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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 18, 2006
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I read an interesting article today on teams that believe that establishing the run early and often in a game is the ebst way to win a game. Until I read this article, I too believed that this was the best way to win a football game.
The writer sets up his argument with a conversation had with Laveraneus Coles of the NYJ Jets.
"They have a very smart coaching staff and we have a very smart coaching staff. They [the coaches] basically use us as chess pieces. How they position us to play this game, that's the main thing now. Whoever can make the adjustments the best and the fastest will probably have the edge.
He then breaks down the Jets transition from a run-first team of the 90s to a more West- Coast offense that they sport today.
The West Coast offense was really a philosophy, not a system of plays. It's based on throwing the ball early in the game, building a lead, then running the ball to keep the lead. This was the vision of Bill Walsh in the 80s. Walsh wanted to take short passes and use the skill and quickness of the wideouts to run with the ball, instead of trying to design running plays that would gain the NFL average of 4.0 yards per attempt. Allowing ATHLETES to make plays is not a bad philosophy.
Walsh wanted to build a lead, tehn allow his defense to force the mistake:
Teams that build the lead at the half and have the greatest first half point differential are the teams that understand the philosophy of the West Coast. When you make a team play from behind, their margin of error shrinks and a potentially fatal, game-costing mistake will soon occur. That's why all of Walsh's teams had a complementary defense that could rush the passer and force turnovers. He wanted a dynamic pass rusher, not for the sacks, but for the pressure to get the ball out of the quarterback's hand earlier, thus creating turnovers.
Here's a couple stats that will JUMP OUT at you and grab your attention if you are still doubting...
- Minnesota had the BEST RUN game in the league last year, but failed to make the playoffs.
- Oakland had the SECOND best RUN GAME-- HORRIBLE!
- Five of the SIX teams teams with the LOWEST runs called in the first half, were playoff teams (Colts, Patriots, Cowboys, Packers, and Seahawks).
The NFL has become a passing league, hence why the Cover Two (which was made to COMBAT the West Coast offense) is so popular now. Teams taht come out and look for "BALANCE" are statistically set to fail.
The Bears (and any other team) NEED a QB that can make the short and mid-range passes in order to be competitive. Long-range passes are SEXY, but don't win ball games.
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:95
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 6, 2007
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The West Coast offense was really a philosophy, not a system of plays. It's based on throwing the ball early in the game, building a lead, then running the ball to keep the lead.
Great post CM. Actually, the '85 Bears followed this formula for the most part. Their goal was to go up 2 scores, then run the clock with the running game while unleashing their vaunted 46 defense. Their average time of posession was ridiculous, something approaching 2-1 in many of their victories. We didn't have the type of receivers for the possesion passing game last year but with the draft of Bennett and Monk, along with the progression of Greg Olsen and the other TEs
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:95
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 6, 2007
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Rats, didn't mean to hit enter. The point I was trying to make is that we didn't have the type of receivers to run a posession passing game last year but do now. Of course this is all contingent of the O Line giving the QB enough time to spot a receiver and deliver the ball, but I feel more optimistic than I did at the end of last year.
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 28, 2006
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The problem will be convincing Lovie Smith that it is the best way to win games. He would rather run it 60 times and not pass at all. The biggest weakness of the running game it that once you get behind, you it is hard to keep up by taking all that time to run the ball. That forces you to go out of your element to catch up, the same effect is had when the RB's who tend to get overworked, lose effectiveness. That is why teams like KC and SD struggled last season. KC struggled all season long and the Chargers, who were 14-2 in 2006, started out 5-5. LT was not effenctive most of the first half of the season, and SD was forced to pass a lot more. Larry Johnson lost his effectiveness because of the Chiefs running philosophy, he had 420 carries in 2006. He was ineffective, then injured, and the Chiefs struggled. Compare that to teams like the Colts. They are a predominently passing team. They have Joseph Addai, and for the half of the season, Addai was doing well, and a passing team had the benefit of going more to the run, and they did just that. In the first 8 games the Colts played, he got 23,20,22,19,16,23,and 26 carries. The Colts went 7-1. Then Addai struggled, and the Colts reverted back to more passing, and still went 6-2. It is much easier for a passing team to run the ball a lot, than the other way around, and that versatility is what makes those types of teams successful.
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 18, 2006
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greats231710142,
EXACTLY! You get what I'm saying. Probably because you are a fan of the West Coast offense, but nevertheless-- you get it! (jbone54 you are there too!)
Its not about balance, folks... Its about getting the most out of each play and getting ahead of your opponent early! You can't beat a team with 3-4 yds per play in the first half! The reason why the Patriots run game did so well last year was because they SPREAD you out and dropped passes 6-7 yds on slants and hooks and made you play their style of ball. Then when the second half came around they ran the ball at you taking much needed time off the clock. Unless a team had a system that was TECHNICALLY sound at the Cover Two, you weren't going to be able to match up with them.
A healthy Bears did a good job of matching up with the Pats' West Coast offense a few years ago in Foxboro.
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Dec 28, 2006
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The West Coast gets a bad rap because it is a pass first style, and around Chicago, that word is forbidden. But the run to pass actually ends up pretty balanced(another forbidden word here). The Bears would end up happy if Matt Forte gets 20+ carries per game, which is about what Addai averaged in the Colts' "pass happy" offense.
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:96
Level:Superstar
Since:Mar 23, 2007
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CM: I thought this was a great thread.
I just wonder where the Bears fit into this? I'm not trying to be a wise guy, but part of the West Coast philosophy - as I'm reading into it - is that you score first, and then hold your lead.
I believe the Bears were one of the worst teams in the NFL as far as scoring on their first possession. (And this is after the Devin Hester ran his way up to mid-field!) If we can't go another measely 50-60 yards for the ellusive TD play, we're doomed either way, whether it's by passing or running.
Am I too cynical?
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Apr 7, 2008
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I wouldn't say the West Coast Offense gets a bad rap. Teams have proven they can win with it. I think it gets too much credit as a fix all when it is more dependent on the personnel you have in place to execute it.
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Thoughts about "ESTABLISHING the RUN 1st."
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