FanPost

Why is Brian Leonard not the starting RB?



This is a question that has been bugging me all season.

Let's look at his performance in the Houston game. He rushed 3 times for 34 yards, or 9 yards more than Benson and Scott combined managed to get in 13 attempts. His average was higher than Scott's total yards, and Scott made twice as many attempts.

He also caught 6 passes for 36 yards. The other 2 RBs caught 4 for 27 yards (Benson actually lost yards the one time he caught the ball).

Leonard is usually used on 3rd down, when teams are trying their hardest to stop any gains, and he still gets the job done more often than not.

The thing that really gets me though, is this is not the first time Leonard has outshined both Benson and Scott in a game. When he is healthy he is by far the most productive RB on the team for the number of times he touches the ball. He carried the ball 17 times this season for 85 yards, or an average of 5.0. Benson's average was 3.9 YPC for the season, and Scott's was 3.4.I suspect the only reason either of those 2 have more total yards than Leonard is the simple fact that they were given the ball far more often.

Leonard also had 22 catches for 210 yards, compared to Benson's 15 catches for 85 and Scott's 13 catches for 38 yards. And Leonard played in fewer games than either of them due to an injury.

So, that's my question for the day, and my first fan post. With the number of times Brian Leonard has outperformed the other RBs on the team, how is it he has never been given the chance to start? He is clearly capable, and has proven himself to be a reliable back in clutch situations. Why not give him the chance to show what he can do on 1st down too?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan, which is as important as the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors.