Running backs

[MustangMan]

Several PonyFans have written about how Coach Bennett is really high on the Fitzgerald kid. The DMN story you linked a week ago said he might even have a shot at starting. Can anyone compare/contrast him vs. Keylon Kincade? (Sounds like a high school essay question....)

[PerunaPunch]

For lack of anyone else responding, I'll take a stab at it ? although hopefully somebody else will come along and do a more thorough job.

First off, neither back has breakaway speed. Neither is going to run away from defenders like ShanD can.

Fitzgerald doesn't look very big to me, but supposedly he's very strong (the PonyFans story on Faucette seems to confirm this). He runs VERY hard. He's relentless. Vic Villoria told a friend of mine that "it hurts to tackle Johnny (Fitzgerald)."

The coaches have loosely compared him to Emmett Smith based on leg strength and ability to run through blocks. From watching practices, I see what they're talking about. He's the kind of back who hits the hole fast and blasts though. He won't break one for 50, but he'll get you 5-7 yards on almost every carry. Arms tackles won't cut it. He's the kind of back that will wear defenses out. Coaches love him.

Nifty spin move aside, superlatives really don't describe KK. He's not super fast, he's not super strong, he's not super agile, but he's a guy that does everything pretty well.

He's about as dependable as there is. He's not going to lose the ball. He gets the job done carry after carry after carry.

So you can see the potential dilemma: the coaches believe in KK, but they?re infatuated with what Fitzgerald brings to the table. Since it looks like ShanD may stay sidelined for awhile with the back, my assumption is that they?ll be using both similar to how they used KK and Kris Briggs toward the end of the year last season. IMHO

[BennettBacker]

I thought Fitzgerald was supposed to have better speed. Maybe not a true burner, but a little faster than KK. Not true?

[PerunaPunch]

I didn't say that. I just said that neither was going to outrun Kevin Garrett any time soon.

Fitzgerald may be faster than KK; I don't know.

[d_pony]

Johnny Fitzgerald is just shy of 6'1", weighs about 215 and was timed at 4.47