Should Mixon get his job back

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(12-13-2017, 02:30 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: If Mixon were averaging 3.0 YPC while Gio was averaging 4.5, I'd understand you guys. That hasn't been the case. They were both playing like crap before (lets be real - 3.5 YPC still sucks) and they're both playing great now. Now we're just splitting hairs (talking about a 0.6 YPC difference with players who were playing really bad - now great) to play favorite. 

I think it's all about the line. I don't care who gets the "starts", whoever is running is going to succeed with the line playing as it has. 

I will say this: Your expectations of Gio are on the high side. 

McCoy is a 10,000 yard back with a career 4.7 YPC. A 1600 yard season under his belt. Basically five 1300 yard seasons. A HOF caliber runner (and TBH every bit the receiver Gio is, and maybe more). Gio has never rushed for more than 730 yards and has a career 4.2 YPC. He was handed the starting role in 2014 and disappointed. Check the game logs:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BernGi00/gamelog/2014/

9 starts
6 starts with 3.43 YPC or less
6 starts with 48 yards or less
Got injured

That seem McCoy-like to you?

As a receiver, sure Gio has been Sproles-like...but Sproles brings so much more to the table that it's kinda unfair to make that name drop to boost Gio. Sproles has 62 TDs in the last 10 years, despite limited touches. Gio brings nothing as a returner, and has only 22 TDs in 5 years, despite getting more handoffs than Sproles has ever had. Heck, Gio only has 7 TDs in his last 3 years. 

I get the sudden resurgence of Gio love after he just had a couple good games in a row (which has been rare for him), but maybe we should pump the breaks on handing him the lion's share of carries, burying Mixon on the bench, and comparing Gio to HOF caliber players.  

It doesn't matter if they both suck, or if they're both good. A difference of 0.6 YPC is still a difference, and a not insignificant one. That's the difference between LeSean McCoy and Lamar Miller this year. It's the difference between DeMarco Murray and Doug Martin this year.

If two guys are running in the same offense, behind the same OL, and one is getting .6 more yards per carry, he is likely better.

0.6 is a bigger difference than '10 Patriots RB BJGE and '12 Bengals RB BJGE.

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My expectations for Gio were a *lesser* McCoy, and it was also a statement based upon the qualification that he was playing for someone like Sean Payton, who understands the value of OL and is a creative offensive mind who knows how to properly utilize pass catching RBs. Not playing for Paul Alexander, Ken Zampese, Ogbuehi, Bodine, etc.

The Bengals' favorite plays for a RB are...
1. Run off right tackle on first down.
2. Do that long wide sweeping running play to the outside that never works, but we try at least 5 times a game.
3. An obvious screen pass that sets the RB up for getting blasted the second the ball touches his hands.

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Gio is an inferior runner to McCoy (hence again why I said lesser) but he's a superior pass catcher. There's no way McCoy is superior. Gio averages 1.7 more yards per reception than McCoy.

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TDs? Really Shake? You're going the TDs-route of why a player is better? That's like the people who said Jeremy Hill was a great RB because he had so many TDs.

Gio had Hill, who was the ultimate running TD goalline vulture, and Eifert (when healthy) who was the ultimate receiving TD vulture. Plus Green who catches 7-11 TDs/yr.

Blount went from 18 rushing TDs last year, to 2 this year.
Calvin Johnson had 5 TDs the year he almost caught 2k yards.
It's not a good measure of if a player is good or not, and you and I both know that.