Reuben Droughns

[Lughead]

BIG BLUE WELCOME DROUGHNSBy PAUL SCHWARTZ

March 13, 2007 -- Newly-acquired running back Reuben Droughns has been assured that the Giants backfield will be a two-headed monster.

 

"They said it's definitely going to be a 1-2 punch," he said.

 

The question is, who is the one and who is the two?

 

The Giants bid adieu to retired franchise rushing leader Tiki Barber and anointed Brandon Jacobs as next in line to inherit Barber's throne. All along, new general manager Jerry Reese maintained that the running game would be a shared role, with Jacobs getting the bulk of the carries and another back in the mix.

 

Last Friday, the identity of that other back was revealed when Reese shipped receiver Tim Carter to the Browns in exchange for Droughns. The trade became official yesterday after both players passed physicals.

 

Based on numbers alone, a case can be made that Droughns should be the starter and Jacobs the complementary back. Droughns, 28, has 50 NFL starts and 3,327 rushing yards, an average of 3.9 yards per carry. Jacobs, 24, has not started a game in his two-year career (he's played in 31) and has 522 rushing yards for a 3.9-yard average.

 

"I don't wonder like that," Droughns said. "Either way it's going to be competition in training camp. The best man is going to win and I think we're going to respect each other for that. At the same time we're gonna cheer each other on and I hope, I know, we can complement each other.

 

"It's not my job. It's Brandon's job, because Brandon was the guy here. He's next in line. It's Brandon's job to lose. I'm sure Brandon doesn't want to lose it, so there definitely will be competition in training camp."

 

Droughns knew his time was up in Cleveland when the Browns last week signed Jamal Lewis. He did not ask for a trade but expected one. "I was definitely happy to hear the team I was coming to," Droughns said. "That definitely makes it a bonus."

 

At 5-11 and 220 pounds, Droughns is a power runner and not the change-of-pace back the Giants envisioned they'd bring in to complement Jacobs. The two yesterday met for the first time as Droughns stopped by Giants Stadium.

 

"I had to look up to say hi to him," Droughns said. "He's a nice-sized guy. I know it's definitely going to be a two-back system, me and Brandon are going to be a pound-it-out type running style, try to wear down the defenses and work together."

 

I am glad Reuben Is coming in and being competitiveand not just comig in to be a slug.

[feefifoefum]

</h1>

 

I am glad Reuben Is coming in and being competitiveand not just comig in to be a slug.

 

I like that the Giants went after another "power" back. Screw that change of pace crap. I wanna see some punishment!!

 

I read in today's Daily News that Jacobs is working with Tiki's trainer. That can't be a bad thing.

[xxi-xxv]

Look for a third down type back in the draft, similar to the Jets Leon Washington.

 

Anyone remember 1990? The 2 headed system of 230 pound Hampton and 235 pound OJ?(until Rodney was hurt n the playoff game) That wore defenses down and I like that style.

 

In no way am I trying to diminsih Tiki Barber and his greatness, we will never replace him, I think we will see a lot less 50 yard runs this year, but I also think we will see more sustained drives as well as less of the 2 yard loss runs as I see a more grind it out attack. Less big plays will traslate to more positive yards plays, which will translate to more ball control.

[randoff]

I read in today's Daily News that Jacobs is working with Tiki's trainer. That can't be a bad thing.

Well? Hopefully Tiki wont 'push' Jacobs to retiring.

[feefifoefum]

Well? Hopefully Tiki wont 'push' Jacobs to retiring.

 

That was a ridiculous comment that Barber made.

:brooding:

[randoff]

Look for a third down type back in the draft, similar to the Jets Leon Washington.

 

Anyone remember 1990? The 2 headed system of 230 pound Hampton and 235 pound OJ?(until Rodney was hurt n the playoff game) That wore defenses down and I like that style.

 

In no way am I trying to diminsih Tiki Barber and his greatness, we will never replace him, I think we will see a lot less 50 yard runs this year, but I also think we will see more sustained drives as well as less of the 2 yard loss runs as I see a more grind it out attack. Less big plays will traslate to more positive yards plays, which will translate to more ball control.

I like it! But what about those Egos like Shockey? Can he be ok with blocking again??? And who's the no. 2 TE? Will Burress be okay with getting less than 63 receptions?

