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merlin
What it misses is that Akers took half the season to settle in. Early in the season he missed a lot of holes and opportunities. Some in the redzone. There was one that was pretty funny, it was him following the designed hole when there was a hole he would have easily scored on a cut up the middle. Later in the season he wouldn't have missed that, he was a different guy down the stretch.
My expectations this season for Akers were for high end production. It's a huge loss IMO. Just huge.
Hendy gets dinged up and can't go way too often. Akers goes when he's dinged up. McVay said they were going to start Jones in fact in the playoffs but Akers played through the injury he was struggling with. So I do like Hendy. But he's not gonna be a bell cow and if they rely on him I believe he'll let them down.
Sure, I can buy that it took Akers a while to settle in and that he was primed to have a special season this year but my point is more about Hendo than Akers. Those metrics that you touted as being significant last year state that Henderson can be a special back himself.
The issue with him is durability no question but when he's playing, he's helping drive the offense.
But Henderson is NOT a special back in the same way Akers is. That's regardless of the numbers--you have to look at their play.
Akers just has skills Henderson does not. That doesn't make Henderson chump change, but he is not the back Akers is.
With Henderson you can gain yards running. With Akers you can dominate the game running.
I'm not saying he's special; I'm saying he's being underrated here. That's my opinion. When he plays he's effective, regardless of whatever skills one thinks he does or doesn't have.
This discussion kind of reminds me about Hav. He lacks certain athletic traits and always has but Snead noted when he came out of college that some kind of way despite lacking athleticism and not always looking good while doing the job, he somehow finds a way to get the job done. He's effective. Which is where numbers come in IMO. Henderson may lack Akers' skillset but the numbers and eyeball test tell us that he's effective. And so far he has been every bit as effective as Akers. The main difference to this point is that he can't carry the rock 20 plus times per game.
And I need to see more from Akers before I feel comfortable saying he can dominate the game running. He only had two dominate games last year.
