Chris Ivory
 

Okay, I have to admit, I've been slow to get on the Ivory bandwagon. But, with another strong performance against the Bengals, am I the only one who thinks we'll still be in good shape when (not if) Pierre Thomas is gone next year?

Hell, we might as well put PT on IR for the rest of this year. We don't miss him that much.

Ivory is tearing it up, but...

he fumbled again, and wasn't he hurt at some point during the game?

I love the guy's attitude, and he's built like a truck, but he alone can't carry our run game.

If someone could guarantee he'd stay healthy, I'd be just fine letting Bush go.

The kid looks like a Steven Jackson clone.

That's why we also have Bush, Jones, Betts, etc.
I really think PT is done in a Saints uniform.

Eye Vor E!
 

Seems like some people are looking for a reason not to like Chris Ivory. Those people seem to be the PT fans. Simply put, where in the hell was he yesterday? Even the pregame announcers and talking heads said he was playing yesterday.
Anyway....

Sorry after Ivory's performance yesterday against the Bengals. I am SOLD on him.

Ivory is:
23rd in rushing in the NFL and has only played in 9 games.
His 5.3 yards/carry is 2nd in the NFL of RBs with over 100 carries.
He is tied for 13th in the NFL with 5 TD's with only 9 games.

Look at these numbers! (attached)

One of those TD's yesterday was the Longest TD run since Deuce's 76 yard TD against the Eagles in 2003! (7 Freakin years!)

Yes he has Fumbled 4 times this season and lost 2 of those. However he is not the team leader in turnovers.

That honor goes to our ace in the hole Brees. And I am not taking anything away from our Star Brees... Just doing a comparison.. And I do not attribute all of the interceptions to Brees. However his 6 fumbles are all his.

This guy deserves Credit and a lot of it.
Ivory should be In the list for FedEx ground players of the week!

What he said.

OOps... Didnt see your post.. Or I was in the middle of putting mine together when you posted lol.

http://blackandgold.com/saints/30945-eye-vor-e.html

No. Ivory was not hurt yesterday LOL.

No point in putting Thomas on the IR now, he is too close to returning. Could wind up being very valuable during the stretch run. Just think with a healthy Ivory and Thomas for the stretch run, along with Bush. Very nice set up. This offseason is going to be very interesting for the Saints. Yes, I do believe Thomas is probably gone, with Bush due another 8mil and the possibility of the salary cap being reinstated he may be gone too. Ivory seems to be best suited for around 15 carries per game, should get Hamilton back next year too. Even if Bush is back next year, along with Ivory and Hamilton, I am betting the Saints go after another running back in the top half of the draft.

Let me make this clear... I am a big fan of Ivory... I'm just not sure we're completely set with just him and Bush... I know we have Jones et al. but that just doesn't seem to complete the package for me...

not sure what's missing, but I just feel that something is.

edit: pretty much just agreeing with what MatthewT said. I think if we have Ivory, Bush, Thomas for the stretch, we're set, but if pt is gone, we'll need a replacement for him. J Jones isn't getting any younger.

possibly... I edited my post.

I'm thinking NFL Rookie of the Year.

Agreed......but ducking for fear of being stoned by saying anything about Bush except that he is the second coming

I think this offseason we move on from Reggie and maybe even Thomas. I've always felt running backs are a dime a dozen and with the way Ivory is playing, I could also see us letting Bush go. I'd like to keep Thomas because he's very well rounded and has always produced when on the field. That said, depending on price tag, if we went after some like Jerome Harrison via free agency, I'd be willing to let Thomas walk. A 1-2 punch of Ivory and Harrison would be very formidable.

I think the only reason Ivory doesn't play more is that Payton wants a more versatile back who can also catch and run the screen plays. I don't think I've seen him catch one ball this year or even had one thrown to him. Can anyone confirm that?

He had one for 17 yards.

Ivory is a stud...who we hope will LEARN to protect the ball better. Reggie may get better money on the open market or will have to accept B&G money and be thankful that we let him do what he does best. PT's injuries may keep him cheap for next year once again. JJ has the versatility to be a good fit in what Sean Payton likes to do. Sorry Mr. Betts. Reggie, PT, Ivory, and Jones. Not necessarily in that order.

Ivory is a stud. Young Deuce is a good comparison.

I don't think money will be the deciding factor for Reggie he knows he won't be a featured back anywhere and few offences are as suited for him as the Saints. He's makin a fortune from endorsments.

What Strato said. Beast.

Having not read everything in this thread, my only point is that PT is the only back we have than can run the screen effectively. Anyone else we try to use on that play fails miserably. We get tackled for loss every time. I was screaming at the radio, Don't run another screen!!! Thank goddness we didn't.

Now that's a serious fan!:p

Really, to hell with Beanie Wells.

And I'm a PT23 fan but I think we can upgrade him, and Ivory may well be that upgrade.

I'd rather have PT and Ivory than Bush and Ivory.

Bush is one I'd like to upgrade.

