Oliver

[Beerman]

The interesting stat for Raiders week is that our University of Buffalo guy is more productive then their University of Buffalo guy, only ours was the UDFA and their was the 5th pick overall.

Wonder if they would agree to a trade. I'd do that in a heartbeat

[chris9341]

I dont think he meant any of us to take it as him calling you a bonehead. He was referring to Bonehead the poster and i think as a forum we need to give our members a chance as far as benefit goes. The whole thing was blown out of proportion.

I think we should just move on.

OIP has been with us for over 10 years. Hes brash. But people shouldn't take him so personally.

I already said I didn't have an issue with him calling me a bonehead and I remember him from the old ESPN boards and I already knew he is pretty cool. I just wanted to know what his opinion on oliver is now.

[oneinchpunch]

I already said I didn't have an issue with him calling me a bonehead and I remember him from the old ESPN boards and I already knew he is pretty cool. I just wanted to know what his opinion on oliver is now.

The same opinion I had on him in preseason other than I liked what I saw from him as a blocker.

I just didn't think he was the unsung hero of the Jags game.

[chris9341]

The same opinion I had on him in preseason other than I liked what I saw from him as a blocker.

I just didn't think he was the unsung hero of the Jags game.

Ok I don't think I seen any of your posts from pre season since I have only been posting on this forum for a few weeks now.

[MakoShark]

Dude just said he's going to give his 2 TD footballs to his Dad and Mom.

Rep.

The Game ball he gets from MM he'll keep for himself :smile:

I said it in another thread. I love the way this kid runs downhill! He pushes the pile and always gets his pads below the tackler. Low pads wins! He's a keeper. I wonder how many people are scrambling to pick him up in FF?

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

Oliver's resemblance to Sproles is limited to his height, his number and his low center of gravity. Sproles has more swivel and another gear that Oliver doesn't have. He's also a very good pass receiver. But Oliver is a power runner who moves the pile and can squirt through small spaces like Matthews and Woodhead tend to (Brown doesn't). He isn't quite as shifty. He's got good speed but it takes him longer than Sproles to get it going. I loved Sproles (except on punt returns), but Oliver can be a workhorse. We needed him vs Pitt in the playoffs and not Sproles.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

The Game ball he gets from MM he'll keep for himself :smile:

I said it in another thread. I love the way this kid runs downhill! He pushes the pile and always gets his pads below the tackler. Low pads wins! He's a keeper. I wonder how many people are scrambling to pick him up in FF?

Got him last night. I started out with RM and handcuffed Brown. Brown may still end up getting a lot of carries but with his concussion and the Raiders coming up, Oliver's the guy to own.

[Panamamike]

Got him last night. I started out with RM and handcuffed Brown. Brown may still end up getting a lot of carries but with his concussion and the Raiders coming up, Oliver's the guy to own.

How do u pick up guys before waiver period when they have played?

[SFW]

How do u pick up guys before waiver period when they have played?

Never played in any league that would allow that. Maybe he just put in a waiver claim and is hoping to get him.

[Coachmarkos]

Sprolbert!

And I'm sticking with it.

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

SprOliver!
Branden Oliver solves Chargers' run-game woes with breakout performance
 
By Eric D. Williams | October 5, 2014 11:30:22 PM PDT
SAN DIEGO -- Dwight Freeney knew Branden Oliver had something special during the first practice in offseason workouts.

The cat-quick running back made several San Diego defenders look silly in helmets and shorts while zig-zagging his way through the defense.

So count Freeney among the not-so-surprised when the undrafted rookie free agent out of Buffalo made the most of his opportunity in an easy, 31-0 victory over the visiting New York Jets on Sunday, finishing with 182 combined rushing and receiving yards.

It was the most combined yards by a San Diego running back since LaDainian Tomlinson finished with 197 yards against Kansas City on Dec. 2, 2007.



Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports
Rookie running back Branden Oliver rushed for 114 yards and also had 68 yards receiving for the Chargers.
That’s pretty good company for Oliver.

“Whenever you can have a coming-out party for somebody, it’s a great thing,” Freeney said. “He’s a rookie, and we see it all the time in practice. It’s crazy. So we kind of expected it.

“You can’t teach that lean, that leverage, that movement and that height. You can’t see him.”

The Chargers entered Sunday’s game averaging a NFL-worst 2.4 yards per carry. But Oliver provided the spark San Diego’s run game needed, finishing with 114 yards on 19 carries, including a 15-yard burst through the middle of the Jets’ defense for a score.

Oliver also totaled four receptions for 68 yards, including a 50-yard reception and a 9-yard catch for a score.

San Diego’s offensive line finally provided room for the running backs to run. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Oliver had 84 rushing yards before contact on Sunday, the most by a Charger in a game this season.

Oliver wasn’t hit in the backfield on any of his 19 rushes. Coming into the game, San Diego averaged a league-low 0.98 yards before contact per rush.

Even more impressive was that Oliver’s performance came against the NFL’s best run defense heading into Week 5.

The Jets came into the contest giving up just 63 rushing yards per game. But the Chargers finished with 162 yards on 40 carries, a healthy 4.1 yards per carry.

“We came in with the mentality to run the ball, even though they had the No. 1 defense,” Oliver said. “So whenever you get the opportunity to run the ball, the offensive line was hungry, and we just had to do what we had to do.”

Generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 208 pounds, Oliver has drawn comparisons to another explosive San Diego running back who wore No. 43 in his past: Darren Sproles. While both are smaller, compact backs with big-play ability, safety Eric Weddle said that comparison should stop there -- for now.

“That’s high praise,” Weddle said. “Sproles has done it for a long time at a high level. I’m sure Bo [Oliver] would say the same thing -- give him a few years before we start putting him in that conversation.

“But he’s one of the greatest kids I’ve ever been around. For such a young guy, he just comes to work every day, and you can’t not pull for a guy like that.”

Oliver has things you can’t teach -- an innate ability to make defenders miss in the open field and the ability to accelerate to full speed in a few, quick steps. The Florida native said he developed his elusiveness from playing football against his older brothers in his backyard growing up.

“I’ve been running like that my whole life,” Oliver said. “God gave me the ability to do that in the backyard with my brothers. They’ve always been faster than me, so I’ve had to cut back in different ways and in certain situations.”

[Millionaire Wussy]

Why wasn't Oliver drafted? Is there anything he can't do?