Donald Brown Fantasy News

Stevan Ridley impresses in his rookie season
Wednesday, January 4, 2012, 2:01pm

It would be easy to overlook the contributions of Stevan Ridley this season in an offense featuring names like Brady, Gronkowski and Welker. After all, 53 running backs had more rushes than Ridley’s 87 carries, and Ridley only scored one touchdown on the season. However, evidence is mounting that the Patriots found a pretty solid player with the 73rd overall pick in last year’s draft. Ridley’s 5.1 yards per rush is 10th among the 56 running backs with at least 85 rushes. Ridley has been among the league’s most powerful runners, averaging 2.6 yards after contact per rush. That trails only Ben Tate, Isaac Redman and Donald Brown among running backs with at least 85 carries. However, Ridley was far more than just a niche power rusher, averaging a 20+ yard run once every 17.4 carries. That was the seventh-best average among backs with at least 85 carries, trailing Darren Sproles, DeAngelo Williams, Darren McFadden, C.J. Spiller, Matt Forte and Fred Jackson.

Monday, December 12, 2011, 10:08am

Colts running back Joseph Addai opened the game with a stocking cap on his head. He had little use for his helmet.

Addai ran twice for 16 yards and caught one pass for no gain. He was very much a situational specialist.

"Going into the game, coach (Jim Caldwell) wanted me to rest and kind of take a little bit of (a break for) the hamstring and if we'd get in big third-down situations, that's when I'd go in," Addai said. "That was the game plan."

Addai has missed four of the past eight games with a hamstring injury.

Friday, December 2, 2011, 12:26pm

Donald Brown's 356 rushing yards lead the Indianapolis Colts, but they are not an imposing total. Thirty-nine NFL running backs have rushed for more.

What stands out is Brown's average, 4.7 yards a carry. It's exceeded by only 14 of those backs and Brown has compiled his total in only seven games on an average of only 11 carries.

Give him just 15 carries a game for the Colts' 11 games and his rushing total would be 776 yards, which projects to a 1,128-yard season.

The point is he's running like the player the Colts expected him to be when they took him in the first round of the 2009 draft. He's making people miss and breaking tackles. He's bouncing outside and using his speed. He's protecting the passer.

"I think Donald just keeps getting better. He's really kind of finding his niche," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said.

Friday, November 25, 2011, 5:08pm

Colts beat writer Phillip B. Wilson on RB Joseph Addai: "Because the Colts shipped RB Darren Evans back to practice squad means they at least think Addai could be an emergency third back. I don’t think they go into the game with just two healthy RBs. While Addai was a full go in practice all week, he has said the right hammy is still sore. The hunch is he dresses, but I tend to doubt a full workload, if much. Expected to play."

Joseph Addai still iffy for Week 12
Friday, November 25, 2011, 11:49am

Joseph Addai remains hopeful of playing Sunday against Carolina.

“My leg is feeling better,” he said after Thursday’s practice. “Before, it just felt like a big knot in [his right thigh]. Now it just feels a little sore. So we’re going to wait and see how I feel [today] and then decide what we’re going to do on Sunday.

“I want to play. I don’t care what our record is or anything like that. I just want to get back out there playing again. I love to play and I’d like to be out there. I’ll do whatever they [the Colts coaches] tell me to do.”

Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 1:13pm

Colts RB Joseph Addai (hamstring) will practice today.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 10:33am

Colts RB Joseph Addai will stick around during the team's bye week to get treatment on his hamstring.

Saturday, November 12, 2011, 6:03pm

The decision by the Indianapolis Colts to promote running back Darren Evans from the practice squad means Joseph Addai (hamstring), who didn't practice all week, isn't likely to play Sunday.

Monday, November 7, 2011, 11:34am

Colts RB Donald Brown's workload became heavier than anticipated when rookie Delone Carter, making his third start in four games, lost a fumble on the second play of the game. It was his second carry. His third didn't come until late in the third quarter.