DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Will the Running Game Re-emerge as an NFL Must?

Lately the NFL has become a pass first, second, and third league. The QB is all important, and the running game has become merely a tactic for keeping the defense somewhat honest, if that.

What have we sen as a result?

Massive QB injuries.

We have had Weeden hurt at one point, and Hoyer lost for the year.

The Bills lost their starter against us.

The Texans have lost their starter.

The Jaguars have had QB injury issues.

The Titans have had QB injuries.

The Raiders have had their QB hurt.

RG3 has been hurt.

The Eagles have played 3 different QBs. (at least)

The Bears have had QB injuries.

Rodgers is out for the Packers.

The Vikings have had injuries to their QBs.

The Rams lost Bradford for the year.

Even Peyton Manning has been banged around quite a bit.

Man, that's quite a list. Now part of this list is because of QBs running. However, some of the QBs hurt running are not necessarily running QBs. (like Rodgers, Hoyer, etc.) Defenses play the philosophy of "kill the head and the body dies" when it comes to rushing the passer. The rules have been amended to favor the passing game .... but defenses have adjusted to that fact of life.

Will we see a swing back to a more balanced offensive philosophy for teams in order to combat this swing towards pressuring the QB at all costs? Will teams start running the ball more in order to protect their huge investments in high dollar QBs? The rules have opened up the passing game, but teams will almost have to balance their offenses a bit more just so they don't get their QBs destroyed.

I think that they will almost have to. They can't turn the QB position into 2 hand tag, so the QBs will be under more and more pressure. Surely the NFL can't make rules limiting the number of pass rushers a team can send. They have done about all they can to make it easier for teams to pass the ball. They have made certain hits on the QB illegal. QBs should be safer than ever, yet we are seeing more and more hurt. I think that part of that is teams trying to run more and more offensive plays. That exposes their QBs to more chance of injury. I also think that they run more 3 or 4 receiver sets when trying to run hurry up type offenses.

There also seems to be a lack of quality offensive linemen throughout the league overall, and many teams struggle to field even just 5 quality players. If a backup is forced into the equation, then all hell breaks loose. I think that teams almost have to start working the run game more than in recent years, just to protect their OL and their QBs. The run game wears down the opposing DL over the course of the game, which helps the QB as well. Worn down DL struggle to rush the passer. Worn down LB struggle to rush the passer. I think that teams need to look at slowing the game somewhat ..... or playing like Manning has played, with getting to the line with 20 seconds left and calling the play at the line, using much of the clock. I think that the run game will become more of a necessity if QBs continue to get hurt. There is only so much that the NFL can do from a rules standpoint to protect the QBs, and I think that they have taken it about as far as they can. I think that teams will have to look at their offensive structure, and start using the run game more in order to protect their biggest investment, the man under Center.

It will remain qb biased until rule changes make running the football more "profitable" for nfl offenses

the high scoring rule changes have caused RB's to lose their importance imo

I agree that the passing game has been made a priority because of the rules, but with so many starting QBs being hurt, will the run game become more of a focus as teams try to protect their biggest investment.

A $75 million franchise QB does the team no good if he is on the bench in pieces,

YTown:

All of Life is cyclical in nature.
My Pops taught me that, more than 30 years ago.


As he was telling me this, he invoked the old (tired) cliche': "Everything old is new again."

To date- more than 30 years removed from his passing, I've yet to see ANY situation- be it life experience, NFL football or even politics that doesn't fit into this universal truism.

When you're right, you're right.

________________


As we progress through the most recent innovations of "Read/react" "Cover 2," and "Zone Blitz," defenses, we'll see innovations such as the "West Coast Offence," the "North Coast Offense," and most recently, the "Read-Option." O's to counteract their innovations.



ALL are variations on well-worn themes that have been in existence for decades.


I find it all amusing... because of this one, undeniable fact:

Football play is successful when blockers block, tacklers tackle, and Big Uglies own other Big Uglies.

Everything else is icing on the cake.... but you gotta have the basic elements in place (...and in the right proportions) to make the cake rise in the oven.

To date, the Browns have been missing the yeast, leavening, or heat to produce a winning combo... "The Cake" has never been baked since 1999.

Find a winning combo of 'essential elements,' and you have the basics of a recipe that can be nade by even the most inept, heavy-handed of chefs.


Until now, Our Team has lacked the base ingredients for the baking of a successful cake. I don't care how tasty the frosting has been... without a decent cake to hold it up, guys like K2, Brayleon and Josh Cribbs will NEVER be enough to net us consistent wins.

We need starch and leavening, first.

When we have all that going for us, we'll leap-frog all the other 'marginal teams' who are still putting together their elements for a basic recipe of success.

IMHO, we're about 1-2 seasons away from being "A Baker's Dream Recipe."


.02

Clem: Did you cut and paste this from a Julia Childs episode?

