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Shutdown Corner - NFL

Shutdown Corner

Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:29 pm EDT

Reggie Bush: Completely ornamental at this point?

By MJD

The Saints, as you might have heard, are 6-0. They've gotten there on the arm of Drew Brees(notes), the legs of Mike Bell(notes) and Pierre Thomas(notes) and the hands of various people who can run fast and wait for Brees to peg them in the chest with a football.

One guy who hasn't helped them a great deal? Reggie Bush(notes).

Jeff Duncan at the New Orleans Times-Picayune points out that Bush is getting the ball about half as much this year as he has in past years. Head coach Sean Payton was asked if Bush is being phased out of the offense.

"No, not at all, " Payton said. "He's a big threat for us, a guy that we want to get the ball to and we continue to get the ball to."

So he says, but it seems like Bush is just redundant for the Saints this year.

If they want to pound the ball on the ground, they can do that with Mike Bell or Pierre Thomas. No longer do they have to find a way to get Bush to bell out in space, in lieu of an actual running game. If they want to air it out, they've got Jeremy Shockey(notes) underneath, Marques Colston(notes) out wide, and a host of others who are made dangerous by the presence of Brees. Dumping the ball off to Bush as a supplement to the passing game isn't really necessary, either.

So where does that leave him? Well, it leaves him with fewer than 10 touches in each of the Saints' last three games.

None of this is meant with any disrespect towards Bush. By this point, I think we've all accepted that he'll never be a prototypical NFL workhorse back, but I'm still of the opinion that he's a talented guy with a skill set that can help an NFL team.

There's just not a lot of room for him to contribute with the Saints, because they do everything else so well. For the Saints, having Bush is like carrying around a calculator when you've got an iPhone.

Related: Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell, Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

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121 Comments

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  1. Will
    1. Posted by Will Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:57 pm EDT

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    Wow, you went all the way back to 'calculator'?! Harsh. And funny. Personally, I'd have gone back to a Palm Pilot.
  2. AdamC
    2. Posted by AdamC Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:59 pm EDT

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    i have a calculator and a iphone ... what are you trying to say
  3. litlralph
    3. Posted by litlralph Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:02 pm EDT

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    He's not their workhorse nor should he be but, like the author says he has a skill set that can help an NFL team. What the author is wrong about is that Bush's skill set DOES help and is helping the Saints offense even with limited touches and his touches are important as are Pierre' Thomas', Mike Bell's, Colstons's etc etc. There might be one other guy in the league who could score that TD he had against the Dolphins and Payton is well aware of that. He may be "overpaid" given his role, but he is an important cog and i don't think they would trade or get rid of him for anything (almost).
  4. ring6in01
    4. Posted by ring6in01 Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:07 pm EDT

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    i too am holding out hope that RB turns into an all pro soon.
  5. brian b
    5. Posted by brian b Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    What if Pierre or Bell get hurt? Saints are going all the way this year especially with a 3 headed running attack.
  6. Ryan H
    6. Posted by Ryan H Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:19 pm EDT

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    Bush recently made some annoying comments on going undefeated. REGGIE! SHUT.....YOUR.....MOUTH! show what you got on the football field and leave the talking to the TV Analyst. You constantly make remarks that are unecessary! WHY? Just follow after the Captains of the team (Drew Brees) and reserve to the humble not flashy life style.
    WHO DAT..................REGGIE..................WHO DONT?
    Geaux Saints
  7. kwt002
    7. Posted by kwt002 Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:22 pm EDT

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    Completely ornamental? No. But mostly so? Probably.
    Still, Payton is a master of "fudging" the truth by omission. So I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's something along the lines of "we want to get him the ball a bit less in the hopes he'll stay healthy that way" or something like that buried deep in the subtext.
  8. ha hahahahaha
    8. Posted by ha hahahahaha Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:24 pm EDT

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    Now i thought USC had all these GREAT NFL players on their team the past few years.. Good job Bush and Leinhart... Way to live up to the hype!!! (that sacrasm in case some of you USC lovers didn't get that).
    Thats bad when dirty sanchez is your shining light in the NFL....
  9. ha hahahahaha
    9. Posted by ha hahahahaha Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:26 pm EDT

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    Geosa_student (post 7) -- Put a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger.... That is the STUPIDIEST comment that could have been made. How much does reggie bush get paid again?/ You moron... HOld your breathe until you die, the world would be much better off with you dead
  10. Lo DOWN
    10. Posted by Lo DOWN Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:28 pm EDT

