So how has our run game fared during Marv's tenure?

[Shake n Blake]

Marv has always had a reputation as a coach who puts the run game first. Yet when looking at the rankings, our run game has mostly been terrible during his tenure.

2003- 13th (inherited Dillon and Rudi)
2004- 17th
2005- 11th
2006- 26th
2007- 24th
2008- 29th
2009- 9th (used an extra lineman all year)
2010- 27th
2011- 19th
2012- 26th

We've been 24th or worse in 5 of the last 7 seasons. During these 7 seasons, we've only averaged 4 per carry or better 1 time: 2009 with the unbalanced line/extra lineman. In the other 6 seasons during this span, we've averaged a meager 3.73 per carry.

So what's the problem? Could it be that Marvin is just a poor talent evaluator? Corey and Rudi preceded Marv, so lets look at the RBs that Marv has brought in, and what they accomplished here:

Cedric Benson: 1109 carries, 3.77 per carry, 15 fumbles. The definition of mediocre.

Bernard Scott: 255 carries, 4.06 per carry, 3 fumbles. Showed promise, but wasn't used enough and really couldn't stay healthy.

Kenny Watson: 242 carries, 4.62 per carry, 6 fumbles. Came with Marvin from the Skins. Very underrated, but seldom used (other than '08).

Chris Perry: 177 carries, 3.42 per carry, 9 fumbles. Couldn't stay healthy, couldn't hold on to the football.

Law Firm: 142 carries, 3.43 per carry, 3 fumbles. Has been a terrible disappointment.

Brian Leonard: 63 carries, 4.3 per carry. Very rarely used as a runner.

So why do you think we've had so little success running the ball under Marv?

[Abspara]

We've had so little success because Giggles has been given inferior talent to work with.

Inferior coaching staff
+
Inferior players
=
Inferior results.

[thompson19osu]

Originally Posted by Shake n Blake

Marv has always had a reputation as a coach who puts the run game first. Yet when looking at the rankings, our run game has mostly been terrible during his tenure.

2003- 13th (inherited Dillon and Rudi)
2004- 17th
2005- 11th
2006- 26th
2007- 24th
2008- 29th
2009- 9th (used an extra lineman all year)
2010- 27th
2011- 19th
2012- 26th

We've been 24th or worse in 5 of the last 7 seasons. During these 7 seasons, we've only averaged 4 per carry or better 1 time: 2009 with the unbalanced line/extra lineman. In the other 6 seasons during this span, we've averaged a meager 3.73 per carry.

So what's the problem? Could it be that Marvin is just a poor talent evaluator? Corey and Rudi preceded Marv, so lets look at the RBs that Marv has brought in, and what they accomplished here:

Cedric Benson: 1109 carries, 3.77 per carry, 15 fumbles. The definition of mediocre.

Bernard Scott: 255 carries, 4.06 per carry, 3 fumbles. Showed promise, but wasn't used enough and really couldn't stay healthy.

Kenny Watson: 242 carries, 4.62 per carry, 6 fumbles. Came with Marvin from the Skins. Very underrated, but seldom used (other than '08).

Chris Perry: 177 carries, 3.42 per carry, 9 fumbles. Couldn't stay healthy, couldn't hold on to the football.

Law Firm: 142 carries, 3.43 per carry, 3 fumbles. Has been a terrible disappointment.

Brian Leonard: 63 carries, 4.3 per carry. Very rarely used as a runner.

So why do you think we've had so little success running the ball under Marv?

I think you answered your own question by the parts I have bolded. Aside from my rip on Marv I simply don't believe he plays the best talent. I remember really liking Watson although he didn't seem to get much love on the board. Brian Leonard produces any time he is on the field yet he sees limited snaps. People say he isn't an every down back and I can't speculate one way or another b/c he simply never has been asked to do that. All I know is he produces when he is on the field. We know he is a great receiver as well. I personally would rotate him and Peerman and then use BJGE for what he does best, grinding out 2 yard gains in 3rd and short or goal line situations. In the Denver game the Bengals ran a misdirection pitch out to BJGE and the whole right 1/3rd of the field was wide open for a couple seconds and the dude was just too slow to get there. I don't remember how many yards he got there but it was either a really short gain or no gain. It really looked at first like it could have been a huge play and it probably would have been if we had a back in there with some speed. Marvin Lewis like to play a power run game but it never seems to do much. He talks about RBBC with a speedster (although Scott is injured), but the speed back never seems to carry very many snaps a game. He really seems to use the backs opposite of how they should be used IMO.

[Ryan Mc]

Originally Posted by Shake n Blake

...So why do you think we've had so little success running the ball under Marv?

Because we haven't made much effort to acquire good young talent at that position. We spent a 1st round pick on the injury-plagued Chris Perry and a 2nd round pick on Kenny Irons who blew out a knee and never played for us. Otherwise, (not counting FBs) we've never used higher than a 6th round pick on a RB under Lewis.

[yellowxdiscipline]

Bad talent evaluation at RB.. Corey and Rudi were inherited and both were good backs. Since then we haven't had jack ****.

[Shake n Blake]

Originally Posted by Ryan Mc

Because we haven't made much effort to acquire good young talent at that position. We spent a 1st round pick on the injury-plagued Chris Perry and a 2nd round pick on Kenny Irons who blew out a knee and never played for us. Otherwise, (not counting FBs) we've never used higher than a 6th round pick on a RB under Lewis.

That's a huge part of the problem. We've had 8 drafts since Chris Perry was taken, and only once have we taken a back higher than the 6th round? That's nuts. We might be the only team that can say that.

[bengalfan74]

There's never been a true overall philosophy here. It's been wishy washy back and forth forever. Mike Brown throws his 2 cents in from time to time and demands this player or that. We're power run one season, air it out the next. Carson demands we bring in T.O. and it's done ! Brat rewrote the offense every other week, we've had no true overall gameplan, we're a dog chasing it's tail.

How can we ever be truly good at any one thing when we don't even know what we're trying to be ?