Reggie Bush Having His Break Out Year

At the end of last July, the Miami Dolphins made a trade with the New Orleans Saints to acquire RB Reggie Bush, for two years worth nearly $10M.  At that time, many Dolfans were angry and upset.  People were skeptical about his ability to stay healthy, run through the tackles, and become an every down back.  They considered him to be undersized and overrated.  Well, with just one week left in the regular season, Bush has completely silenced all of his critics proving he can carry the load.  After five long years with the Saints, Bush is finally having his break out year.

Before becoming a Dolphin, he did miss a total of twenty games due to injuries and failed to even rush for 600 yards in a season.  During that span, he only carried the ball eight times per game racking up 4.18 yards per carry.  The Dolphins are feeding this horse over fourteen times a game and are reaping the benefits.  Bush is currently ranked number one in the NFL among RBs averaging five yards per carry (for RBs with at least 200 carries).

This year, Bush has played in every game and has accumulated 1,086 yards and seven total TDs.  He is currently ninth in the league in rushing yards, but will most likely move up the chart after this weekend’s game against the Jets.   Bush just needs fifty- four rushing yards to become the fourth highest rusher in Dolphins’ history for a single season.  Since he is currently picking up over seventy- two yards per game, he shouldn’t have an issue with that accomplishment.  

More than just stats, it is his explosive play making ability that puts fear in his opponents.  During the week, not only do other teams need to prepare for WR Brandon Marshall, but they also have to spend time plotting a game plan to stop Bush.  He is one of the fastest RBs in the NFL that will hurt you running and catching the ball out of the backfield.  Bush causes havoc in the open field and consistently creates mismatches in coverage.  He has been nearly impossible to tackle one-on-one and has made several line backers look silly all year.  If you forget about him just for one play, he will make you pay.   

Bush has more than exceeded his expectations.  From the very start, he demanded the rock and we gave it to him.  You will not find one single Dolfan disappointed with his performance this year.  The Dolphins got a steal with this late summer acquisition who has been a huge contributor and leader on the offense.  He has earned every penny of that $10M deal and it’s too bad we did not sign him to a longer contract.  Bush deserves a round of applause for his performance and has been one of the few bright spots on this five and ten team.  It’s great to see Bush finally have his break out year….as a Dolphin.