When was the last time you heard of a NFL rookie who was drafted in the sixth round, began the season as his team's third-string running back, and was injured for the first nine weeks of the regular season; and still is starting in the Super Bowl that same year?
Probably the last time you turned on SportsCenter.
James Starks is the Buffalo alumnus who is lighting up the football world with his spectacular play in the NFL playoffs. He may not have seen much playing time in the regular season, but you would never be able to tell after watching his playoff performances.
The Niagara Falls native burst onto the national stage with a breakout performance in the Green Bay Packers' Wild Card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. His 123 rushing yards set a franchise record; he was the first rookie to run for over 100 yards in a playoff game.
Starks took over as the Packers' number one running back for the team's games against Atlanta and Chicago, scoring his first career touchdown against the second-ranked rushing defense of the Bears.
Despite his success, there are still people out there that will not give Starks the respect that he deserves. They mean to make little of his accomplishments and undermine the contributions that he has made to the Packers' success.
Yes, Starks' yards-per-carry sits at 3.76, which is not particularly amazing. Many would point to this as a red flag. He may have impressive yards, but that is only because he has had an immense amount of carries. These critics fail to realize that this is the first instance all season that the Packers have had the opportunity to run the ball consistently.
The Packers finished the regular season ranked in the bottom half of the league in both rushing attempts and rushing yards. After the team's incumbent starter Ryan Grant went down for the season in Week One, the team struggled to find production from its backfield.
The thing about football is that, unless your name is Bill Belichick, it is nearly impossible to have a dominant offense without a running game. Luckily for the Packers, they have one of the league's best quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers and the Green Bay receiving corps were able to get the Packers into the playoffs even with defenses focusing entirely on them.
As the sixth seed in the playoffs, the Packers were not given much of a chance of running the gauntlet that they would have to face to get to the Super Bowl. It was never said that the team was bad, but after the regular season showing that they put forth, the odds were stacked against them.
Opposing defenses are no longer able to focus all of their energy on stopping Rodgers, because Green Bay is now able to punish them with the run. This makes the entire offense better.
People love to judge players on stats alone, but the truth is that it takes a team to win a championship. Without the contributions of Starks, both from his production and added depth, the Packers would never have made it as far as they have.
I look for Starks to be a crucial part of Green Bay's game plan when they travel to Texas, and I wish him the best of luck.
E-mail: carey.beyer@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