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    Apparently the author has no idea of a team concept. Reggie will shine at the right time......Maybe the author has never coached or played for an organized football program....... I was waiting for someone to write something stupid like this...... I'd like to see another running back score the touchdown REGGIE scored on the DOLPHINS.........This year Reggie has got the same amount of TD's as the other RB's on the team.....3TD's .And if he had more touches he'd have more................... Coaching is knowing your players abilities..........
    I guarantee you MR.MJD REGGIE will have a few monster games on route to the SUPER BOWL so I wanna see what kind of stupid articles you are gonna post then.........
    I hope he returns a punt straight up your BUTT........LMAO
  11. K Smith
    11. Posted by K Smith Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:31 pm EDT

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    geosa_student - Bike Bell & Pierre Thomas are both black, you racist, ignorant simpleton.
    I've always thought Bush was nothing more than a glorified kickoff/punt return man. He's good, he has talent, but I think he's playing the wrong position. He's always been a better receiver than back in the offense and his explosiveness is best showcased on kick returns.
  12. joomlaman
    12. Posted by joomlaman Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:46 pm EDT

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    im so tired of people comparing reggie to other backs. Please understand that he is a threat...which makes defenses keep an eye out for him...which in turn leaves other threats open. So relax with all that jibber jabber and enjoy the team.
  13. hellfireclub221
    13. Posted by hellfireclub221 Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    This article is dumb the Saints have mulitiple weapons they can use.The only cry baby's we havent heard from yet r the ones that will complain they play in a dome maybe they already started.Bush is a key part of the team just like the other guys on the team
  14. Phil M
    14. Posted by Phil M Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 pm EDT

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    geosa_student, I hope you're still in school because you still have a lot to learn.
  15. Michael
    15. Posted by Michael Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:08 pm EDT

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    Two successful plays vs. at least 5 blown plays doesn't add up. Why is he still getting reps at running back, he doesn't know how to run north-south, he fumbles too much, can't block, and doesn't like to get hit (always running out of bounds)! Plus he is way over paid!! Get over him, he has always been overrated.
  16. Corey
    16. Posted by Corey Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:10 pm EDT

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    Reggie is a "special talent". Nothing more nothing less. labeling him a rb/kr/pr/wr is an insult to him and especially those actual position players. In reality, he has more athetlic ability than Steve Slaton and Percy Harvin. The NFL just hasn't slowed down for him like it did other star players. Sad really, I thought he would be the next coming of Gale Sayers.
  17. vertskate900
    17. Posted by vertskate900 Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:25 pm EDT

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    "...and the hands of various people who can run fest..."
    Please MJDweeb, just quit your job.
  18. ryan b
    18. Posted by ryan b Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:26 pm EDT

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    to litralph, his touches are not important at all, you has been absolutely horrible in the return game and he is running for under 3 yards a carry, and isn't half the threat receiving that he once was. The Saints should part ways with him at the end of the season, and use that capspace to resign people who actually contribute, lets say, i dunno, Drew Brees, Colston maybe?
  19. Corey
    19. Posted by Corey Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:31 pm EDT

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    Colston and Brees are already signed for a few more years. Maybe they can spend the money on actual outside linebackers.
  20. Dee Ann
    20. Posted by Dee Ann Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:48 pm EDT

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    reggie bush league is the most overated player in football. trade him for a roll of duct tape if you can get it. BUSH LEAGUE BUSH LEAGUE BUSH LEAGUE AND SO FORTH
  21. YGM
    21. Posted by YGM Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:49 pm EDT

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    Damn, I drafted Bush on my fantasy Team, he is a f ing loser. TRADE!!! GO PATS
  22. STANLEY S
    22. Posted by STANLEY S Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:03 pm EDT

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    As a die-hard Saints fan for my entire life, I totally agree with this article. As do all of my co-workers who are Saints fans. Reggie is a great, talented athlete who could help many a NFL team, but he is not a good fit for the Saints. The Saints would be doing him a favor if they traded him to a team where he can be used to his potential.
  23. jaydec89
    23. Posted by jaydec89 Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:27 pm EDT

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    No Reggie man, you know I smoke that kush...
  24. jaydec89
    24. Posted by jaydec89 Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:35 pm EDT

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    No Reggie man, you know I smoke that kush...
  25. RS P
    25. Posted by RS P Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:53 pm EDT

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    Completely ornamental? He's scored the last 2 weeks. Pierre Thomas hasn't. As a PT owner, I wish he was ornamental if it means scoring every week.

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