Through 15 games this year, Reggie Bush has already rushed for a career-best 1,086 yards. Bush was supposed to be an elite running back coming out of college but had never earned a full-time starting position prior to this season with the Dolphins. He has had five games of 100 yards or more this year, but keep in mind he is one of 13 backs to already eclipse the 1,000-yard mark with two more who will likely pick up their 1,000th yard this weekend and another handful who would have gotten there if not for late-season injuries. Still, Bush’s play as of late has made him believe he can win an NFL rushing title.
“Yes, I do,” Bush told NFL.com when asked if he thought he could lead the league in rushing. “No disrespect to anyone, but I’ve spent a lot of time studying different players, including Chris Johnson. I’ve watched a ton of his runs, especially during his 2,000-yard season. And yeah, I feel like I’m capable of a lot, but I’m not worrying about that yet. My mental focus is entirely on this next game. If I wasn’t, my priorities would be backward, and I wouldn’t be setting myself up to accomplish any of this.”
Bush has had a tremendous four-game stretch, but he’s getting a bit ahead of himself. The first time he carried the ball at least 15 times wasn’t until week 7, meaning he was rather fresh while the other feature backs around the league had already taken a beating. Having success in the second half of a season and doing it for a full 16 games are two completely separate achievements.
Bush said he owed his best game of the season to former coach Tony Sparano, but Sparano is no longer a part of Miami’s game plan. If the Dolphins coach next year decides to limit Bush’s touches to make him more effective and keep him healthy, capturing the rushing title will be a far-fetched goal. Pump the breaks, Reggie — you’ve had a handful of good games in a six-year career.
H/T to Pro Football Talk for passing the story along
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