Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov
He would do a hell of a lot better than No Run Mitchell!
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Disagree. Mitchell talked a lot about his running (or lack thereof) philosophy on the CFL Horsemen podcast. Basically he boiled it down to that he felt it was his duty to maintain his health not just for personal health reasons but also so that he would be healthy in all his team's regular season and playoff games over the course of the season. He might leave first downs on the field, but he trades those for durability.
Recall the 2014 West Final where Edmonton got blown away by the Stamps. It wasn't just that the Stamps played well why Calgary won, it was also that Captain 'dive headfirst for the 1st down every time' started that game on a bum foot and then got lit up to the point he was knocked out of the game.
How many games did Edmonton lose because Reilly was playing beatup and below his best or couldn't even start over his tenure there? As stoic and heroic it looks like to watch Reilly get pummeled on scrambles, I think the value of the drives he extends is exceeded by the value of having him healthy over the course of a season. This will only get worse as he ages further into his 30s.