Surprise ! Poor overall running game in Denver

[mannubhai]

Just 46 yards rushing by running backs of Denver against Detroit.
Are you kidding me ? Denver is a running team, traditionally. Is it changing?
Anderson with 27 yards and Griffin with 17 yards.
Looks like they missed Portis even against Detroit.

[hawksfan896]

Denver didn't give 'em a chance. Only 16 carries between the two, compared to 34 pass attempts. I don't know if it was Denver trying to exploit Detroit's horrible pass defense or just not trusting Anderson and Griffin, but it certainly looks like Portis is the only valuable Denver RB this year.

[mtarail]

I'll admit that I didn't get to see the game. But my guess is trust. They trust Anderson, but obviously he wasn't 100%, and they just can't trust Griffin yet.

[hawksfan896]

I'm inclined to agree. I think if Denver would have taken a decent lead we would have seen more running, but Detroit played them tough, even held the lead for awhile--first time Denver's trailed all year. It came down to they knew they could trust Plummer....and that was it.

[Orange and Blue]

I disagree. I think, in a pinch, Denver always knows it can trust its running game in ANYBODY's hands. Look at Portis and his huge fumble-bug in his first couple games last year- that didn't stop them from trusting him. Plummer, on the other hand, is still very unproven, with one great game, one horrible game, and one game where he got injured before halftime.

I think it's more along the lines of Shannahan screwing with the heads of not only the Lions, but every team he faces for the next couple of weeks with his wacky playcalling. I look at it very much the same as I look at Spurrier calling something like 2 pass plays in the 3rd quarter, 4 total in the second half.

[mtarail]

The Snake might have gotten injured before the half, but it was a very good half. He's had 3 great starts in a row. It's safe to say that Denver trusts him a little more than Griffin, who looks like Joe Morris's little brother out on the field and fumbled the ball in one of the few carries that he got against Oakland the week before last.