05-21-2019, 05:31 PM
(05-21-2019, 12:23 PM)Nately120 Wrote: The whole "run Mixon" thing was cited as a flaw in Marvin's gameplan, so I'm just wondering what happens if ZT doesn't run Mixon 25+ times per game, is all. We finally have a HC who knows how to do offense and we have a rejuvenated Dalton throwing to Green/Boyd/Ross used right/3 tight ends/multiple catch-n-run RBs AND we can not run Mixon into the ground ala Gurley and the Rams.
I'll admit I'm a bit sensitive to the whole "Run da damn baaaawllll" stuff because for years Steeler fans would complain they were having Ben throw to a slew of WRs he made great rather than running Rashaard Mendenhall up the gut over and over again. They'd always go crazy when Ben would complete yet another damn TD pass from 30 yards out, though. The liars.
Side note - Bonus points for 2015 being the season where the battle cry going in was "GIVE HILL THE BAWAWWWWLL!!!" and going out was "Why did we give Hill the ball!?" Not saying Mixon is Hill, just pointing that out.
Considering how good Jeremy Hill was in 2014, fans were right to call for him to get the ball. He ended up not being up the challenge. Hindsight's great and all, but they were right to run the ball.
You can latch on to Todd Gurley breaking down last season if you want, I guess. He only had two games all season with 25+ carries last year, and only one the season before. It's not like they ran him into the ground near as much as you seem to think they did. Ezekiel Elliot had more than Gurley and he didn't break down at all. Hell, a 33 year old Adrian Peterson had more games with 25+ carries than Gurley did. Mixon's younger than Gurley and has less miles on the tires anyways considering he didn't play for a full year in college. I think he can handle it.
They can afford to ride Joe harder than they did last year - especially earlier in the season - because they don't there's not going to be any important games later on to worry about. It'd help Andy Dalton, it's help the receivers, and it would help a defense coming off a historically bad season. If you want to cut his carries down, do it in late November/early December when you've hopefully given yourself a reason too, but if the Bengals go into next season saying "well we need to limit Mixon's touches for when we need him in January" they're nuts.
