Cya later 2 back system, we're going back to the days of old - ESPN.com (THANK YOU)

[124]

Addai one of many being counted on for more

By Len Pasquarelli

ESPN.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- Maybe it was symbolic that, in recently addressing his role with the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts for 2007, second-year tailback Joseph Addai chose to plant himself atop a large storage chest in a hallway just outside the locker room.

The ponderous metal shipping locker, painted in Colts colors, is used to carry heavy loads to road games. And Addai, who led all rookies in rushing yards in 2006 despite not starting a regular-season game, also figures to tote a significantly heavier load in the offense this year.

Dominic Rhodes, the nominal starter in 2006, is gone, having defected to Oakland as an unrestricted free agent. The remaining depth chart, at least for now, includes an unproven back claimed on waivers last season, two college free agents from Harvard and Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a guy who played the past four seasons in the CFL.

Total regular-season carries for the quartet: zero.

But the Colts' brass doesn't appear overly concerned, and Addai certainly isn't daunted by the prospect of a more ambitious workload. "We're confident that someone will step up from that bunch of guys," coach Tony Dungy said at last weekend's minicamp.

"I haven't changed anything in terms of preparation," said Addai, who slid into the starting lineup at the outset of the playoffs and finished No. 3 in rushing yards and No. 1 in receptions in the postseason. "When I went to camp last year, I approached it like I was going to be the starter, and I'm going in the same way this year. So it's no different. I mean, Dom was a great guy to have around and we got along really well, and he'll definitely be missed. But I don't want to make too big a deal about the fact he's gone now."

It is notable, however, that less than four months after the Colts became one of the few teams to win a Super Bowl while implementing a tandem approach at tailback, the supposed hot trend already may be waning.

There an old NFL adage that you can never have enough good running backs. But right now, some teams, including a few presumptive title contenders, are staring at depth charts weakened by offseason attrition.

Just when it seemed the pendulum was swinging toward teams that preferred a two-back system, a practice that would have been anathema not too many years ago, the momentum seems to have shifted again. General managers who were justifiably concerned over the effects of wear and tear on their No. 1 tailbacks, and thought that they had found a viable solution by spreading the carries around, suddenly find themselves fretting again about a lack of distribution in the running game.

Seven teams in 2006 featured two tailbacks who each logged 125 carries or more and who also posted more than 575 yards apiece. From that group came all four franchises in the two conference championship games. But now three of those teams -- Indianapolis, Chicago and New England -- will enter the 2007 season without their tailback duos of a year ago. In addition to Rhodes' exit, the Bears traded starter Thomas Jones to the Jets and New England released Corey Dillon.

From among last year's conference finalists, only New Orleans, which still employs Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, returns for 2007 with the top two spots on its tailback depth chart unaltered. Of the other eight playoff teams from a year ago, half still must address varying degrees of uncertainty or instability at the No. 2 tailback spot.

"There's been a lot of movement at the position, starters and key backups, definitely," said New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin, whose top runner, Tiki Barber, retired. "It's really not a position where you want to get caught without enough [bodies]."

Proponents of the shared-backfield paradigm point out that there remain some excellent tailback tandems in the league -- Fred Taylor-Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville, Julius Jones-Marion Barber of Dallas, Clinton Portis-Ladell Betts in Washington, San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson-Michael Turner pairings among them. But there are enough high-profile teams that have suddenly been weakened at the position that the problem definitely is magnified.

The offseason shakeup means that Addai, fellow second-year veteran Laurence Maroney of the Patriots and the Bears' Cedric Benson, like the other two a former first-round selection, are left as starters for their respective 2007 conference finalist teams. And while all three teams are confident in their young starters, they are also left with some holes.

Chicago will rely on five-year veteran Adrian Peterson, known mostly as a standout special-teams performer, to buttress Benson. The former Georgia Southern star has never carried more than 76 times in a season. Jones averaged 283.3 rushes in his three years with the Bears. The Patriots still have third-down specialist Kevin Faulk, but he has just 130 carries total the past three seasons after posting a career-best 178 rushes in 2003, and is a better receiver than runner. New England did sign seven-year veteran Sammy Morris, but despite 132 carries in 2004, his career average is 53.4 attempts. Dillon owns a career average of 261.8 rushes and in 2006, even at age 32, he registered 199 carries.

