Mikie2times Posted December 4, 2004 Posted December 4, 2004 Willis has started 6 out of 11 games this season. If you took the averages of those 6 games and figured out how those stats would apply to a 16 game schedule it would look like this. Att 413.3 Game 25.8 Yds 1594.6 Game 99.6 TD 18.6 Game 1.16 Avg 3.86 Game 3.86 REC 32 Game 2 Yds 309.3 Game 19.3 TD 0 Game 0 Avg 9.6 Game 9.6 Willis says he's in the mid nineties in terms of his comeback. If thats the case, and given these possible stats, he would have basically had the best year of a Bills back since Thurman. I see plenty of things with Willis, it pretty much amounts to a huge amount of intangibles that most backs lack and some rare skills that allow him to be a great player even though he is not 100%. What is scary is if you watched him play at the U. I had the college football package back then and Willis then is not Willis now. Willis played much more aggressively in college, in a survival of the fittest type way Willis has changed his game from a hit the hole power/speed back to a patience/power back. If you watched him play in college you understand what he means about being 95%. The guy could flat out fly back then, it was all power and speed. In the long run his injury might have been a blessing in disguise. Basically it forced him to develop his secondary running skills in order to be effective. If he ever regains his sub 4.4 speed and combines it with his new found patience he will be a very scary player. If he can remain healthy the sky is the limit for this kid.
BillsFanM.D. Posted December 4, 2004 Posted December 4, 2004 Nice stat work. It's all hypothetical given the variability from game to game with defences; but the overall averages should hold reasonable over a 16 game season. Here's hoping Willis blows the lid off the average this weekend and hangs a 200 yard game on the Phins and pushes that season total to near 1000 sooner than expected! B)
KurtGodel77 Posted December 4, 2004 Posted December 4, 2004 The thing is, that Thurman never rushed for 1600 yards. If Willis does that, he'll be better than Thurman.
Guest Guest Posted December 4, 2004 Posted December 4, 2004 Averaging is a good way to get a sense of his numbers, but how many running backs rush 413 times a season?
34-78-83 Posted December 4, 2004 Posted December 4, 2004 The thing is, that Thurman never rushed for 1600 yards. If Willis does that, he'll be better than Thurman. 145881[/snapback] Let's not forget too soon that in 1991, Thurman was the most feared double threat in the entire NFL
Typical TBD Guy Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 And think about the teams we are playing over the next 3 weeks: NFL Rushing defenses (ranked by yards/game) Week 13, Dolphins: 29th Week 14, Browns: 26th Week 15, Bengals: 30th
AKC Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 McGahee's college performances versus his pro performances will contemporarily and even inevitably be considered with his recovery as a bellwether, but I'm not so sure it's going to end up being an accurate way to look at those abilities. I don't watch much college ball anymore, but it's still clear when watching the college game just how common it is for a college back's skills to be a poor fit in the NFL. Willis is bigger now than he ever was in college. He looks to me as if he might just possess as innate a skill at understanding his blocker's field of opportunity and effectiveness as Thurman. He shows very good to excellent strength off a single set of hands, a dynamic that must not be overlooked in assessing his skill sets at this point in time. I have to believe his physical maturity and weight training over the course of his injury rehab have made him more dangerous in the step up to the NFL, a league that accedes the occasional play to speed but more often than that rewards the ability to bust off that first set of hands. Would he have been able to take his 225 pound college frame and done the same things he's doing in the big leagues at 237? The good news is it appears it's a study we'll have front row seats for.
DCM Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 But can he ever rush for 228 in 3 quarters on a snowy December day?
Alaska Darin Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 But can he ever rush for 228 in 3 quarters on a snowy December day? 146019[/snapback] In a loss.
Like A Mofo Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 The thing is, that Thurman never rushed for 1600 yards. If Willis does that, he'll be better than Thurman. 145881[/snapback] Woh, lets all take it easy here...Thurman isa HOF back, Willis is off to a great 1ST YEAR....ultimately he may be regarded better then Thurman, but there is a long way to go before those comments can be made.
Dan Gross Posted December 5, 2004 Posted December 5, 2004 Averaging is a good way to get a sense of his numbers, but how many running backs rush 413 times a season? 145895[/snapback] Good point. The closest I could find from looking at the standard candidates, is Eric Dickerson. You look at the 2000+ yard backs, and they are floating around the 390's. Just as a point of reference... 1993 was the only year that Thurman topped 400 total touches (running + receiving).
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