You Just Got To Play Him!
 

https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2019/...triots-matchup

“It’s one of those things where you’ve got to just play him,” added McCullough. “I sat with the staff, and I made that comment— ‘We got to just put this guy out there.’ It’s hard to pick and choose. You didn’t know the game was going to become the way it did, so I just put him in early. Coach [said] ‘Hey, what are we doing?’ I said, ‘We getting this guy out there, man. Let’s get him going.’ And he performed at the level that we expected and we know it’s only going to move up from here.”

Thompson went on to lead the Chiefs in carries and yards, accumulating all while the game well in hand. So, despite that success, it is worth wondering whether the Chiefs would give him more meaningful snaps against New England.

“I like to think that I am one of the official presidents of the short running back club,” said 5-foot-7 offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy of the 5-foot-8 Thompson. “With Darwin being in that short running back club, obviously I have high expectations of him. But the kid — he has a dynamic personality, and he has a great work ethic... he will be given an opportunity at some point, but right now, he’s learning behind a number of great players, he’s spending time in that room with coach McCullough — they’re doing a hell of a job. And the only thing he wants to know is how can he improve on the next particular play.”

McCoy was once again on the field for less than 40% of the snaps against the Raiders. He had five carries for 10 yards.

“He did a nice job and had productive runs today,” said Andy Reid after the game. “Look, we’re not fooling anybody here and he’s not getting any younger. It’s my responsibility to manage him the best I can and I think I know him as well as anybody. I’m going to do what I think is right on that and if it’s wrong then it’s my fault and I’ll take that on my shoulders. I know he wants to play every play. He loves to play, but I also have to trust what I do on that part.”

Yup. Some of these coaches need to throw their guys out there without asking Andy.

These are smart coaches. They clearly see something going on in the RB room and in practice to warrant their hesitation.

They've proven that they're willing to play young guys if ncessary.

Yes, i know that Hunt didn't get to start until Ware went down, but they were buzzing about him during camp and had already promoted him to 2nd string, ahead of veteran Chark West. And when Ware went down, they played Hunt, they didn't go seeking old RB's to fill the void.

We know Thompson can run, but at this point that's about all we know.

Also, people tend to exaggerate the Hunt situation. Sure he didn’t start until Ware went out...but that was preseason. It’s not like Andy stuck with Ware through 9 regular season games. Even without an injury to Ware, Hunt probably would’ve taken the starting spot by Week 2-3.

The coaches clearly know more than we do about Thompson.

Yup totally agree.

And i hope we never find out why the coaches hesitated. If we find out, it's likely because he ****ed up during the game.

Pass protection likely holding him back.

Could be.

Could be Pass pro, pass catching, playbook, ball security.

If it’s ball security, then he must be a fumbling machine to lose carries to Damien Williams and McCoy

Bienemy is responsible for the RB rotation, IIRC. I think Reid takes the bullets in the pressers by I swear I remember him saying in the past that he lets Bieniemy determine who's on the field in those packages.

If EB wants Thompson on the field that badly, he'll get on the field.

I think the big issue is that they just do not trust Thompson in pass pro yet and until they do, they won't put him out there often. If they can't trust him to pick up a blitz, then they can't send him out there without telegraphing the play call. They had no problem sending him out against the Raiders because they knew they were going to run the ball every down.

But if the game stays close and they need to stay unpredictable, they just can't let him be Mahomes primary protector back there. Dude got like 5 snaps in pass protection and took a TD off the board in the process. Yes, the penalty was a weak one, but he WAS getting beat and he DID have to go down low on the guy and he DID make it look worse than it was. It wasn't a flag that should've been thrown but if that were McCoy on the same play, it wouldn't have been.

Like many I would like to see Thompson more prominently featured as a ballcarrier. But until you can trust him more WITHOUT the ball in his hands, that's just a really difficult ask.

Darwin was able to do something we havent done all year. Close out a game running the ball when the opposing defense knows thats what we are doing.

Maybe he is just now ready or maybe he has been ready and wasnt allowed to go in the game. Id like to believe the coaches know best but if you believe that then why did Mcullogh have to insist on putting him out there. Bienemy and Reid had to be forced into it, it sounds like.

Either way, I hope he is ready and provides the spark in the run game we have been missing. Maybe see some classic Spencer Ware moves as well!

And I know he's cut but that dude is still LITTLE.

Y'all see him after the TD run? I think it was after the TD run anyway, but Mahomes was up next to him getting him fired up and Mahomes made him look like a little kid. And Mahomes is hardly a big football player.

The guy isn't just football small - he's normal human being small. And for as cut as he is, he still doesn't have a large frame in the same sense that a guy like Mark Ingram does. Even a guy like Darren Sproles was just built sturdier. Thompson is strong, but he's still angular. He's not built like a short, squad guy - He's built like a miniaturized tall guy.

I think I heard somewhere that the only remaining concern was his ability to recognize and pick up the various blitz's in the NFL. I think that is what has kept him off the field to this point

“he will be given an opportunity at some point, but right now, he’s learning behind a number of great players”

Sounds a lot like the RB coach was the only one that wanted Darwin to play.

Some of Reid’s comment may also indicate that McCoy wants more action and Andy is holding him back to make sure we have him in the playoffs.

Maybe I’m reading too much into the comments.

I have no doubt they are working with him to bring out full potential

Something to look forward to, if his work ethic is what they say it is.

You wanna get a quarterback broken in half, have a RB miss a blitz pickup.

That's how you see those savage shots from a dude at full tilt. When an OL fails, he generally at least gets a hand on a guy and keeps him from sprinting into the quarterback's throat.

But man, if you miss an assignment on a blitz pickup, you can get Pat killed. Even if you can't always win the rep, you gotta make sure you know where you're supposed to be and if the staff's not confident that he does - don't send him out there.

Pat's more important than an extra .5 yard per carry...