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Three seasons of Reggie Bush

3 Seasons of Reggie Bush
Rush YPG Per Carry Rec. YPG Per Catch Total YPG Per Touch
Weeks 1-3 26.7 2.76 23.3 4.19 50 3.33
Weeks 5-9 70.8 4.21 41.4 6.09 112.2 4.75
Weeks 10-13 36.8 3.341 35 6.09 74.25 4.28


The above table splits Reggie Bush's season into three segments and looks at his rate stats. The divisions aren't arbitrary: During Weeks 1-3, Bush shared time with Deuce McAllister; in Weeks 5-9, Bush was essentially the featured back; in Week 9, Bush was hurt, playing with the injury from Weeks 10-13.


Hence, his 12 games can essentially be split into three parts and, using rate stats, his performance during the different segments can be analyzed. So what do we find?


Clearly, the middle segment, when Bush was featured and healthy, is the most impressive. The 70.8 rushing yards per game would yield roughly 1,130 yards over a full season. The 41.4 receiving yards per game would amount to about 660 receiving yards. All told, the production between Weeks 5-9 would equal to nearly 1,800 total yards.


To me, that looks like an elite back. And that stretch, those five weeks, are why I'm not ready to toss Reggie Bush on the scrap heap just yet.


The thing is, even when he was hurt, his numbers weren't terrible. His lack of explosiveness is pretty clear from his 3.34 yards per carry average, but his receiving numbers stayed pretty constant. He was still a productive player, even playing with a knee injury that will probably spell the end of his season.