Avoiding mistakes was one of his greatest strengths in college. In week five, C.J. broke. Stroud, who was selected second overall in this year’s draft by the Houston Texans, now has a record set by Cowboys quarterback DakPrescott and all-time playmaker Tom Brady: He has gone 186 pass attempts without an interception. An outstanding achievement, especially for newcomers who first have to get used to the pace of the NFL. It’s not the first time in the young season that Stroud has shone: in the first four games he made history with his 1,212 passing yards. Only Cam Newton, who still holds the record twelve years ago with 1,286 yards in the first four games, has been better. Stroud joins an illustrious list: only Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have previously achieved 1200 yards without the ball landing in the opponent’s hands. An elite circle and therefore more than a glimmer of hope for the Houston Texans, who want to get back on the road to success – they suffered their third defeat in five games in the 19:21 against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The NFL’s International Series is in full swing and yesterday the Buffalo Bills played the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. After their spectacular 48:20 win over the Miami Dolphins last week, the Bills were supposed to land at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the wind at their back. However, there was little sign of this at the start of the game. In particular, the Jaguars had Buffalo’s running game more than under control. The offense around quarterback Trevor Lawrence was ready to win this game: the mainstay of the success was running back Travis Etienne, who ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns. The question arises as to whether the Bills’ jet lag was a reason for the defeat. Buffalo only arrived for the game on Friday, while the Jaguars played a game in London the previous week and stayed in the metropolis. Only in the last quarter did the Bills lose their sleepiness: Bills quarterback Josh Allen led his team into the end zone with just four plays to make it 20:25. The subsequent onside kick, a short kick in the hope of regaining the ball, was unsuccessful. The Bills got the ball back again with around 30 seconds on the clock, but lost it to Jacksonville due to a fumble by wide receiver Stefon Diggs, which ended the game.
The running back position is more diverse than any other in the NFL: Christian McCaffrey scores touchdown after touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers by letting his opponents run into space with quick changes of direction, still not losing his balance after a hit or spectacularly like a hurdler jumps over the defenders. Derrick Henry, on the other hand, uses pure strength and physical superiority to eliminate any opponent who tries to stop him. And then there’s De’Von Achane, who simply sprints faster than anyone else. The rookie, who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the NFL Draft, ran for a 76-yard touchdown against the Giants while reaching a speed of 21.76 mph. With his seven touchdowns, he scored more points in his first four NFL games than any other player in history before him.
The paradox is that his successes contribute to a decline in his financial value in the future: the running back position is one of the most injury-prone in the entire NFL. The cartilage in your ankles and knees has to withstand high loads every week, and almost every run ends with a hard hit from a D-liner or linebacker. Season-ending injuries happen almost every game. So why would you extend a running back’s cheap rookie contract after four years when, like a used car, you can expect the engine to be pretty worn out? Why not buy a new car that is even cheaper than the used one?
Players like Achane or Austin Ekeler, who wasn’t even selected in the draft, show that you can find good running backs for little money anywhere. And in fact, on average, only punters and kickers earn less than the ball carriers, who, as fan favorites, have the physically toughest job on the field every game. Differences between players and general managers lead to superstars like Jonathan Taylor and Saquon Barkley threatening to strike every offseason when it comes to contract extensions. The latter refused to play for less than $11 million per season a few months ago – and has been out since matchday two with an ankle injury.
All in all, the debate over running back salaries is more of a moral one than an economic one: Do I pay the player whose body suffers the most more salary because he can’t play at a high level for long, or less because of that? The current answer is: less! The NFL is a tough business after all.
