Penny's Running Style

[KinesProf]

not great with contact.

Penny led the league in yards after contact per carry this season per pff:

https://www.pff.com/news/fantasy-footba ... ooper-kupp

Rashaad Penny averaged 4.5 yards after contact per carry in 2021, tying Nick Chubb (2018) for the best rate by a running back in the last 16 seasons.

 

[Optimus25]

It's funny how everyone was bashing Penny calling him a bust and now all of a sudden everyone is on the bandwagon. Not me, I've supported Penny and knew just knew he would break out. Dude was on pace for rushing over 2800 yards had he played all season at the pace he played the last 6 games. Penny has always been a beast and was actually good right up until he tore his knee up against the Rams a couple of years ago, and had he not shared carries with Carson that year Penny would have rushed for about 1500-1700 yards, yeah he's that good.

Lol. Some good games at the tail end of a dumpster fire season.

He’s straight up the driver, owner and operator of the Bustmobile until he puts together a preseason and half a season minimum healthy with even decent numbers.

 

[toffee]

not great with contact.

Penny led the league in yards after contact per carry this season per pff:

https://www.pff.com/news/fantasy-footba ... ooper-kupp

Rashaad Penny averaged 4.5 yards after contact per carry in 2021, tying Nick Chubb (2018) for the best rate by a running back in the last 16 seasons.

Would it be true that Penny broke tackles in open space when he was running with a head of steam, Carson broke tackles when he was caught in the trenches then move the whole pile a few yards. Marshawn can do both.

 

[K.J WRIGHT]

He’s still a bust and 4 good games at the end of a wasted season at the end of his 4 year contract proves nothing. He has less career yards than the league rushing leader this year has this year. He was picked over Chubb who has over 4K career rushing yards.

If we sign him to anything other than a low dollar, incentive laden deal he will come back fat, lazy and entitled and will be injured 3/4 of the year.

This poster has it right.

 

[Somos doces]

not great with contact.

Penny led the league in yards after contact per carry this season per pff:

https://www.pff.com/news/fantasy-footba ... ooper-kupp

Rashaad Penny averaged 4.5 yards after contact per carry in 2021, tying Nick Chubb (2018) for the best rate by a running back in the last 16 seasons.

Would it be true that Penny broke tackles in open space when he was running with a head of steam, Carson broke tackles when he was caught in the trenches then move the whole pile a few yards. Marshawn can do both.

Does it really matter, though? An extra 4.5 yards is an extra 4.5 yards anywhere on the field.

Also, Marshawn Lynch is no longer in the NFL.

 

[chris98251]

Peterson got into his head and told him deliver a blow don't take the blow, Lynch did that, Campbell did that, Peterson did that and a guy that had an ok career named Payton did that.

Carson tries but still goes for the extra yards once wrapped up and then takes standing target hits that he can't defend against, part of the reason he gets hurt, clean up blows by the defense.

Thats the difference.

 

[themunn]

Ever since his rookie season whenever Penny has a big run the detractors say the same thing "He ran through holes made by the O-Line"

It's funny, but for 4 years now, those holes apparently have only ever seemed to appeared when Penny is the running back, and when any other running back is back there they disappear. Even when DJ Dallas and Travis Homer went out there instead over the last 6 weeks when Penny was putting up 130+ yard games, suddenly the holes aren't there any more and the long runs disappear - the O-line stops creating these huge holes that they only make for Penny and no other running back! It's crazy!!

I've been saying this since his rookie season - Penny hits the same holes Lynch and Carson and every other back in the NFL does - but he does it with such quickness that LBers don't have time to close in - and suddenly in the last 6 weeks he's added a whole new level and started hitting 2nd gear and adding a whole new burst as he hits the hole where before he hesitated (which most running backs do).

Shaun Alexander was the exact same, but in terms of measurables, Penny had a bit more going for him - going by combine measurables he's a little shorter (7/8ths of an inch), a little heavier (2lbs) and a LOT faster (4.46 vs 4.58 40 time), it should be fun to see how the next few years of his career pan out.

 

[TreeRon]

He has a short stride, which probably aids in his ability to change direction quickly.

 

[WolfGrey]

Great responses, this was what I was hoping for when I originally posted. I wanted to respond to a few posts. To the comparison to Franco Harris, spot on. A big back that had minimal power. As far as Penny's league leading yards after contact, it looks to me that this is the result of so many break away runs where a defender gets a hand on him as he makes his cut. Not diminishing this at all, I just see yards after contact as maybe something that is indicative of power and tackle breaking ability which is important in short yardage situations. I'm concerned about short yardage if Penny is indeed our lead back next year.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Listening to Schlareth (spelling?) talk about him was really cool. Talked about his balance, his vision, speed, shifty running style etc. He loves the guy. And I'll go ahead and take the opinion of an all pro former NFL player over fans any day. He's not a bust, he just finally is healthy and showing what he can do.
I'm glad I was wrong, kind of gave up on the thought of him ever contributing. And like someone mentioned, Peterson clearly had a huge influence. We can all argue about the draft pick etc. but the dude can flat out play.

