Nice article about Ameer
- Thread starter Hedley Lemar
- Start date
The numbers were significant for Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah.
In Friday night’s 30-28 exhibition loss the New England Patriots, Abdullah had 99 yards of total offense. He rushed 13 times for 60 yards — a 4.6-yard average — and caught three passes for 39 yards. He played 26 offensive snaps, more than any other running back, in a little more than two quarters of work.
But there was another number that stood out: 342.
That was the number of days that had passed since Abdullah suffered a Lisfranc foot injury Sept. 18, 2016, against the Tennessee Titans, which ended his season after two games.
So Friday’s game, the only semblance to a real NFL game the exhibition season offers, provided validation for Abdullah that his hard work and patience after nearly a full year away from significant NFL action had paid off.
Abdullah was the last player to leave the locker room Friday night, but he was in a good mood and happily spoke with reporters in an eight-minute conversation.
“You know what, it’s getting better,” Abdullah said of his performance. “But I’m so critical on myself, I know in my mind there’s three plays I wish I could have back.
“That’s part of that (notion) we can’t be off our game. Every single run has to be like that, boom, if we want to — I want this team to be the Super Bowl champs, and I feel that’s the standard we’ve got to hold ourselves to.”
Talk of Super Bowls was in the air because the defending champion Patriots had perfumed Ford Field with their stench of success.
But on this night, when many of the Lions didn’t look like they deserved to set foot on the same field as the Patriots, Abdullah looked like the best running back on the field, getting to the edge on his runs, making 18-yard catch-and-run plays and providing solid pass protection for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
In fact, it was the passing game where Abdullah felt he showed his progress. The Patriots have a stout defense and boast several Pro Bowlers in the secondary. Abdullah still did his damage.
“That’s one thing I feel like I do have to speak on,” Abdullah said. “I started off as a receiver and that’s what I do. When I got here, Theo Riddick, that’s what he does. And everyone has to find their place on this team. And I just try to do what I’m told. I just try to be the guy they need me to be in whatever situation.”
You can never have too much of a good thing and strong depth at a skill position. And that’s what the Lions could have with Riddick and Abdullah. Riddick, with his shiftiness catching passes out of the backfield, is a matchup nightmare for defenses.
But Abdullah has unmatched versatility. As a rookie, he finished fifth in the NFL with 1,857 all-purpose yards. Abdullah isn’t asked to play in the return game anymore, but that production speaks to the kind of versatility available to the Lions.
In Friday night’s 30-28 exhibition loss the New England Patriots, Abdullah had 99 yards of total offense. He rushed 13 times for 60 yards — a 4.6-yard average — and caught three passes for 39 yards. He played 26 offensive snaps, more than any other running back, in a little more than two quarters of work.
But there was another number that stood out: 342.
That was the number of days that had passed since Abdullah suffered a Lisfranc foot injury Sept. 18, 2016, against the Tennessee Titans, which ended his season after two games.
So Friday’s game, the only semblance to a real NFL game the exhibition season offers, provided validation for Abdullah that his hard work and patience after nearly a full year away from significant NFL action had paid off.
Abdullah was the last player to leave the locker room Friday night, but he was in a good mood and happily spoke with reporters in an eight-minute conversation.
“You know what, it’s getting better,” Abdullah said of his performance. “But I’m so critical on myself, I know in my mind there’s three plays I wish I could have back.
“That’s part of that (notion) we can’t be off our game. Every single run has to be like that, boom, if we want to — I want this team to be the Super Bowl champs, and I feel that’s the standard we’ve got to hold ourselves to.”
Talk of Super Bowls was in the air because the defending champion Patriots had perfumed Ford Field with their stench of success.
But on this night, when many of the Lions didn’t look like they deserved to set foot on the same field as the Patriots, Abdullah looked like the best running back on the field, getting to the edge on his runs, making 18-yard catch-and-run plays and providing solid pass protection for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
In fact, it was the passing game where Abdullah felt he showed his progress. The Patriots have a stout defense and boast several Pro Bowlers in the secondary. Abdullah still did his damage.
“That’s one thing I feel like I do have to speak on,” Abdullah said. “I started off as a receiver and that’s what I do. When I got here, Theo Riddick, that’s what he does. And everyone has to find their place on this team. And I just try to do what I’m told. I just try to be the guy they need me to be in whatever situation.”
You can never have too much of a good thing and strong depth at a skill position. And that’s what the Lions could have with Riddick and Abdullah. Riddick, with his shiftiness catching passes out of the backfield, is a matchup nightmare for defenses.
But Abdullah has unmatched versatility. As a rookie, he finished fifth in the NFL with 1,857 all-purpose yards. Abdullah isn’t asked to play in the return game anymore, but that production speaks to the kind of versatility available to the Lions.
