Everybody got another glimpse of Henderson's ability to break off big plays, Taylor's knack for terrorizing secondaries, Smith's potential as a possession receiver, and the emergence of role players like Craft, Watts, Seay, and Gaines. But I think the "elephant" on the field was far more covert. It has to do with Driskel's live arm and, even more importantly, his mobility and obvious power as a runner. But I'm not really talking about Driskel's rushing ability--which obviously will be a major component of his game. I'm talking about what all this means for Kenneth Dixon. No longer will teams have the convenience of scheming to stop Dixon (which some of the better defenses we faced last season were able to do). You can't do that with TWO bruising runners in the backfield, one of whom can deliver the ball to any of 3-4 receivers that can consistently beat man-coverage. I think the addition Driskel has a greater implication for Dixon than anyone else. Driskel's running ability creates a greater element of surprise and a lower margin for error for all who have to deal with Dixon.
I remember numerous times when Dixon has had to beat 2 guys before he even gets to the line of scrimmage--and he still usually got back to the line or beyond. If they can't key on him in the backfield and he doesn't have to absorb a tackler or shake a pursuer before he hits his stride, he will get into to the open field more often. We all know what Dixon does in the open field. It wasn't demonstrated last Saturday but that might be the biggest takeaway from all we "saw."
I remember numerous times when Dixon has had to beat 2 guys before he even gets to the line of scrimmage--and he still usually got back to the line or beyond. If they can't key on him in the backfield and he doesn't have to absorb a tackler or shake a pursuer before he hits his stride, he will get into to the open field more often. We all know what Dixon does in the open field. It wasn't demonstrated last Saturday but that might be the biggest takeaway from all we "saw."
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