 

[chris98251]

Penny will not be a power back, he is too upright and doesn't have a lean to him. Eric Dickerson like in that sense.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Maybe, but he has no problem trucking guys. Which he has been doing the last month. He's not easy to tackle, you can see it.

 

[themunn]

Great responses, this was what I was hoping for when I originally posted. I wanted to respond to a few posts. To the comparison to Franco Harris, spot on. A big back that had minimal power. As far as Penny's league leading yards after contact, it looks to me that this is the result of so many break away runs where a defender gets a hand on him as he makes his cut. Not diminishing this at all, I just see yards after contact as maybe something that is indicative of power and tackle breaking ability which is important in short yardage situations. I'm concerned about short yardage if Penny is indeed our lead back next year.

Penny will not be a power back, he is too upright and doesn't have a lean to him. Eric Dickerson like in that sense.

Goodness me, two comparisons to First ballot Hall of Famers, and still we're concerned whether or not he can be a "power back"!

 

[ZagHawk]

It's funny how everyone was bashing Penny calling him a bust and now all of a sudden everyone is on the bandwagon. Not me, I've supported Penny and knew just knew he would break out. Dude was on pace for rushing over 2800 yards had he played all season at the pace he played the last 6 games. Penny has always been a beast and was actually good right up until he tore his knee up against the Rams a couple of years ago, and had he not shared carries with Carson that year Penny would have rushed for about 1500-1700 yards, yeah he's that good.

I'm not on his bandwagon. I still very much question his reliability. The dude did realize his future in the NFL (and his family's financial security) was at stake these final games and kicked it up a notch, once he signs a nice contract...does he suddenly start missing games over and over again the second something gets a bit rolled or bruised? Anyway, no doubt Penny is starting to look like the reason they drafted him...but we've seen fool's gold before *Cough* RAWLS *Cough* so yeah no Penny bandwagon for me at this current time at least not with the other years of what we've seen from him so far and his stretch really only involving one GOOD team (that also lost like 4 of the last 5 games it played to end the season).

 

[chris98251]

Great responses, this was what I was hoping for when I originally posted. I wanted to respond to a few posts. To the comparison to Franco Harris, spot on. A big back that had minimal power. As far as Penny's league leading yards after contact, it looks to me that this is the result of so many break away runs where a defender gets a hand on him as he makes his cut. Not diminishing this at all, I just see yards after contact as maybe something that is indicative of power and tackle breaking ability which is important in short yardage situations. I'm concerned about short yardage if Penny is indeed our lead back next year.

Penny will not be a power back, he is too upright and doesn't have a lean to him. Eric Dickerson like in that sense.

Goodness me, two comparisons to First ballot Hall of Famers, and still we're concerned whether or not he can be a "power back"!

Rams had a guy that did the power stuff.

 

[Seymour]

It's funny how everyone was bashing Penny calling him a bust and now all of a sudden everyone is on the bandwagon. Not me, I've supported Penny and knew just knew he would break out. Dude was on pace for rushing over 2800 yards had he played all season at the pace he played the last 6 games. Penny has always been a beast and was actually good right up until he tore his knee up against the Rams a couple of years ago, and had he not shared carries with Carson that year Penny would have rushed for about 1500-1700 yards, yeah he's that good.

"The best ability is availability"......

So yes, he was a bust up until the last 6 or so games. His numbers have absolutely skyrocketed, and for where he was picked he had been a clear disappointment up until we were out of it and it no longer mattered.

 

[TheLegendOfBoom]

It's funny how everyone was bashing Penny calling him a bust and now all of a sudden everyone is on the bandwagon. Not me, I've supported Penny and knew just knew he would break out. Dude was on pace for rushing over 2800 yards had he played all season at the pace he played the last 6 games. Penny has always been a beast and was actually good right up until he tore his knee up against the Rams a couple of years ago, and had he not shared carries with Carson that year Penny would have rushed for about 1500-1700 yards, yeah he's that good.

I’m not on the bandwagon.

I still believe the sample size excellent games by Penny in the last 5 years is not enough.

This guy has like 5 or 6 great games in the past 5 seasons with like 3 great games coming from the end of this season alone.

Why should Seattle break the bank for him?

Penny will be a high risk low reward for Seattle if they extend him.

Would you really wanna running back that will be $10M, at least a year, that has cold and injured streaks for much of the season?

I personally feel that running backs are a dime a dozen with an adequate run blocking scheme, you don’t need to put a significant chunk of the salary cap for an often injured running back.

If anything Penny still needs to prove himself before a team is comfortable with extending him for top dollars.

I think you got that backwards. He will be a low risk because they know he has talent and an extremely high reward.

I guess you watch 3 or 4 games from him and decide that’s how he will play in a course of 17 games each season from now on.

Good luck with that.

You should ask yourself how many full seasons will Penny have if Seattle extends him for another 3 or 4 seasons?

And are you confident you can get 13 or 14 games from him?

Hell even 10-12 games from him is asking a lot.

 

[Tical21]

Shaun is a great comp and I've been saying it for four years. Elite 2nd level vision. Elite. Knows when to hit it. Smell the homerun.

He is reading linebackers and safeties, but looks awful when a DL prevents him from getting to second level. As opposed to Carson, who will beat the DL every time and get you five yards irregardless. Just completely different styles.