Anyone else concerned with run game being the “top priority”?

[teef]

1 minute ago, The Jokeman said:

The offense they run now is good but you add a running element and you might turn some of those long FGs we saw against Arizona be lesser and realistically easier to make or may lead to a TD here and there but would definitely help us on the field and  kill more clock or allow our D to rest more. The struggles we've had in the 3rd quarter on both sides of the ball need to be addressed. 

completely agree.

[Estro]

Yes, I heard McDermott mention it in his last presser and my first thought was "uh oh".  

 

Anytime Singletary touches the ball it feels like a wasted play.  Moss has been a little better, but not by much.  Any thought that either of those guys needs more touches is not a good idea if the idea is maximizing our offensive output.

[Big Turk]

I mean there is a big problem when we either get hit in the backfield for a 3 or 4 yard loss or get a 15 yard gain and nothing in between.  No excuse for having 2 and 3 defenders in the backfield on half the carries.

[Mango]

1 hour ago, BobBelcher said:

I am a bit concerned with reports that fixing the run game is supposedly our top priority during the bye week. 
 

While I definitely recognize the lack of production here, this is also the best offense we have had in years and it was at its best in the Seattle game, a game in which we practically neglected the run altogether. 
 

My concern is if we come out of the bye with too much of an emphasis on establishing the run game against the Chargers when we already have something that is working for us at a high level right now. 
 

Guess you could say I believe the offense has already established its identify and I would put more of an emphasis on making the pass game even more potent, perhaps work on where it has struggled at times against zone coverage and fixing the run game becomes a secondary priority. 
 

Having said that, I realize that - unfortunately - the weather will dictate the game plan to some extent and it will be important to be able to call on the run game as needed in the month of December, but again, my concern would be over-committing to establishing the run game to where it has a negative impact on our pass attack. 
 

There is something to be said about being on pace to have the least number of punts in team history and I am sure we would all like to keep it that way.  

 

I am not concerned that it is the top priority, per se. They should absolutely keep working on increasing its production because it is an absolute weakness. I would have my doubts that they could reinvent our ground game with a week off, when they have had 10 weeks to improve it. I think time is probably better spent finding a way to mitigate it.

 

They should absolutely try and make the run game better, but I think they also have to own their identity or strength at the moment. So how do we find a way to do what we do well in those tough running situations when we absolutely need that production. We could help make their run game with a better screen game, which is meh at the moment. Also super unsure why we don't see much of Allen under center with a 3 step drop. Both of those things would help the run game and seem much more in line with the identity of the offense. 

...or we could just smash our head against the wall and call ourselves a team that is committed to the run or whatever. 

[Bubba Gump]

My main concern right now is why this team comes out and ***** the bed every third quarter. Let's figure out what's going wrong at halftime. 

[Pokebball]

Is the lack of run production our RBs or the O line?  Or perhaps the play calling?

 

Personally, I can't conclude it's the RBs.  Our RBs are usually getting popped a yard or two in the backfield. 

Edited November 19, 2020 by Pokebball

[Malazan]

Improving the running game is the currently the best way they can improve the passing game. You want to stop these teams from dropping so many people in coverage and getting more 1on1s then...run the ball.. teams not worrying about the run at all is currently the most difficult obstacle the passing games faces. 

[Putin]

1 hour ago, H2o said:

We need to be able to run the ball effectively when we attempt to. There has to be a balance. Josh can sling it 40 times for 300+ every week, but at some point our running game has to produce more than 2 yds per carry. If we get that going it will just open things up even more.  

Man doesn’t it feels good saying Josh can throw the 40+ times for 300 + every week ? 
But yah I agree will need to be more balanced going in to the playoffs and especially when the weather dictates 

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I'm fine with a 2:1 pass to run ratio but I'm tired of being stuck with 2nd & 9 whenever we do run it.  I agree that it should be a top priority.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

12 minutes ago, jeremy2020 said:

Improving the running game is the currently the best way they can improve the passing game. You want to stop these teams from dropping so many people in coverage and getting more 1on1s then...run the ball.. teams not worrying about the run at all is currently the most difficult obstacle the passing games faces. 

100%. all the other avenues have been improved from JA improving his accuracy to getting better receivers. The run game is next.

[Rubes]

By all means, fix the running game. But for the love of all that is holy please don't make me watch another run up the gut on 2nd and 10.

