just think it's wild to say he was never really impressive. I say that as someone who used to argue that he was overrated.

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

I loved Ced. I'll always remember him as an all-time Bengals great just for bringing toughness to the Bengals that they sorely lacked. He got a lot of hard yards and was always falling forward. May he rest in peace.

Rudi was much more than the RB with the two highest rushing yardage season totals in team history. The greatest pass blocking RB that I ever saw was Walter Payton. The 2nd greatest was Rudi Johnson, that's why I bought his jersey. He was a step or two above Giovani Bernard and James Brooks, who were both awesome pass blockers. Palmer's elbow was injured in the first game of the season the year that Rudi went to Detroit because of Chris Perry staying in to block on a play and then peeling out of the backfield too soon to go be a receiver. Much like Reggie Kelly's stats, Rudi's receiving stats are poor, and both are poor mainly to being a last second desperation dump off five yards behind the line. That's what happens to skill players that are committed to their blocking assignments.

Both were tough and strong runners, but I'm just a little bit more of a Rudi fan.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(04-02-2023, 02:23 PM)J24 Wrote: Cedric was the offense in 2009 and was playing against loaded boxes the whole season. Rudi wasn't the vocal point of the offense and played on a loaded offense. So of course his efficiency numbers were way better.

Benson only played against loaded boxes because it took a 6 OL/2 TE/1 FB formation for him to actually crack 4.0 YPC.

The year before and the year after when they didn't use a gimmick heavy offense? Both 3.5 YPC.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Rudi, Rudi, Rudi!!!

[J24]

(04-08-2023, 05:48 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Benson only played against loaded boxes because it took a 6 OL/2 TE/1 FB formation for him to actually crack 4.0 YPC.

The year before and the year after when they didn't use a gimmick heavy offense? Both 3.5 YPC.

He ran against loaded boxes because the offense had zero weapons. If anything having that heavy personnel was a detriment to his success.