Don’t fall for it!
Collins’ autumn breakout looking temporary, like pile of dead leaves
FALL is awesome. Comfortable weather, with no requirement for a jacket and no predisposition for perspiration. It is colorful and pretty to observe. It has among its contents football and Halloween and the eating season that begins with Thanksgiving.
Fall is great. It is winter that is foul. And winter is coming. It was snowing in Denver on Sunday. It’s October! It shouldn’t be snowing anywhere in October! Where is global warming when you need it?
Maybe it is because of our native Carolina blood, but the Madman thinks winter is just the worst. And though we appreciate and embrace autumn, the fall can kiss our rear, because it is too friendly with winter. It teases us with comfort, though inevitable foul prospects are ahead.
Ravens running back Alex Collins had an autumn game Sunday. He did what we all had hoped he would be doing for most of the season. He scored two touchdowns and was productive for fantasy purposes, even despite his inefficiency per carry (19 attempts for 54 yards).
Sure, we would prefer something less volatile, something not so touchdowndependent, which foretells a turbulent future forecast. But production is production, so we’ll take it. We also haven’t forgotten Collins has provided little production until this week.
He has yet to top 70 yards through six games. His workload has been undermined by stubborn coaching insistence on delivering touches to Javorius “Buck” Allen. For what it is worth, Allen got one carry for 1 yard on Sunday, along with three receptions for 18 yards — by far his fewest touches of the season.
Is this the new norm? Can we now trust Collins? Or trust coach John Harbaugh to properly distribute touches? Well, Collins didn’t do much to help himself on that front. He averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. Despite the two touchdowns, that isn’t the type of performance that demands a change in offensive philosophy.
Heading into Sunday, Collins was aver- aging 3.8 per carry to Allen’s 2.8. So is Collins’ declined efficiency going to warrant a shift in workload? Or was this week’s workload simply a byproduct of gameflow?
The Ravens’ defense was dominant, allowing just 106 yards of total offense by the Titans. Baltimore grabbed a lead in the first quarter, never was threatened and was able to coast knowing Tennessee posed no offensive threat.
That won’t be the case every game. Most weeks, the outcome will be in more doubt. The Ravens won’t be that dominant, thus won’t rely on the bully back, and will foolishly continue to offer snaps to a lesser back, which is Harbaugh’s recent history.
Instead of buying into a revamp of philosophy, shop Collins after a big game. See if you can swap him for Marshawn Lynch, who has a primo upcoming schedule; Chris Thompson, who is not expected to miss extended time; or Jordan Howard, who we still believe will rise to a reliable level.
Whatever you do, don’t believe Collins’ autumn-weather production Sunday is the new norm. Winter is coming.