Excellent In-Depth NFL.com Article On Our Running Game

[ed bell]

What I am hoping for is a good deal of balance and the occasional game where Cam takes it all on his shoulders and decides to carry the team almost single handedly. That's what the great ones have the ability to do

[rayzor]

What I am hoping for is a good deal of balance and the occasional game where Cam takes it all on his shoulders and decides to carry the team almost single handedly. That's what the great ones have the ability to do

agreed.

i want cam to be able to carry the team all by himself and i think he's capable of it or at least in the very near future he will be, but i want this to be a team that he doesn't have to carry it all on his own to be successful. one that doesn't rely on him completely.

[SauceBoss]

What the blind eyes don't understand is the ability for all three of the guys to catch the ball out of the backfield. Checkdown options and screens with the potential for a ton of YAC. Who needs an elite 2nd WR when you have three guys you can create plays for?

[Montsta]

I thought they ran the offense the way they did last year because they already knew they had an elite running game, and basically wanted to throw Cam in the deep end see if he could sink or swim. Thus the no wristband. They wanted Cam to absorb everything. I remember reading Rivera saying something to that effect. I think it'll be more of a balanced attack this year.

[rayzor]

What the blind eyes don't understand is the ability for all three of the guys to catch the ball out of the backfield. Checkdown options and screens with the potential for a ton of YAC. Who needs an elite 2nd WR when you have three guys you can create plays for?

it's not just that, but the variety in option plays we could be running.

wishbone, wing t, flexbone (and i like any of the RBs and tolbert to fit in as the slotback), or nebraska I...all of it is fair game and will likely be seen quite frequently. we have all the elements to make those plays successful along with all the elements needed for a spread option. you want to stick with a more "traditional" norv turner coryell....sure, we've got that as well.

the playbook is going to be wide open and will probably have some formations and elements that we've never seen or heard of before.

again, it doesn't matter what the rest of the league is doing or what are more recent "tried and true" offensive schemes. this team has a range of talent in it's personnel that is really unmatched in the league and a mad scientist for an OC who likes to build around the talents of the players at his disposal. that is more than just cam. is he the most talented on the team? oh yeah. he's not the only talented one, though. we shouldn't act like he is. and we won't. it's going to be very balanced and incredibly creative.

[CRA]

I thought they ran the offense the way they did last year because they already knew they had an elite running game, and basically wanted to throw Cam in the deep end see if he could sink or swim. Thus the no wristband. They wanted Cam to absorb everything. I remember reading Rivera saying something to that effect. I think it'll be more of a balanced attack this year.

More balanced? You mean pass more? B/c we were in the bottom 3rd in pass attempts

[CRA]

it's not just that, but the variety in option plays we could be running.

wishbone, wing t, flexbone (and i like any of the RBs and tolbert to fit in as the slotback), or nebraska I...all of it is fair game and will likely be seen quite frequently. we have all the elements to make those plays successful along with all the elements needed for a spread option. you want to stick with a more "traditional" norv turner coryell....sure, we've got that as well.

the playbook is going to be wide open and will probably have some formations and elements that we've never seen or heard of before.

again, it doesn't matter what the rest of the league is doing or what are more recent "tried and true" offensive schemes. this team has a range of talent in it's personnel that is really unmatched in the league and a mad scientist for an OC who likes to build around the talents of the players at his disposal. that is more than just cam. is he the most talented on the team? oh yeah. he's not the only talented one, though. we shouldn't act like he is. and we won't. it's going to be very balanced and incredibly creative.

But most of those emphasize putting Newton under center...which basically sums up most of my rambling. Wht do you want Newton under center more?

I think Tolbert means more spread option looks....not less.

[Floppin]

More balanced? You mean pass more? B/c we were in the bottom 3rd in pass attempts

More balanced =/= same pass/run ratio as the rest of the league.......

[rayzor]

But most of those emphasize putting Newton under center...which basically sums up most of my rambling. Wht do you want Newton under center more?

I think Tolbert means more spread option looks....not less.

pistol formation. wouldn't have to be under center.

[ed bell]

When I say balanced I mean having Cam filling the passing QB role more often and a measured reduction of plays where he "creates" a play on the fly, or option situations. By all means I wouldn't want to see him restricted from those type plays, but having a solid formula that makes his improvisational plays even more dangerous. Maybe an example would be if teams attempt to use a "spy" like defenses did with Vick, then they would be essentally wasting a defender more often than difusing Cam being a primary ball carrier.

[CRA]

More balanced =/= same pass/run ratio as the rest of the league.......

You do realize we were ranked 16th in pass ratio %......that is the dead center of a 32 team league in 2011. So the balance is already there with what we were doing.

[Floppin]

You do realize we were ranked 16th in pass ratio %......that is the dead center of a 32 team league in 2011. So the balance is already there with what we were doing.

You're basing "balance" as a comparison to other teams pass/run ratio, which is a logical fallacy, and does not truly represent real balance. The only thing that can represent our balance is our own pass/run ratio, not how said ratio compares to the rest of the league.

[CRA]

When I say balanced I mean having Cam filling the passing QB role more often and a measured reduction of plays where he "creates" a play on the fly, or option situations. By all means I wouldn't want to see him restricted from those type plays, but having a solid formula that makes his improvisational plays even more dangerous. Maybe an example would be if teams attempt to use a "spy" like defenses did with Vick, then they would be essentally wasting a defender more often than difusing Cam being a primary ball carrier.

to me, your approach contradicts itself.

You do and yet don't want to limit one of the most efficient runners in the NFL

[CRA]

You're basing "balance" as a comparison to other teams pass/run ratio, which is a logical fallacy, and does not truly represent real balance. The only thing that can represent our balance is our own pass/run ratio, not how said ratio compares to the rest of the league.

What is real balance then? If you aren't using the league as the measuring bar?

balance isn't a constant. A balanced team in 2003 and 2012 won't be the same thing.