Justin Forsett Proves Riemann Hypothesis with Broken Abacus

by John Morgan on Sep 25, 2009 2:38 PM PDT

SNL had a running sketch about Bill Brasky. The format is a classic of humor, sketch comedy and improv: a series of tall tales and one-upsmanship that starts from the extreme and runs to the absurd. As I remember, it was usually slotted in the final half an hour with the near-rejects and experimental sketches. It predates and possibly influenced Chuck Norris Facts. The key to the joke working was exceeding the viewers already exaggerated expectations.

Justin Forsett did not drag five 49ers five yards. He did not punch a hole in Nate Clements and heal him with mercy alone. He did not cut a rift through time, catch the bullet as it left Booth's Derringer and use it to gun down a young Oswald, return to the field through an invisible worm hole, wear Mike Singletary as a skin suite, cancel American Dad and score the Super Bowl winning touchdown. He hit the hole, broke three tackles and dragged massive defensive lineman Ray McDonald three yards before being gang tackled. It was awesome. Most significantly, he hit the hole.

Forsett may not yet have proven to me he is a starting running back to be, but he did do something on this run Julius Jones has struggled with all season and preseason: He hit the hole quick enough to evade backside pursuit. That is huge in a zone blocking scheme and something Jones is struggling with. Everything that followed, the preemption of Apartheid, the invention of cancer fighting Butterfinger bars, the Two State Solution and dissolution of Al Qaeda, never happens without that fast first step into the hole.

Justin Forsett ran for fourteen and the first.

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CFS

He also makes a mean Chicken Fried Steak.

by robbbbbb on Sep 25, 2009 3:22 PM PDT reply actions

Amen...

Been saying this all summer. Finally an amen.

by Mr. Blache III on Sep 25, 2009 4:06 PM PDT reply actions

I think we need to be careful though

If we take the goodness we’ve seen so far and try to turn him into an every down back I’m 99% sure he’ll fail. His value is his versatility and how he adds a little unknown to those 3rd down situations

by illwillbli on Sep 25, 2009 4:30 PM PDT reply actions

Scared me to death

when I saw something with Justin Forsett and the word “broken” in the same title. Don’t do that to me in these injury-riddled times!

by MontanaHawk05 on Sep 25, 2009 4:53 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah, me too

For a few seconds I was groaning and looking up which bone the abacus was and how many weeks Forsett would be out.

I can’t tell if that makes me gun shy or shell shocked.

by John Edwards on Sep 25, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Hahaha. The abacus does sound like it could possibly be a bone.

by russak on Sep 25, 2009 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions

If the illegitimate child didn't make you gunshy

nothing will.

what you do now, round eye?

by shams on Sep 26, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions

sorry, I had to.

what you do now, round eye?

by shams on Sep 26, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions

I think he can be an every down back

As much as there is such a thing in the West coast offense. Barry Sanders was an every down back. Forsett was an every down back in College, just like Frank Gore.

The guy is a running back, and he’s been playing tackle football all his life, just like everyone else on the field. It’s not like he was playing 2 hand touch until this year.

The idea that he’s somehow fragile because he’s small is a stupid, old-wives tale and we should just forget about it right now. There are examples all over the NFL, guys like Sproles and Gore and Sanders, the list goes on.

Put him in the backfield and give him the ball. From what I’ve seen, right now he’s a better runner than anyone else we’ve got.

The idea that he is somehow not as tough as these other guys, or more fragile is based on nothing. I think he’s probably as fast also, he just had a bad time at the combine (although he did run a 4.4 40 in one of the tests).

Give number 20 the damn ball and let him run. He’s earned it. Let Jones be the change of pace.

by lordtd on Sep 25, 2009 5:23 PM PDT reply actions

Forsett only started one season at Cal.

I don’t understand your comparisons. Gore has 30 pounds on him, Barry Sanders is Barry Sanders (and had 20 pounds on Forsett) and Darren Sproles has never been an every down back. He has two games of 20+ touches in his career. He has 125 attempts in five seasons and missed all of 2006 with a broken ankle.

