What is hindering the running game?

[Jangler]

Lack of commitment. 

i was thinking youth.

[carpanfan96]

KB, against Texans Stew, Tolbert and Cam each had 2 runs over 10 yards. So while I'd give an edge to Cam, it's probably going to be pretty balanced. 

 

Pretty sure Stew has 6-7 himself.

[Moorgan]

Thanks Obama

[Mojoman]

We use the read option too much.  Sure, Cam is great at running the option, but these plays take too much time for the O-line to keep engaged in their run blocks. 

[top dawg]

It's a combination of eight and nine man fronts, which of course is due to a lack of legit and consistent play makers at receiver, which also puts stress on run blocking. 

[TheNewStandard]

Stupid run play design

 

we need more bubble screens and on the run/option, Cam is usually keeping it himself. 

I don't have a problem with Cam being our biggest run threat, he kills defenses when their in the buckle or keeping 7 in the box.

stew has coughed the ball up on quite a few runs and Tolbert's best days are behind him. 

Olsen is being used a lot as an extra blocker and I don't mind it much as he is adept at blocking, being used as a bookend. 

Stew is starting to get it going, if we can get him out on space, it will Do a world of good.

weve been complaining about this for years and nothing has changed. It almost seems like our OC is happy to have 3rd and 5 every offensive set of downs. 

Theres really no way to fix this as it is our CO's MO. Just have to take care of the ball.

[TheNewStandard]

My money is on us making CJ and Stew as our June 1st cuts and cutting Tolbert, while restructuring Kalil. That's gonna save us a ton of $$ without dropping off talent. That's close to 20-million extra in FA$ That will go towards Norman and locking down our line/core of players to longer contracts. 

[Floppin]

 

Olsen is being used a lot as an extra blocker and I don't mind it much as he is adept at blocking, being used as a bookend.

actually no. Olsen is a pretty terrible blocker in the grand scheme of things. He always has been, it's why he was hardly used in Chicago - they valued that ability more than his play making for their scheme.

 

Here hes a primary target and as such we have to keep him on the field for blocking assignments otherwise we tip our hands. But make no mistake - its not cause he's a great blocker.

[TheNewStandard]

actually no. Olsen is a pretty terrible blocker in the grand scheme of things. He always has been, it's why he was hardly used in Chicago - they valued that ability more than his play making for their scheme.

 

Here hes a primary target and as such we have to keep him on the field for blocking assignments otherwise we tip our hands. But make no mistake - its not cause he's a great blocker.

I can buy that, but he's used more on blocking ability than he is as a receiver. 

It sucks, 'cause he's basically our #1 receiver.

[KB_fan]

actually no. Olsen is a pretty terrible blocker in the grand scheme of things. He always has been, it's why he was hardly used in Chicago - they valued that ability more than his play making for their scheme.

 

Here hes a primary target and as such we have to keep him on the field for blocking assignments otherwise we tip our hands. But make no mistake - its not cause he's a great blocker.

Yeah, the day he had the career game and his receiving stats were WAY higher than Gronk's, PFF didn't even consider Greg as the leading TE of the week because of his poor blocking grades.  I hadn't realized this was a weakness of Greg's until then.  It's so much easier to focus on his sure hands and his reliability in getting open and making plays. 

[Davidson Deac II]

I'm starting to think that the strong end to the seasons aren't a coincidence? Could we be saving the full playbook until the end of the season to avoid teams getting film on us?

Only problem with that line of thinking is that it didn't start when Rivera got here.  We had similar issues when Fox was here.  Even in 2008, double trouble got off to a relatively slow start. 

[Davidson Deac II]

I think it could have a lot to do with the teams we are playing.  Jacksonville is allowing 3.1 ypc this year.  The only team to average more than 4 a carry against them is New England, and that was probably due to Jacksonville forgetting the RB's and focusing on Brady (not that it did them much good).  The Texans have a pretty decent run defense as well.  Tampa is middle of the pack, and we had our best game running the ball against them.  Stewart had his best game as well.   We ran ok against New Orleans, although it should have been better.  But I think the New Orleans defense was focusing on the run game, which explains why Olsen had his best game of the year.   

[juliosantos]

stewart is just not good . cap imo looked better and has  a  chance to bust a big one 

[Davidson Deac II]

I don't see any evidence that Payne is better than Stewart at this point.  In the Tampa game, Payne had one good run, but after that, he didn't show much.  Admittedly, its a small sample size, but still doesn't provide any evidence that Payne is better. 

 

Stewart had only one run that was for no gain or negative yards. Payne had three with fewer carries.   Those are drive killers.  I am not certain they were his fault, but he will have to learn that sometimes you just have to get as much as you can, without trying to make the big play.