Montee Ball

[Broncosr0k]

He is back at practice and down to 212 pounds. Hopefully his weight loss can have similar effects that Von Miller's has. He might be able to to hit the holes with a little more speed.

All that said, I think we should keep up with our current guys for a little bit. I say let Hillman/Thompson carry the load until injury or blunder and possibly bringing Ball in toward the end of the season for a fresh legs in the post season.

Maybe a hot hand approach down the line?

 

[cdumler7]

Yeah I saw he had lost the weight and thought that was a good thing. I remember Moreno doing a similar thing of trying to bulk up a ton one off season and lost all his cutting ability that made him special. He thought it would help him handle being a #1 RB to handle taking all the hits but he just ended up getting injured taking bigger hits not being able to side step them. I'm thinking Ball realized as well that running with that extra weight was taking what made him special for us down the stretch last year of breaking tackles.


I also like the idea of easing him back onto the field. He needs time to get his eyes adjusted to game speed once again so I would rather see Hillman continue to be our top guy as he has shown more than enough that he can handle it right now. Then maybe get Ball 3-5 carries a game to start off here and see how he does. Hopefully come playoff time we will have a great 1-2 punch that either of them could go for a hundred yards in Ball and Hillman.

 

[cdumler7]

Just watched some of his interview from yesterday and have to say the guy has done a great job of taking this time off to not only get himself into shape but see what his issues those first few games were. He said that he watched tape from last year when he was running for around 6 yards per carry to finish off the season and to what he was doing here at the beginning of this season and he said he just was running too tentatively. Said the weight being off should help him to have a bit more speed through the hole.


I also think the Appendix issue causing him to miss most of the preseason really hurt him more than any of us wanted to admit. First off him coming back as fast as he did was admirable but I don't think he was ready. I remember after I had mine taken out it took me a few months before I stopped flinching any time anybody even made a movement towards that spot as it was still a bit tender. So I do think some of his running had to do with that plus just missing out on all those reps for practice and then in game like situations. So I really do think this time off and the shedding of weight will be huge for him. You don't just go from 6 yards per carry down to 2 without something drastic happening. Thankfully I do think he should be fully healed up and have enough game like situations over the next month to really prepare him for the final push of the season and into the playoffs where we need him at his best.


I'm going to go ahead and call this now...Montee Ball will be our lead back in the playoffs and will have 2 games of 100 yards or more rushing in the playoffs as the team will lean on him more.

 

[Malibu]

Let Hillman and Thompson carry the load for a while. They have earned it and the running game has been improved since they have been given the carries. If the running game slows down then give Ball a few carries. No need to switch anything quite yet. Just saying.

 

[Malibu]

Just watched some of his interview from yesterday and have to say the guy has done a great job of taking this time off to not only get himself into shape but see what his issues those first few games were. He said that he watched tape from last year when he was running for around 6 yards per carry to finish off the season and to what he was doing here at the beginning of this season and he said he just was running too tentatively. Said the weight being off should help him to have a bit more speed through the hole.


I also think the Appendix issue causing him to miss most of the preseason really hurt him more than any of us wanted to admit. First off him coming back as fast as he did was admirable but I don't think he was ready. I remember after I had mine taken out it took me a few months before I stopped flinching any time anybody even made a movement towards that spot as it was still a bit tender. So I do think some of his running had to do with that plus just missing out on all those reps for practice and then in game like situations. So I really do think this time off and the shedding of weight will be huge for him. You don't just go from 6 yards per carry down to 2 without something drastic happening. Thankfully I do think he should be fully healed up and have enough game like situations over the next month to really prepare him for the final push of the season and into the playoffs where we need him at his best.


I'm going to go ahead and call this now...Montee Ball will be our lead back in the playoffs and will have 2 games of 100 yards or more rushing in the playoffs as the team will lean on him more.

Hope you right but that's being very optimistic. Ball has to work on his vision and hopefully with a little loss of weight is quicker then he was but I'm not seeing two 100 yard games in the playoffs. Lets see if the Broncos end up in 2 playoff games to begin with. No need to look to far ahead on something that may not happen. One game at a time. Just saying.

 

[cdumler7]

Hope you right but that's being very optimistic. Ball has to work on his vision and hopefully with a little loss of weight is quicker then he was but I'm not seeing two 100 yard games in the playoffs. Lets see if the Broncos end up in 2 playoff games to begin with. No need to look to far ahead on something that may not happen. One game at a time. Just saying.

See I just am one that doesn't like the one game at a time thought process. I understand it and you are right we don't know what could happen even today. Heck Peyton Manning could get into a car wreck on his way home and that would end our hopes for the most part for the rest of the season. Or really that happening to any of our big super stars (although survived last year without Clady and Miller most of the year).

Me having those thoughts about Ball are based on his performances last season. Ball was averaging almost 2 yards more per carry than that of Moreno to close out the season. Heck against San Diego on 10 carries he had over 50 yards and again averaged almost 2 more yards per carry than that of Moreno. Ball was our best runner by the end of the season last year. So he has shown he isn't just a product of the Wisconsin OL being so good. His appendix issue really set him behind for the season and made him look a lot more tentative. Last year he was hitting the hole with some great force and it showed in his ability to make people miss. He just has to get that confidence back.

Hillman at this point...I have loved what he has done but I do question his ability to hold up for the whole season. If he keeps putting up good numbers then by all means keep having him start every game. I just question if he can handle it for the long haul. I would also say Hillman was about as bad as it gets blocking wise. He missed some major assignments that got Manning knocked around a bit. His job is to help out with especially those inside blitzes that teams are trying to run and he failed in his job. He keeps doing that then to me even if he is running well he will need to sit. Manning right now is our best chance at a Lombardi. A good running game obviously helps but we cannot have Hillman blocking like he was.

 

[randymon]

Must be CJ and Thompson are even worse at pass protect because I find it hard not to give either of them more touches then.