I'm wondering with all the rules changes designed to keep the QB's on the field, it's not working? You can barely hit these guys these days and they're still dropping like flies.

I don't know, better vitamins?

j/c

NFL will look at making QBs safer

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9977321/nfl-discuss-expanding-rules-protect-quarterbacks

It's still a "MUST". Just wait for the weather and snow to come, then the running game will forcefully have to be invoked more. I anticipate us to run it more in Cinci b/c the weather is looking ugly.

Thanks for the foodie analogy, Clem. Now I am hungry! LOLetc.
And I agree with the wise ol' man. I think the SOLID ground game never left the really good teams. The undefeated Dolphs was one thing; the mere Air Marino tteams piled up wins but managed to avoid SB closure.

The injured QB situation is what it is because of the soup that the NFL has created.

1. Multiple receiver sets replacing fullbacks, the blocking tight end is the guy that gets to play when your top 3 tight ends are injured.

2. QBs are no longer being developed. Weeden isnt the only young QB holding the ball to long and having trouble recognizing coverages. QBs are not smart enough to audible into a hot route or willing to throw it away and live for another play.


3. QBs are now long legged running backs.

4. Offensive line chemistry. Everyone wants to upgrade a position on their line to the next flavor of the month instead of developing long term chemistry. You dont need great across the line. Good enough and a lot of chemistry will do a much better job than super talented but no chemistry.

5. the best athletes are going to the defensive side of the ball and they are beating the big clumsy offensive linemen. Look at the burst in Armonty Bryant and Mingo. The freaks are your pass rushers.

6. Wimpy offseason and training camps have produced Running backs that dont know how to pick up a blitzer. In fact it has produced the worst blocking I have ever seen. We are seeing preseason week 4 protection in week 6 and 7 because of limited practice.

7. Defenses have gone with smaller edge rushers and teams are using guys 6-5 320 lbs as pass blocking tackles instead of mauling with the run game. I think if you want the great pass protection, you will start seeing more offensive linemen like we used to see at 285-290 lbs.

.. There also seems to be a lack of quality offensive linemen throughout the league . "

That's my story , and I'm sticking to it .. Game is won/lost in the trench's !

First of all, Say it ain't so!

2nd of all.

A runner will be considered down when 1 single defender grabs or touches the runners jersey, with one hand on the front of the jersey, (in front of the shoulders) and simultaneously one hand on the back of the jersey, (in back of the shoulder pads).
Quarterbacks, and or punters, and kickers, will wear red jerseys, the Quarterback will not be eligible to advance the ball on a running play any farther than the 1st down marker, where he must slide down or be considered to have slid. The Quarterback will not be eligible to receive passes.

Any player who touches another player between the players shoelaces and helmut crown with any body part other than his hands or elbows, will be considered to have thrown a " block", or " dangerous block" and may be subject to ejection.

Offensive players must shout the expression, " excuse me sir", 3 times before entering the end zone on a running play,or risk losing the points, and in order to alert the defenders and avoid the possibility of unwanted collisions. ( giving rise to the invention of the words, sqee skir, sqee skir, sqee skir,)
or taser if you will.

And I don't even have any cake available!

After reading your post, I get the idea, the league should expand the size of the rosters. If they went to 63, from 53, they could allow for a rotation of quarterbacks, like pitchers in baseball. And the ability to carry a backup fullback on the roster may allow teams to hit on finding some that can actually pass protect.

Wow...safer??? What else can they do but simply put flags on them and nobody is allowed to hit them.

As for the injuries. I know we like calling it the Spread Offense and say things like the rules advocate it...blah blah blah...got news for all.

this was done in the 80's n 90's and was called the Run n Shoot.
I remember all were HUH? One RB and 4 WRs...or no backfield and 5 WRs. It was tried by a few teams. After a season or two of trying the NFL teams deemed it to be a defunct Offense due to the lack of protection for the QB and the QB simply would not last. Only one to succeed was Warren Moon, people don't realize how great a QB he was.

Now all of a sudden cause Colleges are going wild for the Oh and fiddling with the design calling it the Pistol or whatever they wish (Hawaii has been using it like forever).

Gee and now they are all surprised their QBs are dropping like flies! What can we do change the game? Protect the QB?

Ummmm how bout what you all did the last time this came around! DUMP IT - in college they are changing QBs every 2 years anyway, why would they care. NFL a Superstar QB is so so rare. If you are lucky you get a shot at one every 10 years. I mean you wish to expose your QB to minimum protection...pass catching oriented RBs who do not know what pass blocking is...they run right by the blitzers expecting the pass to them. I mean Hello! NFL you better not change the rules any more.


JMHO

Damn that's a scary thought. I guess I knew QB's have gone down, but geez, I guess I didn't see it as urgent until you put it up like that.

Runningbacks have been banged up too. Murray, Foster, Martin, Rice, etc.

I guess this is an attempt at humor?