Complicating the situation in New England is that Maroney is battling a shoulder problem from last year.

A plus for Indianapolis is that it has a healthy Addai, 24, ready and eager to assume an expanded role, if necessary. The great unknown, however, is how Addai will respond late in the season if the Colts ask him to carry the ball 20 times a game.

Still, despite not starting in the regular season a year ago, Addai finished nine games with more carries than Rhodes, and 11 times he registered more touches from scrimmage. His 226 carries and 266 touches during the '06 season were his most since he played at Sharpstown High School in Houston. He notched 76 carries in Indianapolis' four-game playoff run and, extrapolated over a 16-game schedule, that would come to 304 rushes for the year. Counting the playoffs, Addai had 302 carries in 20 games last season.

Even during his four college seasons, Addai was more quarter horse than workhorse, and he never got 200 carries or 1,000 yards in a season because of the always well-populated LSU backfield. Addai averaged just 120.5 attempts for his career and didn't have more than 114 rushes in any season until his senior year. That final season was the lone campaign in which Addai touched the ball more than 200 times.

"But just because no one has asked me to do it, doesn't mean I can't do it, if asked," Addai said. "I'm a little stronger, maybe five pounds more than I was a year ago, now that I've been in the weight program here. I definitely know the game a lot better.

"The biggest thing for me has been learning how to 'unthink' in this second season. When you're a rookie, even at a skill position like [tailback], you're still thinking about everything, and it slows you down. Most stuff comes a lot more naturally now, I'm noticing, so I don't have to think every little detail through. Now I'm just concentrating on showing people that I can be an even better player than I was [in 2006]."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer with ESPN.com.

[nj meadowlands]

Yeah 124, a look at recent Super Bowl participants and winners shows that the ONE BACK system is the way to go.

[124]

Yeah 124, a look at recent Super Bowl participants and winners shows that the ONE BACK system is the way to go.

Oh wow. Two years of teams with 2 back systems, damn that's a long streak.

That will come to an end this season when New England with Maroney, wins it all. They did it with Dillon and Antowain Smith, they can do it with Maroney.

[nj meadowlands]

XLI- Bears (Benson, Jones) vs Colts (Rhodes, Addai)

XL- Steelers (Bettis, Parker) vs Seahawks (Alexander)

XXXIX- Patriots (Dillon, Faulk) vs Eagles (Westbrook)

XXXVIII- Patriots (Smith, Faulk) vs Panthers (Davis, Foster)

XXXVII- Buccaneers (Pittman, Alstott) vs Raiders (Garner)

Hmm...

[gsnts725]

isn't alstott a FB?!

[nj meadowlands]

Yes, but in his prime he always split carries.

[ECURB]

Yes, but in his prime he always split carries.

he was a ****ing human plow

[Barton]

Pastabelli is a moron. The 2 back system is just getting started.

Did he watch the NFL last year? The 2 back system was huge all over the league, and it will continue to be.

Maroney?? He's a guy that NEEDS another back. He cant take a 300+ carry pounding.

[Sperm Edwards]

XLI- Bears (Benson, Jones) vs Colts (Rhodes, Addai)

XL- Steelers (Bettis, Parker) vs Seahawks (Alexander)

XXXIX- Patriots (Dillon, Faulk) vs Eagles (Westbrook)

XXXVIII- Patriots (Smith, Faulk) vs Panthers (Davis, Foster)

XXXVII- Buccaneers (Pittman, Alstott) vs Raiders (Garner)

Hmm...

I wouldn't have called Dillon & Faulk a "splitting-carries" or RBBC tandem in 2004. Philly was a marginal 1-back team at best; Westbrook had only 1 game with over 18 carries including the playoffs (week 4 vs Chicago), so he was hardly a grind-it-out workhorse back taking handoffs. If they had anyone else (like if Buckhalter could stay on the field), they would have used him.

Also in 2002, Garner was not Oakland's every-down back. He got pulled in short-yardage & goal-line situations. Garner had 182 carries; Wheatley & Crockett had 148 between them. That's RBBC to me when no one back gets much more than 50% of the carries.

Even without counting NE & Philly in 2004, that still leaves 4 of the past 5 superbowl winners & 7 of the last 10 superbowl teams who used a multi-back system.

Also the Giants in 2000 used Barber & Dayne pretty equally on handoffs (Dayne actually had more carries). Since 2000, it's been far more common for a superbowl team to employ a multi-back system than a lone-back system where one back gets all the carries other than a breather here & there.

For some teams, it's also more of a function of who is on the team rather than philosophy. Would Seattle really have let Shaun Alexander watch from the sideline while Maurice Morris took 10-15 carries a game? Right. Same with NE in 2004, Baltimore in 2000, and non-superbowl teams with RB's as talented as Tomlinson, LJ, Gore, & Jackson. Is it stupid for the Giants to pull Barber at the goal line when they had that monster Jacobs who was so good at punching it in?

And before we start to anoint this as being a smart move, let's see what happens to Indy, Chicago, and NE after moving away from the very system that brought them so much success. Planning on doing something isn't the same as succeeding in doing something.

[Iceman88]

Has nobody mentioned yet that Pasquarelli is a complete idiot and a hack? He thinks Todd Pinkston is a good reciever.

[joewilly]

Oh wow. Two years of teams with 2 back systems, damn that's a long streak.

That will come to an end this season when New England with Maroney, wins it all. They did it with Dillon and Antowain Smith, they can do it with Maroney.

I can stomach pats will win superbowl predictions from pats fans but not from jet fans.

[124]

XLI- Bears (Benson, Jones) vs Colts (Rhodes, Addai)

XL- Steelers (Bettis, Parker) vs Seahawks (Alexander)

XXXIX- Patriots (Dillon, Faulk) vs Eagles (Westbrook)

XXXVIII- Patriots (Smith, Faulk) vs Panthers (Davis, Foster)

XXXVII- Buccaneers (Pittman, Alstott) vs Raiders (Garner)

Hmm...

Faulk was not used like that, neither was Alstott.

[StraightCash]

Faulk was not used like that, neither was Alstott.

In Mike Alstotts SB year with the Bucs in 2002, he had 146 attempts for 548 yards and 5 touchdowns

In Kevin Faulks SB year with the Patriots in 2003, he had 178 attempts for 638 yards... and also had 48 receptions for 440 yards...

Ya... not really a two-back system there huh?

[nj meadowlands]

In Mike Alstotts SB year with the Bucs in 2002, he had 146 attempts for 548 yards and 5 touchdowns

In Kevin Faulks SB year with the Patriots in 2003, he had 178 attempts for 638 yards... and also had 48 receptions for 440 yards...

Ya... not really a two-back system there huh?

124... got..

OWNED!

[Greenseed3]

"Chicago will rely on five-year veteran Adrian Peterson"

Did I miss something? I could've sworn AD played college-ball and below for the last five years. I wonder if Minnesotta knows their first-round draft pick is now playing for a divisional rival

[124]

In Mike Alstotts SB year with the Bucs in 2002, he had 146 attempts for 548 yards and 5 touchdowns

In Kevin Faulks SB year with the Patriots in 2003, he had 178 attempts for 638 yards... and also had 48 receptions for 440 yards...

Ya... not really a two-back system there huh?

Receptions have nothing to do with being a 2 back system.

You want to call that a 2 back system? Fine, go right ahead.

178 attemps is a big number, so is 146, so fine, its a 2 back system, but 2005 was NOT a 2 back system, was just Dillon.

This year a team with a 1 back system will win it all, and that is all that will matter.

2 back system = Blah

1 back system = Exciting

[Sperm Edwards]

Receptions have nothing to do with being a 2 back system.

You want to call that a 2 back system? Fine, go right ahead.

178 attemps is a big number, so is 146, so fine, its a 2 back system, but 2005 was NOT a 2 back system, was just Dillon.

This year a team with a 1 back system will win it all, and that is all that will matter.

2 back system = Blah

1 back system = Exciting

Exciting is winning the superbowl, not padding fantasy football stats. Exciting is seeing someone who's not worn down by his 25th+ carry of the game.

We'll see who wins it this year. I fail to see how that would be a validation that it is the "right" system though. Particularly since you're so resistant to the opposite being "right" when 4 of the past 5 superbowl winners have used it.

[124]

Exciting is winning the superbowl, not padding fantasy football stats. Exciting is seeing someone who's not worn down by his 25th+ carry of the game.

We'll see who wins it this year. I fail to see how that would be a validation that it is the "right" system though. Particularly since you're so resistant to the opposite being "right" when 4 of the past 5 superbowl winners have used it.

