The running game

What a crock, man. We all heard leading up to the game about how the coaches just "love Thomas" and "Thomas looked great against Washington" and "we're going to ride Thomas". Thomas this and Thomas that. 10 carries? Really? In a game where Seattle had the lead throughout, you only give the guy you say you're going to ride 10 carries. I don't care if 9 of those carries didn't produce anything, you feed your back! Something HAS to change with the run game. Pete and his two cronies need to commit to it. Rawls had a great 23 yard gain on a crucial 3rd down, and he only gets two carries after. Come on. Gains like that can kickstart a stagnant run game. Let him get his rhythm. Let him and the line gel. Look, I've already written off Rawls long ago, but they need something, anything at this point. Lacy isn't it. JD is not a feature back. Rawls has at least shown dominance.

Especially now more than ever, this team needs to find a running game. The defense looks to be in big, big trouble. If this team can't find a good balance of run and pass with the state of this defense, they'll be hard pressed to reach their goals.

The Oline just isnt good enough to have a good run game. RB doesnt matter at this point. The O-line just isn't good enough. They are out matched. Badly.

Yup, they just came out and started passing. Not even quick passes, which would've been great, they went back to that long developing nonsense when the line clearly can't protect.

The problem is when they find something that works they abandon it to try something cute.

Just keep running every 1st or 2nd down. Maybe gain 0 every now and then, 2-3 other times. That's fine. 2nd and 8 beats 2nd and 10. Keep the defense honest, it's basic football.

I actually thought it was working ok today. Russ had more time on the playaction passes, plus he can roll out like crazy on those plays.

Crizilla":nl1h9w4q said:

The Oline just isnt good enough to have a good run game. RB doesnt matter at this point. The O-line just isn't good enough. They are out matched. Badly.

Click to expand...

Chris Carson sure looked good, and that was behind a more inferior line than the current line. I don't buy it. Sorry. I know Carson was a small sample size, but the numbers don't lie.

Thepeelsessions":3107kn74 said:

Crizilla":3107kn74 said:

The Oline just isnt good enough to have a good run game. RB doesnt matter at this point. The O-line just isn't good enough. They are out matched. Badly.

Click to expand...

Chris Carson sure looked good, and that was behind a more inferior line than the current line. I don't buy it. Sorry. I know Carson was a small sample size, but the numbers don't lie.

Click to expand...

Even if the oline isnt the problem which is pretty ridiculous, Rawls is clearly not Carson and had a bad game save 1 run. Hitting on one run doesnt outweight a 2.7 ypc where the other 9 were utter garbage.

Mckissic had a great pitch outside. You dont see a lot of that but its there and it isnt used. He had a few stuffed runs inside.

This line is part of the problem and Cable has no answers with current personnell at OL or RB.

minormillikin":2q09e109 said:

Just keep running every 1st or 2nd down. Maybe gain 0 every now and then, 2-3 other times. That's fine. 2nd and 8 beats 2nd and 10. Keep the defense honest, it's basic football.

I actually thought it was working ok today. Russ had more time on the playaction passes, plus he can roll out like crazy on those plays.

Click to expand...

2nd and 8 isnt great when a 5 or 10 yard penalty happens on that down. You guys are asking for the team to do something it is apprently bad at in the hopes it will eventually work. Sure we need a run game, the current designs of runs arent cutting it with the players we have.

mrt144":3qngyub5 said:

minormillikin":3qngyub5 said:

Just keep running every 1st or 2nd down. Maybe gain 0 every now and then, 2-3 other times. That's fine. 2nd and 8 beats 2nd and 10. Keep the defense honest, it's basic football.

I actually thought it was working ok today. Russ had more time on the playaction passes, plus he can roll out like crazy on those plays.

Click to expand...

2nd and 8 isnt great when a 5 or 10 yard penalty happens on that down. You guys are asking for the team to do something it is apprently bad at in the hopes it will eventually work. Sure we need a run game, the current designs of runs arent cutting it with the players we have.

Click to expand...

I agree. The penalties are absurd and it doesn't help when about half are random ref calls--the kind that they commonly ignore.

But today, in a few situations they got into 2nd and medium, followed by 3rd and short. That's an improvement in the run game. Keep that up, combined with Russ' run/pass ability and the offense will stay on the field longer. (and even score a few points)

If you were a Cardinals fan talking about their running game after tonight, what would you be saying tonight? AP was held to nearly 1yd/carry. Is that all on their O-line? AP being old? He torched SF last week. But that wasn't against our D-line and LBers.

No, we sold out to stop AP today like the Texans did to us. We knew Stanton wouldn't beat us; he's no AaronRod or RW. Teams can do that, you know... sell out to stop the run, and commit 8 to the box or to rushing, and force Russ into some bad throws.

