Why I Am Worried About Steve Slaton

There was a recent article here about how we shouldn't worry about Steve Slaton because one bad game does not a sophomore slump make.  For the record, I agree with all the points put forth there.  The role of a running back, however, is more than just running the ball, and it is in these other areas, that I am concerned about the Texans back. The first of these roles is blitz pickup. Anyone who disagrees that blocking in general was the single biggest offensive problem in the Jets game probably still thinks we should have drafted Vince Young. For Slaton, his responsibility is to identify the blitz and pick up the most immediate danger. He did not do this well as he often missed the blitz all together or didn’t get the right guy. We can’t say with any degree of confidence whether or not this is a result of Slaton himself or a result of the scheme, but my hunch is Slaton. The reason I say that is that when I saw Slaton shift out to become a check down option,...