导出博客文章MIAMI -- Hark the unheralded running backs.Fifth-round picks, an undrafted
rookie and a player who was out of the NFL for three seasons are among those
bursting into the clear this year, leaving defenses and fans wondering the same
thing: Where did they come from?The surprising success by such low-profile
rushers as Jay Ajayi, Jordan Howard, Robert Kelley and Tim Hightower speaks to
the challenge of evaluating running backs.Its not like it used to be, said Miami
Dolphins offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen, an NFL assistant since 1996.
When I first came in the league, youd watch a tailback in college, and they all
had a fullback in front of them, and they all got their 25 carries a game, and
you compared them to each other. Now theyre coming out of spread offenses, and
there are a lot of good running backs out there who play for teams that dont run
the ball as much. Its a lot harder comparing them now.Some of the most frantic
scrambling this season has been by teams seeking someone to carry the ball, with
the high injury rate at the position creating openings for under-the-radar
runners.Ezekiel Elliott, DeMarco Murray and LeVeon Bell are having big seasons,
as expected. But other Pro Bowl backs -- Todd Gurley, Doug Martin, Adrian
Peterson , Chris Ivory -- have struggled or been hurt this year.Four-time Pro
Bowl rusher Arian Foster retired from Miami in October, the day after Ajayis
second consecutive 200-yard game for the Dolphins. Even coach Adam Gase was
surprised by the way the job was seized by Ajayi, a fifth-round pick in
2015.When we were going into the season, we felt like we were going to get four
guys involved in what we were doing, Gase said. So we didnt know if wed really
have enough touches to say a guy was going to have a 1,000-yard season.Ajayi is
44 yards from the 1,000 mark, and one of 11 players on pace to reach the
milestone. Six did it last year.Cowboys rookie Elliott leads the league with
1,392 yards.Weve all seen how the league has gone as far as trends with the
running backs, Gase said. It seems like rushing is coming back a little bit.
Youre seeing teams like Dallas, and obviously were feeling pretty good about
what weve got going on. There are other teams that are leaning on the running
back a little more now.As a result, players like Kelley are obscure no more.
Nicknamed Fat Rob, he has rushed for 587 yards while making six starts for the
Washington Redskins, and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.In his best season at
Tulane, he rushed for 420 yards -- one reason he went undrafted.As a free agent,
we didnt see a whole lot, coach Jay Gruden said. He didnt get many carries at
Tulane.Kelley, listed at 6-foot and 220 pounds, has a rugged running style and
rarely goes down on the first hit.Im happy with how far I came, he said.Ditto
Howard, a rookie fifth-round pick from Indiana. Hes one of the few bright spots
this season for the Chicago Bears, rushing for 969 yards with a 5.0 average that
ranks third in the league.NFL teams often find their best running back in
unlikely places, and tend not to devote high draft picks to the position.
Elliott was the lone rusher taken in the first 44 selections of this years
draft.In 2015 the Arizona Cardinals found a gem from Northern Iowa in the third
round, and now David Johnson leads the league with 15 touchdowns and 1,830 yards
from scrimmage.Hes basically their team, Ajayi said.In Green Bay, Eddie Lacy has
been out since Week 6, which left the Packers shopping for replacements during
the season. Lately theyve been using James Starks, waivers acquisition Christine
Michael and converted receiver Ty Montgomery, who has made three starts.Were a
team that has gone through a lot of injuries, coach Mike McCarthy said. Its
about creating opportunities for all of these guys.Hightower waited a long time
for an opportunity after spending 2012-14 out of the NFL following a knee
injury. He has become an effective backup to Mark Ingram with the New Orleans
Saints, rushing for 453 yards and catching 18 passes for 178 yards.Hightower
said the nature of his position sometimes allows low-profile players to break
out of a depth chart scrum.Running back I think is an easier position -- just
being honest -- to come in and play right away, he said. As long as you
understand the blocking scheme and how to protect the quarterback, the schemes
are similar to college and even high school. The learning curve isnt as great,
so a guy can come in from off the streets, or from anywhere.---AP Pro Football
Writer Howard Fendrich and Sports Writers Genaro C. Armas and Brett Martel
contributed to this report.---For more NFL coverage:
www.pro32.ap.org and
http://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Steven Wine on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Steve-Wine. His work can be found at
