Panthers RB Analysis: Double Trouble 2008 vs. 2009

Last year DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart made a running tandem that we know today as "Double Trouble". D-Will was the speedster and J-Stew was the Bruiser also known as "Smash and Dash" but because of the Tennessee Cry Babies it became what it is today. Double Trouble and the Carolina Panthers offensive line is now the backbone of our team. John Fox has always tried to establish the run first theme and once we lost Stephen Davis things weren't the same. Foster became the starter but didn't really show any "talent". He was the teams leading rusher until last week. Williams broke that record in only three years. Stewart is probably going to past the same mark if not next year then the year after. The running game is strong and looks like it's not going to slow down anytime soon. But out of curiosity I wanted to compare the 2008 Double Trouble to this years tandem.

Last year DeAngelo Williams ran the ball 273 times for 1515 yards and 18 TDs. That's a 5.6 yard average and 94.7 yards a game job. We couldn't of been happier. he got into shape during the summer before and was now able to run the distance without getting tired. So after another summer of working out and having the same blockers you couldn't be happier as a fan right. Well I was curios on what he is on pace to do this year and here it is. This year D-Will is averaging 88.4 YPG and 4.8 yards a carry. So that averages to 1414.6 yards for the season . That's less but then i will also say that this years schedule is a first place schedule so it is way harder than last years. So he is still the one of the two guys we want to keep happy.

When we drafted Jonathan Stewart i was excited. I actually remember jumping off of my couch when it happened. I watched him in college and was really impressed on what he had done. Here was a guy that could break tackles with ease. Last year on his first carry I believe from 50 yards out for a TD. The next thing you know he is putting people on their backs with stiff arms (Rhonde Barber) and becoming the 2nd part of the 1-2 punch. He averaged 52.3 YPG on 184 carries. That makes a 4.5 yards per carry average. This year he is averaging 4.9 YPC and 51.4 YPG. If he stays on that pace then he will end the season with 822.6 yards on the season. Again less than last year but then again same thing with the tougher schedule.

Now don't get me wrong I am not putting Double Trouble down. I remember that last year the second half of the season hell broke out and Double Trouble ran over everything that got in their way. I believe that both of them will surpass a 1,000 on the season with ease and I believe that they will have the same if not more amount of TDs to go along with it. They will break more records and make Defensive Coordinators flinch at the thought of them. I mean who wouldn't want to get out of the way of these two when they are running at you. Yes you can try and tackle them but one thing I think I forgot to say is that they are both breaking tackles with ease and they are proving it hard to bring them down. Stewart dragged five Cardinal players before he was taken down last Sunday. Not to mention his first TD was straight up the middle and he broke tackles while spinning into the end zone. I say keep to the run and have Delhomme throw 15 times a game and let the other team stop the unstoppable.