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Originally Posted by barrett
But watch HOW New England runs the ball. They spread the field and beat you through the air. Then they run at you out of those spread alignments when you are worried about stopping the pass. They run draws and screens to Faulk out of a shotgun formation. They don't needlessly pound it on first down because that's what NFL logic says you do.
We run a bunch of plays in 3/4 WR sets and throw the ball. THEN we get in the I with Leach and try to run it. We do a very poor job of using the pass threat to open up the run game because we don't design for it. We are still more worried about using the run game to set up the play action. But our run game needs the help, not the other way around. There is no reason for us to ever show an I formation with the personell we have. Spread the field, throw the ball to win, and run it only as much as you have to OUT OF THAT SPREAD. I bet we can run it far more effectively with AJ, Walter, OD, and JJ/Anderson all split out and Schaub in the gun with Slaton (or even under center in a trips/trey one back), as opposed to getting in the "I" and running into the back of the center/guard who has been pushed into the backfield.
I just don't understand the stubborness that we have to go I formation and put a fullback on the field for half of our snaps when we are far less effective in that situation.
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That's fine with me....what got me to respond was your comment,
Quote:
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Originally Posted by barrett;
Just stop running the ball in general
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It might to be fair to just cherry pick one comment like that, but that is what got my attention.
I have no problem with running out of more of spread look. I have no problem using screens and dump offs as a quasi running game(though if your going to do that you also need to make sure that your are throwing the ball down field enough). You just can't stop "running the ball in general". Spreading the field doesn't work as well down by the goal line though, when the field is already compressed so much vertically. Every team has some type of power formation for a reason...though I agree with you that we need to play to our strengths and not our weaknesses.