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Through four games, Lynch has rushed for 275 yards and averaged just 3.5 yards on 79 carries. Neither figure puts him among the top 10 rushers in the NFL.
But Lynch’s stat line does not do justice to the season he is having. The second- year pro has been just what the Bills need: a heavy-duty ball carrier who can grind out tough yards and grind down defenses.
Lynch also has been a force in the red zone, scoring four touchdowns, and is the Bills’ third-leading receiver with 12 catches.
Just as important, Lynch is keeping drives alive. He is fourth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL with 22 first downs. Sixteen of his runs have moved the chains forward, a total that is second only to Kansas City running back Larry Johnson’s 19 in the AFC and ranks sixth league-wide.
The Bills talked about giving Lynch a bigger role as a receiver this season, and they have followed through on that promise. His 12 receptions are only six below last season’s total.
Yes, the Beast Mode is in full effect. But the Beast isn’t talking, so we’ll let others speak for him. “I joke with Marshawn all the time. I tell him to go out and soften them up for me,” said Fred Jackson, Lynch’s understudy. “He makes it easier on me. He’s a hard-nosed guy. He’s going to go out and just grind you, and that’s definitely wearing on a defense. I think that’s why we’re having so much success late in games.”
“The yards after contact, they don’t measure that,” added offensive coordinator Turk Schonert. “He competes his butt off, and you see it out there and it’s infectious.”
But Lynch’s stat line does not do justice to the season he is having. The second- year pro has been just what the Bills need: a heavy-duty ball carrier who can grind out tough yards and grind down defenses.
Lynch also has been a force in the red zone, scoring four touchdowns, and is the Bills’ third-leading receiver with 12 catches.
Just as important, Lynch is keeping drives alive. He is fourth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL with 22 first downs. Sixteen of his runs have moved the chains forward, a total that is second only to Kansas City running back Larry Johnson’s 19 in the AFC and ranks sixth league-wide.
The Bills talked about giving Lynch a bigger role as a receiver this season, and they have followed through on that promise. His 12 receptions are only six below last season’s total.
Yes, the Beast Mode is in full effect. But the Beast isn’t talking, so we’ll let others speak for him. “I joke with Marshawn all the time. I tell him to go out and soften them up for me,” said Fred Jackson, Lynch’s understudy. “He makes it easier on me. He’s a hard-nosed guy. He’s going to go out and just grind you, and that’s definitely wearing on a defense. I think that’s why we’re having so much success late in games.”
“The yards after contact, they don’t measure that,” added offensive coordinator Turk Schonert. “He competes his butt off, and you see it out there and it’s infectious.”
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