[Sephiroth]

I'm glad we didn't go and get a speed back either. Two guys who can punish a defense for four quarters makes sense to me. I'd think the best way to beat a fast, undersized modern defense is to hit them in the mouth over and over again. Those quick little linebackers aren't gonna like having to tackle two battering rams.

 

Lots of teams have done it. Bettis and Staley, OJ and Hampton. Heck, the Chiefs had Christian Okoye and Barry Word on the same team.

 

 

We get a quick little third down guy in the Dave Meggett/Eric Metcalf mold and we'll be in good shape.

[Virginia Giant]

Thats all well and good guys, but what happens when Coughlin runs the ball just over a dozen times? Hard to punish a D when you don't run.

 

 

With those 2 backs, we should stay in a split back formation and run no huddle the whole game.

[xxi-xxv]

Thats all well and good guys, but what happens when Coughlin runs the ball just over a dozen times? Hard to punish a D when you don't run.

With those 2 backs, we should stay in a split back formation and run no huddle the whole game.

 

This idea that the Giants do not run the ball is silly. They were 7th in the league in overall rushing and 16th in attempts. If you consider balance to be what a good team should do then 16th is right where you want to be in terms of attempts. We were 14th in passing attempts, so the stats say the balance is there.

 

Here is the problem, not enough play action, not enough using the run to set the pass up(Hufnagel?) and again not to diminsh Tiki, but too many 1-2 yard or negative gain runs. Here is an odd stat, the Giants led the league in rushing attempts that gained over 8 yards, they also led the league in attempts that gained less than 2 yards. That was setting up an awful lot of 2 and 3rd and longs, which as everyone knows puts a lot of pressure on the passing game and allows a defense to prepare for the pass better(i.e. ignore play action). Now I agree that there should be more running on 3rd and 2nd and shorts then the Giants tended to do.

 

Like I said, I think we will see less of the explosive gains that Tiki gave us so well and more of the 3 yards and a cloud of dust running attack. I think that will also translate into less negative or short gain runs, which hopefully sets up more manageable downs and distances to work from and allows this offense to get into a rythym. I really hope the Giants start to employ more play action, its really a QB's best friend and when we have seen ELI do it in the past he has done it well. We certainly have the weapons for it in a game breaking TE and a 6 6 WR that can outjump one on one coverage.

[xxi-xxv]

I like it! But what about those Egos like Shockey? Can he be ok with blocking again??? And who's the no. 2 TE? Will Burress be okay with getting less than 63 receptions?

 

Pound it out running attack does not mean that you negate your passing attack at all, in fact it could(should) mean that you use your big play weapons in the passing game at times that are more manageable for an offense to succeed(2nd and 5 as opposed to 3rd and longs).

[Virginia Giant]

This idea that the Giants do not run the ball is silly. They were 7th in the league in overall rushing and 16th in attempts. If you consider balance to be what a good team should do then 16th is right where you want to be in terms of attempts. We were 14th in passing attempts, so the stats say the balance is there.

 

Here is the problem, not enough play action, not enough using the run to set the pass up(Hufnagel?) and again not to diminsh Tiki, but too many 1-2 yard or negative gain runs. Here is an odd stat, the Giants led the league in rushing attempts that gained over 8 yards, they also led the league in attempts that gained less than 2 yards. That was setting up an awful lot of 2 and 3rd and longs, which as everyone knows puts a lot of pressure on the passing game and allows a defense to prepare for the pass better(i.e. ignore play action). Now I agree that there should be more running on 3rd and 2nd and shorts then the Giants tended to do.

 

Like I said, I think we will see less of the explosive gains that Tiki gave us so well and more of the 3 yards and a cloud of dust running attack. I think that will also translate into less negative or short gain runs, which hopefully sets up more manageable downs and distances to work from and allows this offense to get into a rythym. I really hope the Giants start to employ more play action, its really a QB's best friend and when we have seen ELI do it in the past he has done it well. We certainly have the weapons for it in a game breaking TE and a 6 6 WR that can outjump one on one coverage.

 

 

 

Yes yes yes, the Giants ran alot, now split those stats up into first half and second half rushes. It's fine if you establish the run in the first half and conrtol the game tempo and the ball, but from there you can't go into the second half abandoning the run and airing it out.