If we can find a way we try to keep all 4 same guys. Yes, any one is expendable, but as this season has shown, depth can be a huge asset. Imagine still being Betts and Wynn at this point?

Been an Ivory fan, he runs with power and he has decent speed. He will be needed late in the season and he's built for games such as those. He is going to be key against the Ravens. Not since Deuce we've haven't had a power runner. He has now changed the face of the backfield. PT will be back he is the best besides Bush not only in open space but in the screen game. So Bush, PT, Ivory and Jones who can still ball himself.

He is one of the only guys on the team still interviewing for a permenent job. If everyone was playing to his level we would be blowing everyone away.

I am a PT fan but I have been really impressed with the way Ivory runs the ball. I still think when PT gets back he will be our starting RB. He is effective running the ball and catching the ball. I think ball control is a big issue with Ivory even though Brees has two more fumbles than Ivory he handled the ball 650 more times this year. I'm OK with that from Brees a fumble every 100 times you touch the ball is better than a fumble every 30 times you touch the ball.

PT 3 fumbles in 374 rush attempts.
Ivory 4 fumbles in 123 rush attempts.
Bush 19 fumbles in 501 rush attempts.

Good post, and you make good points. I'm not all that concerned about a rookie fumbling the ball though. Our coaching staff can clean that up.

I'm one thinks Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory can coexist and complement each other well. Thomas, Bush, Ivory, and fill-in-the-blank (I like Jones) are a formidable backfield.

Idk, Ivory is tearing it up, but he does not run smart, he just relies on brute power, which will inevidibly lead to injury. He is fine as a back to keep on to use until this happens, but we need to find another back to compliment him and groom to be the feature back.

Another thing to consider, yes Ivory reminds me of Duece, but how many seasons did Duece play every game? I agree, with that running style, you are going to get hurt, alot. I am on board the Ivory bandwagon though, the guy is a stud. Just hope he can stay healthy. Duece had to retire way before his time.

As far as Bush goes, Lance can pick up the slack, if Bush decides to bail. He runs the routes, knows the plays, and has a nose for the ball. Bush leaves? I'm not going to cry.

It would appear Coach Payton agrees with you. This coach likes run by committee. Having said that I'm just glad we don't have ditka or some other doofus as a coach anymore.

Drew is our only feature. Payton likes it like that, and so do I. Interchangeable pieces is what allows us to survive trades, FA, and injuries during a grueling season. Payton also has a knack for drawing up plays to match players strengths. A feature back would limit our versatility and Payton's creativity. I just hope he never has to go to a ( LSU ) QB by committee.

Bear with me because I have to make a few assumptions based on your reply. This is not just to you, a lot of people keep saying the same thing.
From what I read your saying our inability to run an effective screen this season is because of the absence of Pierre Thomas. I will have to assume that you are basing our screen effectiveness on last years games?

I have an alternative reason for our inability to run a screen this year. Our Offensive Line is preforming no where near the way it did last year. A screen is more about good blocking than it is good running. We are getting tackled in the backfield on screens, that has nothing to do with the back.

This year:
Drew has been sacked 17 times for 133 yards in 12 games.
16 interceptions by week 13. <=== not enough time in the pocket.
Drew has been hit 50 times by week 13

Last Year:
Last year he was sacked 20 times for 135 yards in 16 games.
At this point in the season he had been sacked 15 times for 99 yards..
Drew had a total of 11 interceptions. <===When he has time in the pocket.
Hit 52 times in 16 games.



Also another comment to all. I wish some people would make up their mind, instead of trying to justify PT man love.

Ivory: Runs to hard, only a vertical runner, no field of vision, gets hurt too much, fumbles, too many yards.... Too much like the greatest back that everyone would love to have back Deuce!

Bush: Does not run hard enough, does not run vertical, needs to stop reading the entire field and dancing through his run, does not gain enough yards....

Thomas: Perfect, we can pass to him more... <== Give me a break! We need to put the ball in the air more about as much as La. needs Eddie back as governor.

Who do we fear the most? Who does the most damage to our Defense?
Thats right... The Peterson's, Turner's, Johnson's, Gore's of the league.. Not the Pierre Thomas's

If we have dreams and aspirations of being more than a one and done never to be heard from again Super Bowl champ, we need a North to South back that can chunk out 4-5 yards a carry to burn up clock.

You scream at the radio when they try a screen? I scream at the radio when we fly down the field in 35 seconds of game time passing and score leaving our opponent 2+ minutes of game clock to come back, score and beat us. If we spent more time grinding it out we would be in a lot better shape. We score so fast most of the time our opponents Offense never looses rhythm.

we need to keep either bush or pt

This! When Ivory is in the game you know he will be carrying the ball if he touches it at all. He's not great pass blocking and he definitely is not effective catching the ball. He may be our best north/south runner, but he simply does not have the full skill set that Thomas gives us.

The Sean P era coaching staff has always kept a stable of a few running backs. They seem to love the run by committee attitude. I like it too. Four words. Fourth Quarter Fresh Legs.

Bush, Thomas, Ivory.

The BTI committee. Two dat.