I completely agree OP. I thought when Rawls broke that run he was finally getting into a groove but was never given the chance to build on that. Just asinine play calling, if there was any game to try and jump start the running game this was it. Rawls didn't have to worry about Carson or Lacy looking over his shoulder he could have had the bulk of the workload and try to establish a rhythm but our incompetent OC seemingly took the ball out of his hands just at the time it looked like it might actually pay off. Now Lacy will come back and we'll get another ineffective timeshare where neither guy is effective.

It's hard to stay with the run when were 2nd and long every time we have the ball. Weather It's a failed run play or penalty or sack it seems like we see more 2nd and 15 then we do 2nd and 5's. We need to give Mike Davis a shot because Rawls ain't the ticket.

Don’t use dominance and Rawls in the same sentence.he averaged 2.7ypc last night. He is awful. Bottom line is we need Lacy back. It’s a bummer he got injured.

How anybody can want Lacy over Rawls at this point is beyond me. Rawls at least has the ability to break one once in awhile. With Lacy its 1 to 3 yards, rinse and repeat.

I was also doing a WTF last night in the 2nd half when I didnt see Rawls out there. Its like we completely abandoned the run again except for a few tries with Mckissick gere and there. Mind boggling.

I was actually ok with them abandoning the run last night. about time they stop trying to be something they clearly are not. im so tired of 2nd and 12 after a 2 yard loss. even 2nd and 8 after one of our "good" runs isn't enough to get the job done.

the offense will stay on the field longer at least converting a few first downs even if they don't score by throwing instead of the 3 and out trying to run. they just don't have the personnel for it at this time. and Russ having the capability to scramble still keeps the line backers up to help the passing game.

I do think you need a legit running game to win a championship so it will be very hard to do so. but in the meantime id rather at least get another division crown and playoff appearance by throwing the ball all over the field in the regular season. after all at least you have a chance of winning the SB if your in the playoffs. running the ball we wont even get the chance.

HE WAS 10 for 27yards and had a 23 yard run. So he was 9 carries for 4 yards on the REST OF HIS RUNS.

At what point you guys going to take the Rawls blinders off? If you read what any objective person (typically non-seahawks fan thinks its pretty obvious Rawls is dud. The supporters continue to live in 2015. I hope he isn't on the team next year.

https://twitter.com/MattHarmon_BYB/stat ... 2707152896

ImTheScientist":2741vft8 said:

Don’t use dominance and Rawls in the same sentence.he averaged 2.7ypc last night. He is awful. Bottom line is we need Lacy back. It’s a bummer he got injured.

Click to expand...

Rawls rookie season was pure dominance. Don't act like you don't remember. And no, we don't need Lacy back. He's not going to help. I'm not defending Rawls here, I've said multiple times before that I'm over Rawls. But when the coaching staff says they're going to eliminate a committee approach and ride one guy, they should buckle down and do what they say. Last night was a great opportunity to get the run game going, and they went back to their ridiculous committee. 10 carries is absolutely not "riding one guy".

Ad Hawk":3j5bsy7w said:

If you were a Cardinals fan talking about their running game after tonight, what would you be saying tonight? AP was held to nearly 1yd/carry. Is that all on their O-line? AP being old? He torched SF last week. But that wasn't against our D-line and LBers.

No, we sold out to stop AP today like the Texans did to us. We knew Stanton wouldn't beat us; he's no AaronRod or RW. Teams can do that, you know... sell out to stop the run, and commit 8 to the box or to rushing, and force Russ into some bad throws.

Click to expand...

Agree.

Big picture, most of the time the RB won't matter- at least among those on the active roster right now.

So are teams selling out to stop the run because they know they only need to be concerned with long-developing deeper passes? It almost seems there is something pre-snap tipping off a run play and teams are all over it. Is Ifedi's stance still the "tell"?

ImTheScientist":wc3f76s3 said:

Don’t use dominance and Rawls in the same sentence.he averaged 2.7ypc last night. He is awful. Bottom line is we need Lacy back. It’s a bummer he got injured.

Click to expand...

Even worse -he had 10 carries for 27 yds. He had one run at 23 yards and nine runs at roughly half a yard per run. The line is definitely up for some blame, but if you watch each run, he hesitates and picks the wrong lanes.

Grahamhawker":2cjwboay said:

Ad Hawk":2cjwboay said:

If you were a Cardinals fan talking about their running game after tonight, what would you be saying tonight? AP was held to nearly 1yd/carry. Is that all on their O-line? AP being old? He torched SF last week. But that wasn't against our D-line and LBers.

No, we sold out to stop AP today like the Texans did to us. We knew Stanton wouldn't beat us; he's no AaronRod or RW. Teams can do that, you know... sell out to stop the run, and commit 8 to the box or to rushing, and force Russ into some bad throws.

Click to expand...

Agree.

Big picture, most of the time the RB won't matter- at least among those on the active roster right now.

So are teams selling out to stop the run because they know they only need to be concerned with long-developing deeper passes? It almost seems there is something pre-snap tipping off a run play and teams are all over it. Is Ifedi's stance still the "tell"?

Click to expand...

There is no tell. The line sucks...