Daniel Thomas when getting 10+ carries...

[nyjunc]

I think one of the major issues for your O last year was abandoning the run game too quickly and passing way too much.

 

[RobertHorry]

I'm not sure I've ever posted in a Daniel Thomas thread. I'm always amazed at the heated opinions on him. If anybody is symbolic of our current and recent malaise, it's Daniel Thomas. Logical backup and rotational type for a mediocre team. If we become a terrible team, then Thomas might be the starter. If we rise to playoff caliber, Thomas will be gone.

It's interesting that RobertHorry believes Lazor will prefer Thomas above Miller. Horry has some of the best instincts on this site. I'll have to keep an eye on this. So far I haven't studied Lazor at all. Every time his name shows up I still think of Bob Lazar the UFO guy. We'll have an Area 51 offense.

Lazor LOVES the power play. While some posters on this site think Thomas is an awful inside runner, which has some merit, he is decent at the power play especially out of the shotgun/pistol formation. On top of that, Lazor will be able to use Thomas effectively as a pass-catching RB, which Thomas excels at more than anything in his arsenal. Thomas is very good at screens, where he can get in space and make people miss.

Lazor is going to run the power play out of multiple formations, but from what I can recall he likes to run it out of the pistol formation the most. Thomas excels most in the shotgun/pistol formation runs (Houston his rookie year, Pittsburgh, etc). He gets more space and doesn't have to use his sub-par instincts as much right away. If he does, he is already in space and make some defenders miss.

I think Orleans Darkwa is a darkhorse here. He destroyed teams in the pistol/power play formations in his time at Tulane. Thats probably one of the reasons they got on to him so quickly once the draft ended.

 

[ckparrothead]

Should be noted that Lamar Miller has run significantly better out of shotgun/pistol than with the quarterback under center in his time with Miami. We're talking 4.57 yards per carry out of shotgun/pistol versus 3.99 yards per carry with the quarterback under center.

Might also be worth noting that over the same time period (2012-13) Daniel Thomas averaged 3.93 yards per carry out of shotgun/pistol, versus 3.58 with the quarterback under center.

That shotgun/pistol average counts a 55 yard run that Thomas had against the Steelers. On the one hand the 55 yard run was great to have, but on the other when you really dissect the run it was absolutely MADE by Mike Pouncey who swung out on the pull far faster than a center should be able to and took Troy Polamalu right out of the hole. Daniel Thomas didn't even have to make a move to blast into the secondary, yet his poor open field instincts and speed prevented that run from being a 71 yard touchdown. Thomas cut back toward the middle once he was in the secondary but he cut it too sharply almost perpendicular to the sidelines, allowing other players to get back into position and limit his progress. It reminded me of the poor instincts Ronnie Brown used to have in the open field on long runs.

Anyway the reason I bring up the 55 yard run is because that run (during which he showed no particularly compelling skill) represents the difference between him averaging 3.93 yards per carry on 55 runs from shotgun/pistol, and him averaging 2.98 yards per carry on 54 runs from shotgun/pistol.

You can toss out Lamar Miller's most significant run out of shotgun but that only takes you from 4.57 yards per carry on 84 carries to 4.27 yards per carry on 83 carries. He's more consistently good on shotgun/pistol runs, IMO.

Personally I do not share the belief that Daniel Thomas will climb through the ranks in Bill Lazor's system, absent injury. I think Mike Gillislee may leapfrog Thomas on the depth chart along with obviously Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno. Orleans Darkwa could as well, and I share the optimism on him (relative to his standing).

 

[Dick Pepperwood]

I'm not sure I've ever posted in a Daniel Thomas thread. I'm always amazed at the heated opinions on him. If anybody is symbolic of our current and recent malaise, it's Daniel Thomas. Logical backup and rotational type for a mediocre team. If we become a terrible team, then Thomas might be the starter. If we rise to playoff caliber, Thomas will be gone.

It's interesting that RobertHorry believes Lazor will prefer Thomas above Miller. Horry has some of the best instincts on this site. I'll have to keep an eye on this. So far I haven't studied Lazor at all. Every time his name shows up I still think of Bob Lazar the UFO guy. We'll have an Area 51 offense.

Well said Dude. I always post on Dana Thomas Threads because he is awful. A 2nd round Bust. Fumbler. Underachiever average player. Falls backwards on tackles. If we were a playoff team, Ladies like this would not be on the team. Dana "Glass" Thomas needs to go. He is like another guy on this team who brings no value to the team, Matt Moore. You know how you know Matt Moore has a Vagina? Remember in Hard Knocks when they give Tannehill the Starting nod (does not know who plays in the AFC East, baffling) Moore is like Ok? Yeah I'm cool being the back up. You think Dan Marino or Tom Brady don't storm out of that room? That's why we have dudes like Matt Moore on this team, and that is why we have had 17 different Quarterbacks since Marino left. You think Drew Brees wasn't the right call? Get a clue. It's called Winning. You need players that will do whatever it takes. Matt Moore and Daniel Thomas are a clear path in the wrong direction if we are even thinking Playoffs in 2014...