passing/running, defense

PaRamFan48

WHAT KIND OF OFFENSE WILL THE RAMS HAVE?

“Run first” is probably a misnomer. “Emphasis on the running game” is probably more accurate. And still the Rams will probably pass more than they run. Why? Because they have Bradford and they got him a whole collection of weapons.

I think Fisher would like to have a smashmouth running team that wears the other defense down but also a passing game that could take advantage of the opponent loading up to stop that run game. There is nothing more disheartening than watching the opponent run all over your defense. But I think we’re going to move the ball through the air much more than people expect or even believe is possible. And though I doubt we finish high on the scoring charts, we won’t have to if our D plays the way many expect them to play. I want to see us play some smash mouth with our horses up front and bring the defense closer to the LOS so we can make big plays through the air.

THEY WILL PASS MORE THAN SOME THINK

In 3 wins last year under Bradford we threw it 88 times (27 per game). And in that week 7 loss (during those 3 games we ran less than just five teams), we threw it 30 times. I think (and hope) that’s going to be the model…..throw it around 27-30 times (not 19 times a game), run it a lot and play good defense.

Despite leading by 14 we passed 6 times and ran it 3 times the first two series of the second half in week 5. In week 6, entering the 2nd half leading by 9, we passed it 6 times to 3 runs the first series of the 2nd half. It resulted in a TD (a passing TD) after an 80 yard drive to go up 16. In week 7 after giving up a FG on the first series of the 2nd half and trailing by 14, we threw 2 passes and ran once on an 80 TD drive (a pass)…as would be expected. But those first two games we passed twice as much as we ran (12-6) starting the 2nd half with substantial leads. And those three games featured two teams who finished in the top 7 in defense last year. Whatever our reasons were, they seemed to work.

BUT WON’T BECOME A PASS-HEAVY TEAM

However, I don’t want to see 38-45 pass attempts per game @ 5.5-6 yds/att. I would like to see around 30 at 7 – 8. And I’d like to see us run the ball close to 500 times this year.

I’m sure most fans know that it’s a passing league and passing is going to win more than running. The exception being running teams with excellent defenses. I don’t know how much we’re actually going to pass/run or how good our defense is going to be but it would seem that combo good run game/good defense wins it’s share of games. And I’m sure most fans know that too.

Good running games help defenses. Good defenses help special teams and offenses. At least that’s the theory I believe is a sound one….unless you’re going to pass like Manning, TGSOT, Brees or Rodgers. And still, how many SB rings do they have among them? 4?

10 of the last 15 Superbowl Champions fielded a top 10 defense. So should we worry about our running game getting to top 10 or our passing game becoming an efficient unit?

A CAUTIONARY TALE: PITTSBURGH

Big Ben led them to 2 Superbowls in his first 6 years….when they ran the ball and played defense. SMASHMOUTH. But last year Pittsburgh was “middle of the road” in pass attempts. 12 teams had more attempts and 1 was tied with them. So they threw more passes than 18 teams in the NFL. Yup, Air Tomlin! (And there is a good reason they’ve gone more “pass heavy”….they couldn’t run the ball the last two years (3.7 and 3.5 ypc) with that O line. Believe me, Tomlin isn’t a Coryell or Martz disciple. As soon as they fix the O line, they’ll return to the ground pound that has got them everything they’ve ever won.

Baltimore was always like that until Flacco came along…..and developed. But even they fell back to 8-8 last year. These teams are now allowing over 20 PPG. Every year before those two (Roethlisberger & Flacco) “developed” into a QB to lean on their teams allowed less than 300 points in a season and many times the low 200’s. Since then?

It’s all connected IMHO. If you’re going to pass the ball you better be like TGSOT or Manning & Co. or Brees or Rodgers and put up 35-40 PPG. You ain’t going nowhere…normally…when you’re passing to get 21 PPG.