Maybe Reggie Bush has lost a step. Or maybe Kyle Arrington is just a lot faster than we give him credit for.
Bush didn’t do much out of the backfield against the Patriots on Thursday night, running the ball six times for just one yard, but he found a way to make an impact as a receiver in the Lions’ 40-9 blowout victory. Most of his 103 receiving yards on the night came on one play from scrimmage, though, as Bush took a screen pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford 67 yards down the sideline and deep into Patriots territory.
The fascinating thing about the play wasn’t Bush’s shifty moves or incredible vision, but rather the fact that he couldn’t get to the end zone. Arrington came zooming in from behind to catch Bush and tackle him, which ultimately held the Lions to a field goal on the drive. A younger version of Bush would have turned that play into seven points and been dancing off in celebration down on the goal line. Now 28, Bush might not have quite the same lightning quickness as he once did, which is probably why he was upset about getting tracked down on the play.
“I was pretty upset that I got caught,” Bush said, via ESPN on Thursday night.
Bush tried to recap the play as best he could after the game, explaining that he slowed down in anticipation of blocks allowing Arrington to catch up.
“The offensive line did a great job getting out there hustling and getting some blocks for me then springing me loose,” Bush said. “I was kind of waiting on the blocks down the field and [Brandon] Pettigrew was in front of me, [Patrick] Edwards was also in front of me. They were blocking so I was kind of slow playing and letting them make their blocks and I should’ve just took off and just ran. Nevertheless, I thought it was a good play and it gave us a lot of momentum early on.”
On second look, Bush did seem to slow his pace, at least a little bit, toward the end of the run. So, maybe we’re being a little too harsh about him losing a step, even if that is entirely expected as he ages.
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Photo via Twitter/@DetroitLions
