JETSerious’ Star Spotlight Jets @ Dolphins: Reggie Bush

Each week of the season, JETSerious will be providing a look at the star player on the opposing team. We’ll look at their career thus far, and their potential impact in the upcoming game.

Week 3 the Jets will travel to Miami, and we’ve chosen to spotlight the Dolphins’ running back Reggie Bush.

Reggie Bush was drafted 2^nd Overall in the 2006 NFL Draft, out of the University of Southern California (like Sanchez). He won the Heisman Trophy after a spectacular season in 2005 with the Trojans. He was eventually stripped of the trophy after allegedly receiving benefits, which violated the NCAA rules. But that’s another story…

Since being drafted by the Saints in 2006, Bush has often been considered as a complimentary Running Back. He was able to do great things with the Saints– like his big run vs. Arizona in the 2010 NFC Divisional Playoffs. (see below)

He gave great hope to Who-Dat Nation, but apparently wasn’t good enough for the Saints’ front office. In the 2011 NFL offseason, the Saints let the former #2 Overall Pick walk in free agency. Eventually, the Miami Dolphins signed Bush to a 4-year $32 Million deal.

Last year, Reggie Bush showed great signs that he’s capable of being a feature RB in the NFL. He was able to jump-start a poor Miami offense, which still remains that way. But this year is different. Let me tell you why…

Please take the jump to page 2, where we’ll dive into Reggie Bush’s fast start in the 2012 season. We’ll also take a look at how, and what the Jets need to do to prevent a big play from Reggie this Sunday.

Standing at 6ft. 203 lbs., Reggie Bush is as versatile as it gets. He has the ability to make defenders look absolutely foolish. See for yourself. Here’s a highlight reel of Reggie Bush’s greatest moves.

As you can see, it is really important to set the edge with Bush. If you leave any type of cutback lane for Reggie, he’ll take it. He has great vision. Once he see’s the cutback lane, and you’re not in position to set the edge, you can forget about it… he’s gone.

Reggie has improved each year and is only getting better. It’s easy to think that his production will only increase, as he gets the bulk of the carries for Miami. The days of calling Reggie a “complementary back” are over. He’s the Dolphins featured RB.

Now, how do we game-plan for such an explosive runner? It’s easier said than done, but it’s all about setting the edge.

By that, I mean that the defense needs to stay true to their lanes and let Bush come to them. We can count on Reggie eyeing the big play, so to chase him around like we’re playing tag would be idiotic. It’s important for the outside defender, whether that’s Calvin Pace or Garret McIntyre, to force Bush back inside. That way the big fellas can do the rest. It’s overlooked just how important setting the edge is, when defending an explosive RB like Bush. Just think back to week 3 of the 2011 Season, in which the Jets gave up a whopping 171 yards on the ground to the Raiders’ Darren McFadden.

Like I said, the Jets defense needs to stay true to their lanes. If it’s not executed as planned, Bush could go off for another 172 yards and 2 touchdowns like he did last week vs. Oakland. But if they can stop Bush from getting into the open field, it’ll make stopping him a lot easier.

It’s almost a positive that Bush did so well vs. Oakland, because the Jets now have plenty of film on the plays that worked… as opposed to week 1 where he did not do so well. It can help the Jets prevent dominating performance from reoccurring. It’s possible that Rex Ryan and Mike Pettine will use the Oakland film so say what NOT to do. That’s in addition to setting the edge and staying within your gap.

The Jets certainly have the defense to prevent Bush from going off. They’ll also have a great plan in place to do just that. But the question is… will they execute that plan?

We’ll have to wait and see, because it’s a tall task. However, with Brandon Marshall out of the picture, the Jets can now focus primarily on stopping Reggie Bush. Besides, who else should they focus on?

Nobody.

Thanks for reading!

Check back next week for JETSerious’ Star Spotlight on Jets vs. 49’ers.

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