 

[Putin]

13 minutes ago, jeremy2020 said:

Improving the running game is the currently the best way they can improve the passing game. You want to stop these teams from dropping so many people in coverage and getting more 1on1s then...run the ball.. teams not worrying about the run at all is currently the most difficult obstacle the passing games faces. 

And that what is a little bit concerning is that even they are daring us to run we still can’t , you would think that a good passing game should open in the run , hopefully we can figure something out during this bye week

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Not that you necessarily need to hunt for this guy in the top of the draft but one piece that will help Josh reach the next level is a good 3rd down pass catching RB.  Right now Yeldon is the closest we have and for reasons only the coaches know they don't think he's good enough to see the field except as an injury replacement.  

[Putin]

2 minutes ago, Rubes said:

By all means, fix the running game. But for the love of all that is holy please don't make me watch another run up the gut on 2nd and 10.

 

We will run until we puke 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Putin

[starrymessenger]

Why did Dan Fouts and Dan Marino never win a championship? Like them or not, they were big dogs. Great as he was how come John Elway couldnt win before TD showed up? Get my drift? Imagine how great our offence could be with an Alvin Kamara (third round pick) or Aaron Jones (fifth round pick, and there are many other examples). Blocking may be an issue but our backs bring zero explosion to our run game. I could be wrong (I hope) but I never liked these picks. The run game is not only a priority now. It should be in next years draft.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

5 minutes ago, Putin said:

We will run until we puke 

 

I always got a kick out of the "Get CJ the ball in space" people, as if that wasn't the opposing defense's #1 priority at all times.  

[3rdand12]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

So look at it a different way.

 

Seattle was a team with a strong run defense and a weak pass defense.  It made a lot of sense to attack them with a passing game

 

Arizona, on the other hand, has a defense that is balanced against the run and the pass.

 

Any team, if you have a gap in your game, it represents a weakness the opponent can exploit.  They can focus on other things and dare you.  When we were not able to pass deep OR execute screen passes successfully last year, teams were able to pin their ears back and  come after us with Blitz 0.  When we've been able to either pass deep or execute a good screen, we force them out of that because they need to defend the whole field and they get the memo "if you do that we will pick you apart"

 

Look at Baltimore this year - the word is out that if they can contain Lamar and smother the middle of the field,  you can slow them down or even stifle them.  They've gone from being the #1, most explosive offense in the league on points last year, to being just OK at currently #12.

 

Because we couldn't run the ball at need, we allowed Arizona to focus on exotic coverage looks that were hard for Josh to sort out - and he had to sort them, because we couldn't run.  Forcing AZ to have to defend the run would make the passing game more effective and efficient.

 

That doesn't mean you run a lot or pass deep a lot or whatever.  It just means if it's not something the defense has to worry about, it allows them to smother other aspects of your game.

Another good post here.
 at least develop the confidence in the run game.
I realize Daboll is all about week to week match ups but Bills have yet to lean on the run game, perhaps because they it is less developed than the Pass has become.
Blocking is everything

[hemma]

I took Josh’s runs/scrambles out and here is what was left:

2, 2, -3, 13, 2,  8, 1, 14, 0, -3, -1,

Now take out the 3 bolded and what is left?

 

8 of their 11 plays, net 0 yards.  We had 64 net plays (exclusive of punts), so getting 0 out of those 8 running plays has to be fixed.

Way too inefficient.  Puts too much pressure on Josh to perform weekly miracles.

[Putin]

4 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

Another good post here.
 at least develop the confidence in the run game.
I realize Daboll is all about week to week match ups but Bills have yet to lean on the run game, perhaps because they it is less developed than the Pass has become.
Blocking is everything

We did run for almost 200 against the pats *****

[ShakAttack]

31 minutes ago, Bubba Gump said:

My main concern right now is why this team comes out and ***** the bed every third quarter. Let's figure out what's going wrong at halftime. 

True. The leads we have had in, what, 4 games so far this season are leads that we never see the Bills come back from, and yet, when we have that lead, we find a way to give it up almost every time.... in the third quarter. 
 

It’s a little scary how this team seems to depend on jumping out to these big leads. But it also presents a great opportunity if we could ever find out how to keep them going. Pats game is the only Bills win that was really close the whole way through.