Game Balls of the Week: Chris Ivory and Sean Payton

I can’t find a problem with your balls this morning. They both look pretty good. It’s going to be very interesting to see how RB touches get split up this week, since it looks like PT will finally be returning to the lineup. I wonder if I should start PT on my fantasy team this week in round 1 of the playoffs. Probably not, but I don’t have any better options at the Fleaflicker league. I’ll have to risk it.

Tusk’s ball security issues (he fumbled yet again last week) and his non-use in the passing/screen pass plays may mean he and PT may get a more even split of touches this week while Reggie gets his usual amount and Jones only comes in for relief duties.

I agree that Payton also deserves a game ball. I’m glad he’s our coach. When he resolves whatever problem is causing the team to blow leads in the 2nd half, I’ll love him even more.

Most everyone I heard from who actually saw the game seemed to feel it was Payton’s exceptionally bad play calling in the third quarter that allowed the Bengals back in the game to begin with.

We have won without him and will continue to do so. Lance Moore does as good a job for a lot less and if they would let Ivory have a few screens, he would make everyone forget about Reggie Bush. Not only would he be better but he would hurt people running down field instead of heading for the sidelines. Reggie is not built for NFL punishment (too fragile and injury prone). How many yards would Ivory have if he had 25 touches a game. I see Ivory getting atleast 1000 yards this season in a part time roll. I say make him the feature back and let him run, like Adrien Peterson, Morirs Jones Drew, Steven Jackson ect. I get chills thinking about it………….

That’s so 2008 man! Reggie’s been pounding fools the last couple years, running north and etc., but you forget, we are a passing team, nobody’s gonna get 25 touches ( or carries). What makes Reggie fragile really? Name his injuries? You can only name two. A mishandled knee and a broken fib. Other than that, no concussions, no twisted ankles, no bad shoulders, not bad ribs, nothing of that nature. PT is the one that’s injury prone. Sure he’s not a pounder but the whole “he’s too little” crap is a horrible misconception fed to the masses. He’s the same size or bigger than Lesean McCoy and Chris Johnson and to be honest I don’t even know who this dude (Bush) is in the NFL. The last 3 years have all been injury filled (A knee he should’ve had surgery on from the get-go) And his first year he shared with Deuce. Not really much to judge. And when he’s in, he’s averaged less than 10 carries a game. All I have to judge Reggie by, as far as what he can do well, is games like the one against AZ last year and the beginning of 2008 when he was leading the league in scoring and keeping us in games until our defense lost it for us. But he was getting touches then but even then, we were pass-happy and our line sucked! So yeah, let Ivory do his thang, he’s hot! But we’ve been here before. PT was this guy the last couple years. And I heard the same type of praises… Next year, if Ivory gets hurt some other guy will come in and people will say, “he’s the perfect blend of Ivory, PT and Reggie…” It’s the NFL, a lot has to do with timing and chance too. Skill and Talent are huge but sometimes people end up in situations where that talent and skill just doesn’t cut it. QB’s are the perfect example of this. Some star Rookie QB’s come in and end up on a horrible team with no pass-protection and no great receivers. They lose their confidence—due to getting sacked so much and throwing picks. Next thing you know, they’re benched, hurt and/or shipped elsewhere only to end up out of the NFL within 5 years. But other’s end up on teams with a somewhat better chance (maybe the receivers are average but they have a decent line) and they are able to maintain that swagger they came out of college with. They get a star receiver (or make one) and boom, they live up to the bill. This happens year after year all over the NFL and not just to QB’s but RB’s, receivers and etc., A lot has to do with timing and chance. And now that I think about it, a lot has to do with coaching and management. Some of these coaches and general managers plug a player in and don’t see how the player isn’t producing is directly linked to player not being set up for victory (offensive-line, receivers, adequate carries, play-calling). Bush in my opinion, may have already been out of the NFL on some teams (or at least seriously considered a major bust which is merely a debate now) and on others he may be the best back in the league or at least living up to his draft status, who knows. Just crack through all the crap and consider all the evidence, which in Bush’s case who knows what he can really be since we haven’t seen him play a full season since 06’ and we haven’t seen him get into a groove as a RB in a game because he’ll get a carry take it for 10 yards then get pulled.

Here’s your reason why he’s pulled…………….Running east and west. I will admit he has run better in a couple of games this year but ……………….The half dozen plays and two punt returns in six years are not justifiable for the price in my book. Beside, you said (Quote) he has not played a whole season since 06.