Running game returning as part of top offenses?

[BillsVet]

There's been a huge emphasis on throwing the ball over the past decade plus and running games took on less priority.  

 

Teams, like Buffalo, (not making a pro or con statement) focused on defending against the pass, but that opens up an opportunity for teams to attack on offense differently.  Perhaps this is just a short phase, but I'm seeing teams like Las Vegas, Tennessee, and LA yesterday make running the ball more of a priority.  For teams that prioritized stopping the pass, it can be a huge vulnerability.

 

It's real early, but 6 teams are average 150 yards rushing and 14 125+ per game:

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/offense/stat/rushing/table/rushing/sort/rushingYardsPerGame/dir/desc

 

Interesting to see if this becomes a trend and how defenses react.  

[BuffaloBill]

Things tend to go in cycles in the NFL. Rules changes made the league pass happy. The result is the old “run and stop the run” mentality became “old school.” What the Rams showed yesterday in their comeback was both aspects of the game are important. The Bills D seemed to have forgotten that stopping the run is critical.

[Big Turk]

5 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

There's been a huge emphasis on throwing the ball over the past decade plus and running games took on less priority.  

 

Teams, like Buffalo, (not making a pro or con statement) focused on defending against the pass, but that opens up an opportunity for teams to attack on offense differently.  Perhaps this is just a short phase, but I'm seeing teams like Las Vegas, Tennessee, and LA yesterday make running the ball more of a priority.  For teams that prioritized stopping the pass, it can be a huge vulnerability.

 

It's real early, but 6 teams are average 150 yards rushing and 14 125+ per game:

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/offense/stat/rushing/table/rushing/sort/rushingYardsPerGame/dir/desc

 

Interesting to see if this becomes a trend and how defenses react.  

 

Teams have gotten personnel on defense to stop the prolific passing by being more athletic and smaller but then it leaves them less able to stop the run when teams go right at you.  Just how it works these days.  Look at what the Ravens are doing running the ball.

[Captain Caveman]

The other thing to consider is the NFL's emphasis on only calling "clear and obvious" fouls.  Not sure of the full statistics but it seems holding calls are way down, which in general should open more offense in general.

[Golden Goat]

I started seeing it again after Kamara's rookie year. Picking a 3rd/4th-round RB has become trendy.

[Kwai San]

I am of the firm belief that the D's have yet to catch up with the O's right now.  Few more weeks and the D's will be a little better and have more film to see what the O's are doing.

 

Just saying.....

 

Go BILLS!

[DCofNC]

It’s all a cycle, remember the Bills went small to stop the pass with Jaron, got ran over, so next they went big and got passed all over.  Now the teams have been going to hybrid Safties as LBs again and the heavy run game returns.  The key will be have a team that can handle both.  The old formula of great corners, versatile LBs that don’t get eaten up in the run, and a good DL will win.   You still have to be able to stop the run so you don’t get crushed, but you can’t be forced to sell out for it, or you get the ball thrown over your head.

 

The teams that went small, will get run on, the idea is to score more in this day in age.  Ball control may work, but that’s not the current trend.  It might be the “new” way as teams have built to stop the pass, so now you can run on them, and keep the ball out of the hands of the high flying offenses. 
 

Look what NE did to LV.  The Raiders were looking great and got ran over and held to nothing.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

31 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

There's been a huge emphasis on throwing the ball over the past decade plus and running games took on less priority.  

 

Teams, like Buffalo, (not making a pro or con statement) focused on defending against the pass, but that opens up an opportunity for teams to attack on offense differently.  Perhaps this is just a short phase, but I'm seeing teams like Las Vegas, Tennessee, and LA yesterday make running the ball more of a priority.  For teams that prioritized stopping the pass, it can be a huge vulnerability.

 

It's real early, but 6 teams are average 150 yards rushing and 14 125+ per game:

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/offense/stat/rushing/table/rushing/sort/rushingYardsPerGame/dir/desc

 

Interesting to see if this becomes a trend and how defenses react.  

 

I think there's only so many QBs who can just take over a game.  If you don't have one - how can you score points?  Build heavy along the line, run the ball well, and utilize QBs who are effective at play action.  Tannehill can't put the team on his back, but if you have a lead he's accurate and athletic enough to take shots on PA.  

[mannc]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

 

Teams have gotten personnel on defense to stop the prolific passing by being more athletic and smaller but then it leaves them less able to stop the run when teams go right at you.  Just how it works these days.  Look at what the Ravens are doing running the ball.

Yep.  Pats ran for 250 yards on the Raiders yesterday.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

37 minutes ago, Kwai San said:

I am of the firm belief that the D's have yet to catch up with the O's right now.  Few more weeks and the D's will be a little better and have more film to see what the O's are doing.

 

Just saying.....

 

Go BILLS!

 

I do think a lack of any crowd noise is helping too.  I know teams quiet down when your home team is on O, but I still feel its a bit louder than the fake noise.  

 

Do you really think McVay is dialing up the same plays, communicating with goff the same with 70000 screaming buffalonians?  I'm not so sure. 

[BillsVet]

43 minutes ago, Kwai San said:

I am of the firm belief that the D's have yet to catch up with the O's right now.  Few more weeks and the D's will be a little better and have more film to see what the O's are doing.

 

Just saying.....

 

Go BILLS!

 

Typically, it's the other way around to begin the season as offense requires more precision and coordination.  This is particularly so in the passing game.  

 

Both defenses and offenses were inhibited by the lack of a training camp and pre-seasons like most years.  

 

Perhaps this is merely a phase and things will change. But Tennessee rode Derrick Henry to the AFC Championship and Baltimore was strong running as well.  

 

I'll assert that teams are seeing defensive weaknesses, particularly those who loaded up to stop the pass and were smaller and/or less talented along the front 7.  Time will tell. 

 

EDIT: I do agree that as film emerges of teams there will be further adjustments and I'd like to think McD and Frazier can effectively adapt their defensive scheme. 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by BillsVet

[Chandler#81]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBill said:

Things tend to go in cycles in the NFL. Rules changes made the league pass happy. The result is the old “run and stop the run” mentality became “old school.” What the Rams showed yesterday in their comeback was both aspects of the game are important. The Bills D seemed to have forgotten that stopping the run is critical.

I don’t think they’ve forgotten, I think we don’t have the horses up front and it’s not likely to get fixed this season. But as long as Air Allen is in vogue, we can hopefully force them to throw..🙏

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

FWIW 

Buffalo offense stats

• Passing Yards

  2^nd

  346.0 PYPG   - Dallas currently #1 with 396 ypg
• Rushing Yards

  24^th

  103.7 RYPG
• Total Yards Per Game

  4^th

  449.7 YPG

[BuffaloBill]

13 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

FWIW 

Buffalo offense stats

• Passing Yards

  2^nd

  346.0 PYPG   - Dallas currently #1 with 396 ypg
• Rushing Yards

  24^th

  103.7 RYPG
• Total Yards Per Game

  4^th

  449.7 YPG

 

 

It’s only taken about two decades to find a real offense. Let’s hope the most meaningful stat, “W’s” rises by one each week. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

4 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

It’s only taken about two decades to find a real offense. Let’s hope the most meaningful stat, “W’s” rises by one each week. 

 

Where you been?  (maybe its me not paying attention) 

[BuffaloBill]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

 

Where you been?  (maybe its me not paying attention) 

 

Self imposed sabbatical. 

[GreggTX]

Balance has always been a big plus. It helps keep defenses guessing. When you become two dimensional, you're harder to stop because you're more likely to attack weaker areas of the designed defense.

Edited September 28, 2020 by GreggTX