[xxi-xxv]

Yes yes yes, the Giants ran alot, now split those stats up into first half and second half rushes. It's fine if you establish the run in the first half and conrtol the game tempo and the ball, but from there you can't go into the second half abandoning the run and airing it out.

 

A lot of times teams would start stacking 8 men in the box(particularly in the 2nd half of games) and force the Giants to do 3 things.1)have to keep their game breaking TE in to block as there were just too many guys at the line and 2) make the QB make plays down the field to beat the 8 man front. 3)Double team Plaxico along the way and force one of the other WR's to beat them.

 

Sadly when Amani went down there was no way for us to combat this alignment that we saw time and time again.

 

WHat I will say is this, the gameplan NEVER EVER EVER incorporated enough play action into it. Oddly we saw ELI in more shot gun formation vs an 8 man front than play action.

[Virginia Giant]

A lot of times teams would start stacking 8 men in the box(particularly in the 2nd half of games) and force the Giants to do 3 things.1)have to keep their game breaking TE in to block as there were just too many guys at the line and 2) make the QB make plays down the field to beat the 8 man front. 3)Double team Plaxico along the way and force one of the other WR's to beat them.

 

Sadly when Amani went down there was no way for us to combat this alignment that we saw time and time again.

 

WHat I will say is this, the gameplan NEVER EVER EVER incorporated enough play action into it. Oddly we saw ELI in more shot gun formation vs an 8 man front than play action.

Look, I understand that, it doesn't excuse abandoning the run IMO. 8 in the box? Run the 260 lbs beast a few times, throw a screen to Tiki. Not putting the game in a struggling QB's hand and keeping out D on the field the entire second half.

[Treehugger]

Last Friday, the identity of that other back was revealed when Reese shipped receiver Tim Carter to the Browns in exchange for Droughns. The trade became official yesterday after both players passed physicals.

 

Amazing Carter didn't burst his spleen on the flight there. Way to pull through for us right when we need you healthy Timmy!

[xxi-xxv]

Look, I understand that, it doesn't excuse abandoning the run IMO. 8 in the box? Run the 260 lbs beast a few times, throw a screen to Tiki. Not putting the game in a struggling QB's hand and keeping out D on the field the entire second half.

 

For better or worse Tiki Barber was the featured back, they were not going to remove him to put in a 260 pound RB to run against an 8 man formation. Remember Tiki biching after the Jags game?(a game where the run game was rendered useless thanks to an inability to go against the Jags stacked line)imagine how he would bitch if say all of a sudden he gets 2 carries in the 2nd half of a game and Jacobs gets 12? There are not too many RB's that would have success against an 8 man front on a consistent basis anyway. Just like there are not too many Rb's who would not succeed in the Colts system where the safeties are forced to play 15-20 yards back and play the pass at all times. Screen passes in an 8 man front are about as useful as a dive into the line. It leaves the Qb with little or no protection in waiting for a screen to develop(as that is the core factor in the success of a screen) and basically allows the defenders at the line to not overpursue and wait and make tackles. To beat the 8 man fronts we saw what we needed to do early in the year (Plax and Amani vs Eagles and particularly that home Skins game which IMO was Elis best of the year, same as the Dallas road game). I am hoping with some healthy wideouts and fresh legs at that RB spot at all times we can keep teams more off balance than we had in the past. That is why I am more apt to like the type of running game that methodically pounds it out and mixes in the play action and screens, to keep teams off balance. Sadly our running attack(as most any teams would be) was crippled by an 8 man front and we had nothing that could counter it based on the personnel we trotted out there after week 8. Hopefully Moss can develop into that guy you must account for at all times and allow us to counter these type fronts we often saw the 2nd half of 06.

[boohyah]

A lot of times teams would start stacking 8 men in the box(particularly in the 2nd half of games) and force the Giants to do 3 things.1)have to keep their game breaking TE in to block as there were just too many guys at the line and 2) make the QB make plays down the field to beat the 8 man front. 3)Double team Plaxico along the way and force one of the other WR's to beat them.

 

Sadly when Amani went down there was no way for us to combat this alignment that we saw time and time again.

 

WHat I will say is this, the gameplan NEVER EVER EVER incorporated enough play action into it. Oddly we saw ELI in more shot gun formation vs an 8 man front than play action.

