frankeefrank

I have felt this way for a long time, and after last night's game I finally had to vent.
Why do we not feature this guy? I am not a NFL personnel guru and don't have access to practice footage, but he is clearly are most versatile and productive running back on the team.
He is a quality runner, can catch passes, is a beast to tackle and what really sets him apart is he can block in passing situations.
Yet, we have three other guys who constantly steal carries and catches. Darren Sproles is high quality player, but not a traditional "every down" back. Which means he is limited when it comes to play calling and the defense only has to prepare for a limited package.
Mark Ingram was overrated coming out of college and has provided nothing to this team.
Chris Ivory is a fun runner to watch, but he is not a starting caliber running back.
Yet in one of the biggest games of the year (SF), Pierre Thomas gives up touches to this group. In fact, PT gave up touches to everyone as he saw the ball once. ONCE.
How is that possible? A running back that has averages 4.8 ypc for his career. A running back that is one of the hardest players in the league to bring down.
If the argument is "Carmichael was saving him for ATL," then Carmichael needs to find a new job. There is no reason not to feature this guy in every single game.
Ray Rice carried the ball 20 times the Sunday before Baltimore played on Thursday night.
Adrian Peterson 23 times before his Thursday night appearance.

If Pierre isn't good enough then de-activate him and move on to the next guy. But he is that good.

The weather is always 72 degrees and perfect, in the Dome

Jamessr

If you feature Pierre Thomas and void out the other running backs and Drew doesn't gte big games...
Plain and simple and I hear you. I'd love to see Pierre Thomas get 20 touches a game

Halo

If he's our "feature" back, in this offense, then defenses key on him and Drew alone. We turn back into the 2 dimensional beast that was our running game when we started running Ingram up the middle to hit the backs of o-linemen first 4 games of the season to "keep 'em honest."

As for those other guys, if we did feature PT and he got injured we'd be right back where we were when we lost to Seattle in the playoffs when we were scouting Craigslist for running backs.

Now last week was the exception. For a guy like PT who is our BEST all-around running back, we ran him ONCE (1) last week. This is where Carmichael fails.

Last night we fell behind with PT making 8 yard runs... then we suddenly stopped running because we would run out of clock. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't thing.

burningmetal

I agree that the score had a lot to do with us sort of abandoning the run thursday night, but I can't agree that featuring Pierre makes us one dimensional. Pierre IS our best all around back, and so it makes no sense not to feature him. That doesn't mean you give him all of the touches, as I'd personally like to see Ivory get no less than 10 touches a game.

It's difficult to key on on a guy who can run it well, or leak out of the back field and make big plays. You don't want to load the box and then get burned in play action. And if they do key in on him, then that's what you want, because it DOES open up the passing game. The thing about Mark Ingram is he was supposed to be a really good all around back, but he has been virtually non-existent in the passing game. Consequently, teams are loading the box without fear against him. The coaches need to understand what Pierre brings to the table and use him accordingly, and at the same time realize that Ingram isn't who they thought he would be in the passing game.

They've also used Sproles wrong, in a reverse way of Mark Ingram. Last year they mixed up his running and receiving, whereas this year almost every time he's in the game you can pretty much bet the house they're gonna throw it to him. There is a way to use all these guys better, and I don't think the coaching staff has done a good job there, but I do think Pierre needs the lions share of touches until someone else steps up. The other guys have to be mixed in properly.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

44Champs

Pierre is the man - he should be getting more carries.

frankeefrank

We fell behind because Drew threw an interception in the end zone and Pierre touched the ball only one more time in the first quarter.

SaintsBro

Pierre is THE MAN, he can pick up the whole team and carry them down the field on his shoulders, and I do not understand why the coaches do not seem to "get" it.

Actually I think Sean Payton "gets it" -- he knows, you can tell he loves Pierre, how he talks about him. Especially in the playoffs, you can see it in the game plan, Pierre always really shines, and is the go-to clutch guy.

But after watching this year and the end of last year very closely, I am beginning to feel like Pete Carmichael is kind of on a different planet from the rest of us. I don't think he "gets it" -- or if he does "get it," whatever he is getting is a little off kilter or the wavelengths are not penetrating to his brain. He's a tinkerer, like McMahon on special teams. And he's pass happy, like the younger less mature Sean Payton was. And I sometimes feel like I don't think Pete Carmichael really "gets it," that he knows WHO Pierre Thomas is. He's the closer. He takes games over. And for some reason Pete Carmichael doesn't seem to see it this way. They just don't seem to be USING him.

cmsaint

I have been stating this for 3+ years, PT is the most underrated back in the league. Guy is a natural. Shifty, powerful, speedy, great hands, down hill runner.

Just an overall badass.

Give this man the rock more, love watching him play.

TheOak

Christ all mighty.. I love PT as much as any of you but he had bad games too...


Some of you need to carry ladders around with ya... Makes it easier to hoist a different player up to the alter each week.....

Either sacrificially or in homage

NOS2SB

I totally agree. Pierre is the guy we need to start next year. Trade Ingram and keep Ivory.