stevewin Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 (edited) So much has been made of the problems with the passing game with Tyrod, receivers not getting separation, bad receiver corps etc., - but the run game has not looked much better. Shady himself said that last year teams were putting 8 in the box, and we were still able to run over them. I posted this in another thread, now think it is worthy of of its own topic. In the offseason there were people who were not initially concerned about the switch to zone blocking scheme, saying Roman's offense did a lot of it. It turns out it is very different - and there have been issues learning and executing it. Dennison said in the offseason they would look at tape and try to keep some of the things the Bills running game did well last year, but how much can you realistically keep when the entire scheme/approach changes. It's so frustrating that they tore the running game down when it should have just been left alone. http://buffalonews.c...locking-scheme/ Quote What isn't quite as easy to overlook is the fact the Bills are in the midst of a learning curve, thanks to their new wide-zone blocking scheme that's significantly different from what any of their linemen previously played. The strategy is a staple of the playbook of new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, who learned it through coaching affiliations with Mike Shanahan and former renowned NFL offensive line coach Alex Gibbs. Quote From 11th-year veteran guard Richie Incognito, the most senior member of the unit, to rookie tackle Dion Dawkins, there's plenty that still must be absorbed in the meeting room and perfected on the practice field. "It's completely different from what we've been doing the last two years, so we're learning, we're growing," Incognito said. Quote "In the wide-zone scheme, you can have 30 different wide zones," Incognito said. "But there's going to be varying factors where the hole, that puncture, is going to be. It's pretty much a three-pronged approach. The running back opens up, he's stretching, stretching, stretching, and depending on (whether he has) he has a lead fullback, whether he has a tight end, and what the defensive alignment is, where is he going to put his foot in the ground and cut back? Quote That's why what the Bills are doing at this stage isn't what Incognito, who is doing far less pulling than he did the past two seasons, would describe as fine-tuning.It's incredibly difficult. ... We all need more reps in this offense, because we're coming from a system that (zone-based running) was featured very little in. We had a lot of front-size double-teams, pulling guards, kick-outs, quarterback-driven stuff to hold the backside end. Now, (with) wide zone, it's basically double-teams, one-on-one blocks, and the running back having the feel for where this thing's going to pop open." Quote "It's still learning," he said. "We're still learning the system, we're still learning the (run) fits, we're still learning the feel of the back, we're still learning where (McCoy) wants us, and you kind of continue learning throughout the entire season. And the better you get at things, and the things that you can do really well, then you start building in things that complement that stuff really well. Edited September 22, 2017 by stevewin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolishDave Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 Great post Steve! It should be posted here though: https://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/196477-the-dennison-run-attack/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 The dreaded BN Blitz paywall strikes again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts