After 4 games, we are still waiting to see the same runner from his rookie year, but so far, he seems to have regressed. He looks hesitant and indecisive. Whereas last year he would only occasionally hesitate or shift before picking his route, this year he does it almost every time, sometimes shifting twice or even three times before moving forward (the problem of course being, by that time the whole defense is converging on him). The proverbial and dreaded "dancing."
Against the Bears, Starks did not get a carry. Someone in the chat room suggested maybe the coaching staff thought Lacy needed reps to get his groove back. I agreed at the time, but I don't think it worked. I guess I'm getting concerned. His problems seem mental, the hardest kind to fix.
I've been looking without success for an article I read in the off-season, wherein Eddie said something along the lines of, he wanted to change his running style a bit to become "shiftier." That he would still be a battering ram, but he would be even better with these new "moves." As soon as I read that, I went, "uh oh." My mind went back to none other than John Brockington (!) who, after 3 consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons, spent an entire off-season watching O.J. Simpson (!) footage and came into camp saying something similar, then proceeded to suck the rest of his career. (Let's be clear here : Lacy is Not Brockington , and there will be no LILB.) I just really hope Eddie's not trying to be something he's not, because that will never work.
Obviously the blocking is less than stellar, but it was just as bad, if not worse, last year, and he still would manage to get positive yardage. And when Starks came in against the Lions, he averaged like 5 yards a carry.
So what do you think is going on here?