MACK GETS THROWN INTO THE ATTACK
CONSIDER it a gift from the football gods. A force of nature acting in the best interest of fantasy owners. An example of how “the ball don’t lie.”
Better players eventually win out in a results-based league, even if their coaches are too stubborn to let it happen as soon as fantasy owners would like.
An arm injury to Robert Turbin has forced Colts coach Chuck Pagano to finally put Marlon Mack on the field. This presumably was bad news for Pagano, who had tried his best to keep the rookie on the sidelines through the first six games. It was terrible news for Turbin, who suffered the gruesome injury in a Week 6 loss to the Titans.
It was good news for Mack, who got more work in Sunday’s shutout loss to the Jaguars. He was on the field for 32 snaps, nearly double his previous high for the season. His touches didn’t see a huge spike — five carries for 26 yards and four receptions for 40, which is in line with four of the five games he has played (outside of Week 2, when he got just two carries).
So we didn’t see a production jump that corresponded with his increased playing time, but we think that will come. Look, starting running back Frank Gore is 34 years old. He already is an outlier in terms of age/production. But that production is in decline. He mostly looks his age when running the ball — slow and sluggish with occasional surprising, short-lived bursts. He is like the old man who walks gingerly with a cane but can leap into the air to scream “Bingo!”
Gore is averaging 3.4 yards per carry, well short of the league average of 4.1, and even farther off Mack’s impressive 4.9. Plus, in four of his five games, Mack has a run or catch for 20-plus yards.
The rookie does have a problem with losing yards. In the season opener, he had one 24-yard run, and nine other carries for zero net yards. He had six carries for a total of minus-3 yards in Week 2 against the Cardinals. But that sometimes is the case with explosive runners, and can be addressed through proper coaching.
Gore will not be able to hold back Mack based on production. The only thing that can curtail Mack is performance without the ball. So Sunday, despite the lack of a bump in opportunities to carry the ball, Mack did get opportunities to improve on those other facets of his game the stubborn coach requires before allowing Mack to do what he does best — break off big runs.
The good news is, because he didn’t have a breakout game, he will be an easier/ cheaper waiver acquisition. Let others bid high for T.J. Yeldon or Latavius Murray. Let them go after Kenny Stills and O.J. Howard. That means you can sit back and scoop up Mack.
Bingo!