January Lenny Gets Ranked
January 12th, 2023
The regular season is in the books, which means one former NFL running back has ranked his top running backs around the league.
It’s an annual exercise for Maurice Jones-Drew, the retired three-time Pro Bowl back.
He hopped on the pages of NFL.com and found his way to the Bucs at No. 20. That’s where he placed Leonard “Lombardi Lenny” Fournette among NFL running backs.
Fournette’s per-carry average decreased by an entire yard from last season. He battled a foot injury during the second half, losing some of his explosiveness and the starting job to third-round rookie Rachaad White. Heading into to the playoffs, the Bucs are no doubt hoping Fournette can replicate 2020, when he followed an underwhelming regular season with a huge postseason effort.
At No. 19 ahead of Lombardi Lenny was Texans rookie Dameon Pierce (939 yards rushing), Bears RB David Montgomery (801 rushing yards, 34 catches) was behind him at No. 21.
Jones-Drew is accurate. Lombardi Lenny’s yards per carry fell from 4.5 last year, efficient and competitive, to 3.5 this season, embarrassing and reminiscent of Peyton Barber. The 73 receptions really set Lombardi Lenny apart, though, along with his legendary ball security.
The wild card is the special postseason history of Lombardi Lenny, not just with the Bucs but in Jacksonville, too. His beastly performance as a rookie in Pittsburgh (3TDs, 109 yards) against a stout Steelers defense was damn special.
For those into largely meaningless but interesting data, the Bucs are 5-1 this season when Fournette gets 14 or more carries. And five of the top-10 running backs ranked by Jones-Drew are on teams that missed the playoffs.
January 12th, 2023 at 12:06 am
Hard to say—he gets taken down in the backfield before he makes a cut, is it HIM, or the crappy LINE, or the crappy SCHEME
January 12th, 2023 at 1:01 am
yeah lenny’s ball security is insane…
hopefully “lambo lenny” has saved some of that extra juice for monday night
January 12th, 2023 at 1:30 am
Fournette is the best followed by Vaughn, this rookie is garbage, all talk and propoganda. The Front office and coaches took the bait, after this clowns pre season speaking hype tour, all the way to last place in rushing. Lenny is a beast, give him the rock, let him take over.
January 12th, 2023 at 2:27 am
Bad o line and bad foot. But mostly an o line that can’t run block with no help from the TEs . I don’t see the playoffs getting much better for Lenny.
January 12th, 2023 at 9:35 am
CleanHouse Says:
January 12th, 2023 at 1:30 am
Fournette is the best followed by Vaughn, this rookie is garbage, all talk and propoganda. The Front office and coaches took the bait, after this clowns pre season speaking hype tour, all the way to last place in rushing. Lenny is a beast, give him the rock, let him take over.
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The tests have come back and we have determined this to be a lie. If Fournette is so good, why has he failed to average over FOUR yards a carry in FOUR out of SIX of his seasons? He just isn’t that good as a ball carrier… and statistically speaking, White was definitely better. And back to statistics, Lenny carried about as many times as Ronald Jones did in 2020 but had over 300 less yards… but those were different years, right? Jones averaged 5.1 YPC in 2020 and Lenny averaged a pathetic 3.8 YPC. BTW, Fournette’s 3.5 YPC this year was done in a season where RBs averaged an all time league high of YPC. The dude just isn’t good as a runner. He’s a reliable safe option as both a runner and receiver but there is not much special about him. He plays hard, he’s big, kinda fast when he gets up to full speed… but has no lateral agility or quickness, his legs almost always go dead on contact, he lacks the ability to stop and start, and as a receiver, his is very limited in the types of routes he can run. He’s decent at best. The #20 ranking was probably a little too high. I don’t think he’s NFL starter material.
January 12th, 2023 at 9:39 am
Really predictable play calling hurt Lenny’s results also.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:50 am
My favorite aspect of Lennny’s game is that he simply does not fumble. Few other running backs in the history of the league (if any) with as many carries as he has had can say what Lenny can say … “I have never lost a fumble in my entire NFL career!”
January 12th, 2023 at 1:06 pm
CleanHouse demonstrates for everyone that he still doesn’t have a clue about football.
And LOFL at Vaughn being better than White.
January 12th, 2023 at 2:07 pm
I like Fournette coming off the bench and as a receiver. He’s a little more motivated as second string (well done Coach Bowles). Also, it appears to me his first step with the ball is slow so getting LF a head of steam before the ball seems to work. Perhaps the I formation would help his running.