Ask ArenaBoy
by Richard Giorgi
March 21, 2007
It's a Fullback's World
What is going on with the Fullbacks in the Arena Football League? This is a passing game, a game won and lost by how accurately the guy behind center can throw a quick pass to that isolated guy on the outside facing one-on-one coverage. This is a 1-step, 3-step drop league, a "give me a few seconds and I'll throw it 30 yards" league. A 95 to 5 pass to rush ratio league.
But that all may be changing with the free substitution rules. Better offensive linemen - ACTUAL offensive linemen - are opening up the running game for teams. Fullbacks who focus just on running, not on defending, can dedicate their time in practice to the object of carrying the ball, making the run a viable offensive option. This past week was just one example of how teams are now approaching what used to be the Arena equivalent of the kneel down.
This past weekend, three fullbacks scored in large amounts. Rodney Filer carried the ball an incredible 10 times for 43 yards and 4 TDs. That would have been proof enough, if not for Josh White and Dan Alexander. White carried the ball an even more incredible 13 times for 39 yards and 5 TDs. Alexander carried the ball 13 times for 33 yards and 5 TDs of his own.
And it doesn't stop there. Charles Frederick, a wide receiver, carried the ball 7 times and scored three times on the ground. Wes Ours ran 5 times for 12 yards and 2 TDs. Chad Dukes ran for 25 yards. Bo Kelly ran 10 times for 18 yards. Robert Thomas ran for 2 TDs. Ja'Mar Toombs ran for 2 TDs. As notable as the TDs are (and there were others), it's the sheer number of carries that is the alarming statistic.
Last year the leading FB rusher, Dane Krager, ran the ball 59 times for 197 yards and 12 TDs. This year, Josh White already has 28 carries after three games. Alexander has 26. Filer and Frederick both have 20 each. Bo Kelly has 26. Projected over a whole season, White would carry the ball 148 times. Further, right now, ten fullbacks are projected to have more carries than Krager.
Need more proof? The single season rushing record is 459, set by quarterback Michael Bishop in 2004. The highest total by a fullback is 392 by Bernard Hall. That happened back in 1996. If White continues at his current pace, he'll finish with 519 yards. Kelly would finish with 429. The single season record for rushing TDs in a season is 30 by that same Bernard Hall. If Alexander continues at his current pace, he'll finish with 48 rushing TDs. Filer would finish with 42. White would finish with 32.
Those are some eye-popping numbers. And they should continue as the season wears on. More teams, bolstered by the success of the run-blocking linemen and the run-focused backs, will copy the prolific ball-control game, keeping the opposing defenses off balance, setting up the pass with the run.
This is all new ground for the Arena Football League. And an exciting one for the fantasy owner graced with one of those fleet-footed monsters in their lineup. Never before have you been able to rely on your fullback to score consistently good points. If you have one of the good ones, it's a definite advantage.
But it could just be a fashion trend. The league could continue to be the All Pass All the Time track meet that we know and love. But when a team is scoring 69 points while running 15-20 times a game, I severely doubt they'll change things up. The free substitution rules have only helped the offenses, and I for one am more thrilled than I could have imagined.
Rich Giorgi is a member of the Arena Football League Writers Association and has been following the Arena Football League for 8 years and participating in arena fantasy leagues for 6 years. Contact Rich at info@arenafootballonline.com
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