 

 

Couldn't agree more. I love smashmouth football, but if the defense knows what's coming they react and like you said, they knew Tiki was coming so they stacked the line. It just goes to show you how good of a runner Tiki was because he made something out of nothing a lot of times. Jacobs will not read the blocks as well, so he will depend more on his strength. Truth is a lot of the stronger players in this league get hurt the most and we've seen that happen to Jacobs already where he's gotten nicked up. It makes Droughans ability all the more important to us.

 

The idea is to keep the defense honest, and Coughlin and Hufnagel seemed to have no clue how to do that. With guys like Moss and carter, did anyone ever think of an end around??. We haven't used play action since Collins and Fassel, (collins was actually very good at it), and we have a team right now that is more suited to play action because we had the perfect foil for it in Tiki. Even in goaline situation, this team are trying to bust our running backs up the middle 3-4 times, without any variation. whatever happened to faking the handoff and having the running back launch himself into the pile and then have the tight end or wide out peel off the line for the throw. I don't remember us doing that once last year. It seems pretty basic but effective, and truth is we had the perfect group on offesnse to pull this off, however that seems to be the sort of thing that goes way over Coughlin's head.

[xxi-xxv]

Couldn't agree more. I love smashmouth football, but if the defense knows what's coming they react and like you said, they knew Tiki was coming so they stacked the line. It just goes to show you how good of a runner Tiki was because he made something out of nothing a lot of times. Jacobs will not read the blocks as well, so he will depend more on his strength. Truth is a lot of the stronger players in this league get hurt the most and we've seen that happen to Jacobs already where he's gotten nicked up. It makes Droughans ability all the more important to us.

 

The idea is to keep the defense honest, and Coughlin and Hufnagel seemed to have no clue how to do that. With guys like Moss and carter, did anyone ever think of an end around??. We haven't used play action since Collins and Fassel, (collins was actually very good at it), and we have a team right now that is more suited to play action because we had the perfect foil for it in Tiki. Even in goaline situation, this team are trying to bust our running backs up the middle 3-4 times, without any variation. whatever happened to faking the handoff and having the running back launch himself into the pile and then have the tight end or wide out peel off the line for the throw. I don't remember us doing that once last year. It seems pretty basic but effective, and truth is we had the perfect group on offesnse to pull this off, however that seems to be the sort of thing that goes way over Coughlin's head.

 

Sad thing is ELI excels in play action. Week 5 after the bye Giants are 1-2, facing the Skins. Sitting there in the stadium you could see the SKins plan was to stack the line against TIKI. What did we do? Play action out of it and I believe we ELI completed 2 long passes over 50, one to Plax and one to Amani. Same in the Dallas game on MNF. The long pass that Eli threw to Toomer off play action was so good I swear on my life everyone in the crowd did not realize it was a pass until Amani was 12 yards past the defender and the ball was in the air. The kid knows how to play fake.

[boohyah]

Sad thing is ELI excels in play action. Week 5 after the bye Giants are 1-2, facing the Skins. Sitting there in the stadium you could see the SKins plan was to stack the line against TIKI. What did we do? Play action out of it and I believe we ELI completed 2 long passes over 50, one to Plax and one to Amani. Same in the Dallas game on MNF. The long pass that Eli threw to Toomer off play action was so good I swear on my life everyone in the crowd did not realize it was a pass until Amani was 12 yards past the defender and the ball was in the air. The kid knows how to play fake.

 

 

Eli throws a great deep ball. sometimes his timing and accuract are slightly off, but with a guy like Plax, you have a good chance of catching it.

[xxi-xxv]

Eli throws a great deep ball. sometimes his timing and accuract are slightly off, but with a guy like Plax, you have a good chance of catching it.

 

yup all the more reason these coaches MUST incorporate it more into our offense. I think a more smash mouth approach to the run game(not to dismiss Tiki and his greatness at all)could help in this regard as I expect to see less negative gains in the run game, setting up more 2nd and 3rd and manageables where the defense will be kept honest.

[Sephiroth]

Like I said, I think we will see less of the explosive gains that Tiki gave us so well and more of the 3 yards and a cloud of dust running attack.

 

 

I don't know, man... I have a feeling you're gonna be seeing B-Jac bust off a lot of runs into the secondary. He's faster and more elusive than people think.