Forsett’s ability to hold up against NFL competition is only part of the question. His ability to pass block and run on running downs matters, too.

by John Morgan on Sep 25, 2009 5:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Runs on running downs

Are there any sites you know of that track a running backs stats on running downs vs. non-running downs? Something along the lines of touchdowns, first downs and 3-4+(?) yard runs in obvious running situtations?

by John Edwards on Sep 25, 2009 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions

I do not.

by John Morgan on Sep 25, 2009 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Drat.

That kind of stat tracking reminds me of your interview comments talking about running stats accrued while protecting a lead, and the misleading perceptions, or at least veracity of those perceptions, that good running stats = a winning team (although for the life of me I can’t find that link again). I am very curious about separating the chaff from the wheat, so to speak, in statistics.

by John Edwards on Sep 25, 2009 8:30 PM PDT up reply actions

The splits from ESPN are a lot more detailed than I expected

Not only do they include point difference, but the side of the field (left, right, middle, etc), formation/personnel and even grass vs turf.

Mike Wahle(OG), Walter Jones(LT), Chris Spencer(C), Marcus Trufant(CB), Deion Branch(WR), Sean Locklear(OT), Brandon Mebane(DT), Leroy Hill(LB), Lofa Tatupu(LB), Josh Wilson(CB), Justin Griffith(FB), Matt Hasselbeck (QB)

by ninjasocks on Sep 25, 2009 8:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Here's the splits for Forsett

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/splits?playerId=11467

They include splits by down and distance.

by ninjasocks on Sep 25, 2009 8:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Thank you.

That info is getting close to what I’m interested in finding out. I guess I’ll go sniff around Elias Sports Bureau and see if they have more.

by John Edwards on Sep 25, 2009 8:45 PM PDT up reply actions

I think starting only 1 season is a plus though

Because Forsett started only 1 full season in Cal means less wear and tear on him. Use him now and use him good. The life span of an NFL RB is only a few years anyway so we might as well get the most of out him now while he’s young and the wear and tear catches up with him. START HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Mr. Blache III on Sep 25, 2009 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions

meant to say before the wear and tear catches up with him....sorry.

by Mr. Blache III on Sep 25, 2009 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Forsett has done some great things.

He’s very valuable and versatile and it’s just plain fun to have him as a Seahawk. Personally I’d rather not set him up for failure and flak by making him the starting back. He’s still inexperienced.
Just think though, if he stays in the capacity he’s in now: Doing a little bit of everything well because he has the ability and because the defense won’t focus on him, filling in to give Julius a breather or in case of an injury, letting him continue to grow and develop.
Nothing concretely suggests that he’s a better starter than J.Jones, so I would rather keep him incubating until then.

Glenn Beck likes argument, but has a deap-seated hatred for logic.

by Cheddar28 on Sep 25, 2009 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Napolean Kaufman to name another.

by Hawkmain on Sep 25, 2009 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions

There is also a common theme with all the RB examples given so far:

In every case except Forsett’s, we’re talking about a RB with especially great speed. Justin has decent speed – but certainly not great. Those smaller backs have special speed-related talents that Forsett, for the most part, lacks. I also think he would not hold up under a feature back type of workload. Let him be what he is: a feisty change of pace guy that is good in the passing game and plays his a$$ off. A complimentary piece but not a workhorse.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Sep 25, 2009 8:50 PM PDT up reply actions

The other thing they all have in common

is that they have all been far more successful than Forsett has ever been at any level. Forsett has never done anything to show he’s the same caliber of back as the guys named.

by Nate Dogg on Sep 26, 2009 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Man I loved Nip.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevan Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Sep 26, 2009 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Mora on Forsett

Check out Mora’s news conference (from Wednesday I think). Late in the discussion (around the 20 minute mark) he is asked about Forsett and his response is very interesting. I won’t try and paraphrase here, just invite anyone interested to check it out.

by Hawksince77 on Sep 26, 2009 6:51 AM PDT reply actions