When Reggie Bush was given many dollars by the Detroit Lions, there was hope in the air again. He may lose some goal-line touches to Mikel Leshoure, because ramming into things is pretty much the only skill Leshoure possesses. But that’s not what filled the fake footballing masses with gleeful giddiness.
Bush is at his best when he’s consistently given opportunities to find open space and create. Maybe that’s done through toss plays when he can use his speed on the outside, instead of battling through the much larger bodies in the middle. But it’s done most effectively by using Bush as a receiver in the flats, and in a Darren Sproles role.
That’s why there was much fantasy giggling when Bush signed with the Lions. Oh, he’ll receive hand-offs, and do the things that a conventional running back does. But he’ll also be playing with Matthew Stafford, the quarterback who led the league in passing attempts this past season with 727. And it wasn’t even close, as Drew Brees finished second with 670.
There was immediate chatter that Bush could return to his point-per-reception league fantasy stud status that he held earlier in his career. Or actually, the earliest in his career. As in the first year, when he caught 88 passes on 121 targets for 742 yards, all career highs. Now Lions head coach Jim Schwartz would like to validate that talk, presumably because he owns Bush in a PPR league.