Good for them, facts are it is going out of style already and it is more exciting because the team can swim or sink with one player, I like that. Unless of course its the Jets, then I want depth to the extreme.

[nj meadowlands]

Good for them, facts are it is going out of style already and it is more exciting because the team can swim or sink with one player, I like that. Unless of course its the Jets, then I want depth to the extreme.

Most inaccurate statement you've made in this thread

[#27TheDominator]

IMO this is kind of a silly argument. What's the purpose of a 1 or 2 back system? Or RBBC? I assume it's to have a good running game. Most of these teams use a 2 back system because they don't have one back good enough to carry the load. Sure, some idiots take it to the extreme, like Herm, but I'd rather have LT making his 28th carry of the night than Dominick Rhodes on his 10th any day. You can win with either system. The only reason the 1 back Chargers didn't win the super bowl was sheer dumb luck and a super heads up play by Troy Brown.

[124]

Most inaccurate statement you've made in this thread

Then why is there such an article? It is going out of style.

Rhodes & Addai - Gone

Jones & Benson - Gone

Dillon & Maroney - Gone

Bell & Bell - Gone

Barber & Jacobs - Gone

New started up double tandems:

Jones & Washington

Peterson & Taylor

The only ones left:

Tomlinson & Turner (this will be gone by this time next year, Turner will be a UFA)

Jones-Drew & Taylor

Portis & Betts (soon enough, one of these will be traded)

J.Jones & Barber III (look at Portis & Betts)

Foster & Williams (look at the previouis 2)

Green & Dayne

I'm sorry, but I'd rather just hand that ball off 25 times a game to Larry Johnson, Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Shaun Alexander, Edgerrian James, Brian Westbrook, Rudi Johnson, Willie Parker, Travis Henry, Joseph Addai, Laurence Maroney, Cedric Benson, etc. over a 2 back system anyday.

So, to make things totally clear, yes, I'd much rather have a guy like Frank Gore instead of a combination of Jones & Washington.

[#27TheDominator]

Then why is there such an article? It is going out of style.

Rhodes & Addai - Gone

Jones & Benson - Gone

Dillon & Maroney - Gone

Bell & Bell - Gone

Barber & Jacobs - Gone

New started up double tandems:

Jones & Washington

Peterson & Taylor

The only ones left:

Tomlinson & Turner (this will be gone by this time next year, Turner will be a UFA)

Jones-Drew & Taylor

Portis & Betts (soon enough, one of these will be traded)

J.Jones & Barber III (look at Portis & Betts)

Foster & Williams (look at the previouis 2)

Green & Dayne

I'm sorry, but I'd rather just hand that ball off 25 times a game to Larry Johnson, Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Shaun Alexander, Edgerrian James, Brian Westbrook, Rudi Johnson, Willie Parker, Travis Henry, Joseph Addai, Laurence Maroney, Cedric Benson, etc. over a 2 back system anyday.

So, to make things totally clear, yes, I'd much rather have a guy like Frank Gore instead of a combination of Jones & Washington.

Turner had 80 carries. That's 5 per game. Not exactly sharing the load. I question whether Washington will be a true split carries back, but that remains to be seen.

[AVM]

The reason those teams are getting rid of their 2-back systems is because its extremely expensive to carry 2 backs at one time. If the Colts could have cheaply held on to Rhodes, they would have. If at the end of the year, the Chargers could cheaply hold on to Turner, they will(although it'll be impossible, unless he gets hurt). NFL exec's dont care about "exciting," they care about winning...because as much as exciting puts fans in the seats, winning does twice as much. 2-back systems win...simple as that.

[124]

The reason those teams are getting rid of their 2-back systems is because its extremely expensive to carry 2 backs at one time. If the Colts could have cheaply held on to Rhodes, they would have. If at the end of the year, the Chargers could cheaply hold on to Turner, they will(although it'll be impossible, unless he gets hurt). NFL exec's dont care about "exciting," they care about winning...because as much as exciting puts fans in the seats, winning does twice as much. 2-back systems win...simple as that.

Didn't Oakland sign Rhodes to a 2 year, $7 million deal to do the exact same thing with LaMont Jordan? In today's NFL, that is cheap for a guy whose carrying the ball 10-20 times a game.

[Barton]

I still havent figured out why Joe gives a sh#t about a 1 back vs 2 back system.