http://bigstory.ap.org/content/steven-wine
Walter
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Kyrie
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Dennis
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trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line
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Greg
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NEW YORK -- Well into the fourth set, he sat slumped in his changeover chair, a
towel draped over his head, apparently lost in some sort of Zen trance.In
fairness, the past two months of Novak Djokovics 2016 season have been
tumultuous, to say the least.After completing his career Grand Slam at Roland
Garros, the No. 1-ranked Serb was bounced in the third round of Wimbledon, saw
his private issues set off a tabloid feeding frenzy and lost in the first round
at the Rio Olympics. Upon his arrival in New York, he acknowledged a recurring
left wrist injury.But amid the chaos, Djokovic still has an opportunity to make
a special kind of history: With a title here at the US Open, he and Roger
Federer would be the only men to win three Grand Slam singles championships in a
single season -- three different times. Djokovic and Rod Laver are the only ones
besides Federer to do it twice.So, one of the leading questions of the
fortnight: Can Djokovic check all that baggage at the door and focus on the
daunting task at hand? Will he even be in the building when the finals and,
presumably, the momentum-aplenty Andy Murray roll around?The early returns, as
it were, were inconclusive. In the first US Open night match under Arthur Ashe
Stadiums new roof on Monday night, Djokovic never looked completely comfortable
in taking out Jerzy Janowicz 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.There was, of course, drama --
how could there not be? Djokovic called for the ATP World Tour trainer in the
first set to work on his right arm and, on a few occasions, grabbed at that
offending limb. And then, Janowicz ran off with the second set. But Djokovic,
scuffling, scrambling, sneakers squeaking under duress, bore down and produced a
thoroughly professional win. There was even a sneaky serve-and-volley that
helped nail down the third set.When it was over -- 2 hours and 37 minutes after
it began -- Djokovic looked weary and quite relieved. The first on-court
question concerned his health.Thank you for staying this late, Djokovic told the
crowd. It was hard to put up a show after Phil Collins.And then he broke into a
song, I Cant Dance, made popular by the drummers former band, Genesis. Collins
performed on opening night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.I cant dance, I cant tallk,
Djokovic sang.dddddddddddd The only thing about me is the way I walk.Sorry,
sorry. I had to do it. I promised myself Im going to do it.Djokovic did not
address his wrist and arm injuries until prodded a second time.Look you know,
its never easy to play at this level throughout the year, he said eventually.
There are days and weeks when youre not feeling youre 100 percent.I dont think
its necessary to talk about this now.There will be plenty of time for that
before Wednesdays second-round match against Jiri Vesely, who beat Djokovic in
their only meeting, earlier this year in Monte Carlo.Ultimately, this was a
predictable first-time result -- an outcome actors Alec Baldwin and Susan
Sarandon, fashion designer Vera Wang, former boxer Mike Tyson and chef Emeril
Lagasse probably came out to see -- between players who are ranked No. 1 and No.
247 in the world.Djokovic has never, ever lost a Grand Slam match to a player
ranked outside the top 100; he pushed his record to 33-0. The winner of the
seasons first two Slams, the Australian Open and French Open, Djokovic is a
scalding 52-5 for the year.Janowicz, on the other hand, has yet to win an
ATP-level match this year. A surprise Wimbledon semifinalist three years ago,
the 25-year-old Pole was forced to sit out between January and July with knee
and back injuries.The 2007 junior finalist has lost his past five Grand Slam
singles matches and is still looking for his second career US Open win. But
there were real flashes that suggest hell soon be competitive again.When it was
over, Djokovic slowly walked toward the net with an exceptionally somber
expression on his face. Even his signature celebration to all four corners of
the arena seemed to take unusual concentration and effort.Djokovic finds himself
the defending US Open champion and seeks his third title overall. Hes now a
sparkling 20-1 in Arthur Ashe night matches at the US Open.I feel like when I
step in here, its in a dark tunnel but there is always a light, Djokovic said.
At Arthur Ashe, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.Right now, that
light looks awfully far away.
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