Dec 18, 2007

Aaron Stecker > Reggie Bush?

With word coming out today that Reggie Bush may attempt to play this weekend against the Eagles, Saints fans are forced to ask why?

Why would the Saints be in such a hurry to bring back Reggie? Aaron Stecker has been solid as a fill-in RB with 195 yards and 2 TDs in the Saints victories over the Falcons and Cardinals.

I think the issue comes more with the pressure on Reggie Bush to perform. He hadn't missed any time before this year due to injury. He has a ton of endorsements and now Mario Williams is living up to the hype of being the #1 overall pick. In the meantime, national and local media outlets are questioning whether or not Bush will ever have an impact in the NFL. Sure he is an exciting, specialty player, but he can't consistently find holes or make big plays. Pretty soon, defenses will stop keying on him, and he'll even lose his luster as a decoy.

Coach Sean Payton is forced to keep Bush involved in his weekly gameplans. He must determine the best ways to get him 20+ touches (receiving and rushing), and this ties the coach's hands with playcalling. With Stecker in the game at RB, the Saints know they are a pass-first offense and don't shy away from it. There are less gimmick plays and the offense seems simpler.

So the question remains, with the Saints in the midst of a playoff push, does having Reggis Bush help them or hurt them?

I think that Bush is a weapon and if used correctly, he will help them make the playoffs. The team now has confidence in Stecker and Bush can go back to being the complementary piece he was last year. Since he's coming off an injury, his expectations should be lowered. He won't get as many touches and can provide a spark here and there, but Stecker should still get the bulk of the carries, while also getting Pierre Thomas 5-10 touches as well.

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